Alternative fuel vehicles are increasingly finding their way to racing as a way of promoting the breed to consumers. Most of these are competition cars. Now, for the first time a compressed natural gas (CNG) car has found its way to a NASCAR race as an official pace car.
A Honda Civic Natural Gas sedan fielded by Dallas, Texas-based Atmos Energy – one of the country's largest natural gas-only distributors serving more than three million customers – has served as the pace car at the ‘Bumper to Bumper Pro Late Model Series’ race held at Revolution Park Racing and Entertainment Complex in Monroe, Louisiana. The race was part of the NASCAR ‘Whelen All American Series,’ which allows drivers to be eligible for NASCAR's national championship program for weekly racing.
According to Atmos Energy, the Civic Natural Gas sedan’s use as a pace car aligns perfectly with the goal of providing an exciting fan experience while promoting environmental responsibility. This same strategy has bee used elsewhere in racing with other advanced technology pace cars running on gasoline-electric hybrid power and other alternative fuels.
Atmos Energy and many other companies have been converting a variety of fleet vehicles, often pickups and vans, to cleaner burning natural gas, which offers performance similar to that of gasoline vehicles while offering reduced fuel and maintenance costs. Honda’s Civic Natural Gas is the only factory-produced CNG passenger car in the United States.