American Ethanol sped into Victory Lane last night as spokesman Austin Dillon held off challengers during an exciting green-white-checkered finish to win the inaugural Mudsummer Classic at the Eldora Speedway in Ohio. This was the first NASCAR® series race held on a dirt track in 43 years, featuring a mix of NASCAR Sprint Cup™ racers, dirt track veterans and rising stars. Dillon pulled out the impressive victory in front of a sold out crowd, overcoming a 19th place start. “Last night was nothing short of a spectacular outing for American Ethanol and Austin Dillon,” said National Corn Growers Association NASCAR Committee Chair Jon Holzfaster. “Millions of fans watching the spectacle learned more about American Ethanol, already the race’s television entitlement sponsor, as Dillon’s win elevated the coverage of ethanol. This unprecedented opportunity to reach a broad, diverse audience highlighted how ethanol fuels champions on the track while providing real savings at the pump.”
Dillon dominated the third leg of the race, fighting off repeated challenges, in the No. 39 American Ethanol Chevrolet Silverado. His incredible efforts culminated in a buzz-inducing finish that will leave NASCAR fans talking about the historic race for years.
“It’s amazing! I want to thank Richard Childress Racing and American Ethanol for giving me these opportunities,” Dillon exclaimed as he celebrated in Victory Lane. “That’s real racing right there, that’s all I’ve got to say.”
The return to dirt was much anticipated by NASCAR fans, with the race trending worldwide on Twitter and an expected ratings boost for SPEED network’s primetime coverage. SPEED’s coverage, which prominently featured the American Ethanol logo throughout the race, included commentary from racing greats Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski and Clint Bowyer.
The Eldora win caps off Dillon’s social media road trip called the “American Ethanol Heartland Tour.” Through a blog, fans followed Dillon as he drove from Chicagoland Speedway to the Eldora race in a flex fuel vehicle. From the FFV, Dillon tweeted and posted photos on Facebook at fuel stops, documenting as he met with an Indiana corn farmer and toured an ethanol plant. This in-depth coverage helped draw attention to how ethanol can help mitigate the high summer gas prices consumers currently see at the pump.
Launched by Growth Energy and the National Corn Growers Association, along with the support of other partners, American Ethanol is a breakthrough brand that seeks to expand consumer awareness of the benefits of ethanol and E15, and takes the NASCAR Green initiative to the next level. Since the program launch for the 2011 season, NASCAR drivers have run more than 4 million miles on renewable Sunoco Green E15.