The Watkins Glen Green Grand Prix Tour
held on September 22nd, 2005, was an unqualified success. A huge THANK
YOU goes out to the Watkins Glen Chamber of Commerce, the IRL Festival
Committee, and the International Motor Racing Research Center.
Five presenters spoke at the panel
discussion, which was entitled FAST and FRIENDLY : Hybrid and
Alternate Fueled Vehicles. First to speak was Craig VanBatenburg,
Director of the Automotive Career Development Center in Worcester, MA.
Craig gave an excellent power point presentation on Hybrid Media
Myths. Paul Heaney ,of the Electric Grand Prix Corp., spoke on behalf
of the Clean Cities Initiative on the topic of clean fuels for
vehicles. Next up was Bob Stiles, from Homeland Energy Corp. Bob
discussed the particulars of compressed natural gas as a fuel. Jim
Nakas then gave a talk regarding wood-based fuel research now being
conducted at the College of Environmental Science and Forestry at
Syracuse. Jim showed the tremendous potential of ethanol and hydrogen
production from an organic source not requiring the intensive
management normally associated with agriculture. Chip Beam, of Alfred
Station, then provided an entertaining wrap-up to the discussion by
giving a talk on his wood-chip burning Isuzu Trooper, which uses a
process developed in Europe after World War II. The entire session
went 45 minutes longer than scheduled due to an overflow audience with
lots of questions.
|
At 5:20 P.M., Hybrids and AFVs were
driven around the 6.6 mile original Glen circuit.
This tour ended at the IRL Festival near the Schuyler County
Courthouse, where the cars were parked on the lawn in a display.
Trophies were awarded from the IRL Festival stage to the owners of 7
cars in a variety of categories :
Highest mileage vehicle
|
Adam Morehouse |
Toyota Prius |
Most unusual car |
Chip Beam |
Isuzu Trooper (wood powered)
|
Longest range AFV |
Bob Stiles |
CNG Honda Civic |
Most unusual bio-diesel |
Lucas MacDonald
Greg Wicken |
Veg-powered Volkswagen |
Oldest hybrid |
Nancy Loughlin |
Honda Insight |
Least distance travelled
|
Nancy Marion
Greg Marion |
Toyota Prius |
Most distance travelled |
Craig Van Batenburg |
Toyota Prius |
|
Bob Gillespie & Craig VanBatenburg
|
|
Bob Gillespie & Bob Stiles
Trophy for Compressed Natural Gas
|
|
Vegetable Powered Volswagon "GreaseCar"
|
|
Chip Beam's Wood Powered Isuzu Trooper
|
|
Festivalgoers ponder a Prius |
We all look forward to next years event, which is hoped to include a
formal fuel economy competition on the original Glen circuit.
Please call Robert Gillespie for more information about 2006:
Robert Gillespie
2888 Sherman Hollow Road
Penn Yan, N.Y. 14527
Ph:(315) 536-7185
GreenGP@glenspeed.com
Online
registration form
Other Hybrid and AFV Links
www.auto-careers.org
www.tourdesol.org |