The Inaugural Green Grand Prix

2005 Inaugural Green Grand Prix

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 :

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