Conrad goes green

ahead of this weekend’s Toyota Zimbabwe Challenge when he got a fuel sponsorship package for his Ford Fiesta S2000.
Rautenbach is set to break new ground when he fuels up his Ford Fiesta S2000 with G-Fuel G85 ethanol to compete in the 2011 Toyota Zimbabwe Challenge Rally which is set to run from this Friday to Sunday in Harare and the surrounding areas of Ruwa and Norton.
This is part of a sponsorship package from Green Fuel – Africa’s largest sugar cane ethanol producing factory taking shape in Chisumbanje.
Green Fuel will be launching their new fuel product – clean, renewable, ethanol- under the G-Fuel brand in June this year.
Consumers will be able to buy varying G-Fuel blends from G10 to G85 as better performing and cheaper alternatives to petroleum.
To be able to use higher blends or 100 percent G-Fuel, motorists only need to convert their cars, a process which involves fitting a G-Tech converter into their fuel injection systems.
The result is flexible fuel options ranging from 85 percent G-fuel to petroleum itself.
In addition to being more affordable, Green Fuel ethanol is environmentally friendly – reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 60 percent, and stimulates the Zimbabwean economy by creating local jobs.
Rautenbach’s rally sponsorship has been designed to showcase G-Fuel G85’s performance and reliability through the rigours of motorsport.
“Our highly skilled team of engineers and mechanics have tested all the different types of racing and aviation fuel and ethanol was by far the best performer with an increase of over 10 percent more horsepower and it’s cheaper than pump fuel,” Rautenbach Conrad said.
The World Rally Championship regular and former African champion has also set a more personal goal for himself apart from just winning.
“My dad (Billy Rautenbach) is the most successful Zimbabwean rally driver with a four wins and I am looking to equal his record this year as I have won the Zimbabwe Challenge Rally three times.
“It’s great to start the season on my home event and I’m really looking forward to the partnership with such an exciting product like G-Fuel G85,” young Rautenbach said.
Through Green Fuel, Zimbabwe joins economies such as Brazil, the USA and recently China investing research and infrastructure into renewable energy sources as measures towards sustainable fuel supply.
There is a growing commitment towards the use of clean, renewable fuels at international rallying platforms.
Top motorsport brands like American NasCar, Swedish Polestar and IndyCar have for several years now been using various ethanol blends to promote the use of biofuels.
Every car in the Australian V8 Supercars Championship is powered by E85- 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent petroleum.
Ethanol is also favoured for its high octane content which translates to a cleaner fuel tank and better engine performance.
In the last two months, Zimbabwe has been reeling from fuel price increases which have impacted negatively on cost of basic commodities.
Ethanol from Green Fuel is the country’s answer to cost-effective localised fuel production.
Apart from reducing the national fuel import bill and widening the country’s revenue base, the Green Fuel ethanol project has resulted in significant capital inflows into the downstream industrial sectors.
The 2011 edition of the prestigious Toyo-ta Zimbabwe Challenge Rally represents the car manufacturer’s third sponsorship of the rally series as part of a three-year support package for Sables Motor Sport Club which organises the event under the auspices of Zimbabwe Motorsports Federation and the FIA, the international body regulating world motor sporting.