Press Release: Bobby Rahal to Keynote at AF&V Conference + Expo 2008

New 2008 Conference Logo Logo-1

For Immediate Release                                

Contact:        Kimberly Taylor

                        702-203-4982

                        ktaylor@afvi.org

 

Racing Legend Bobby Rahal To Keynote 14th Alternative Fuels & Vehicles
National Conference + Expo 2008

Ethanol Promotion and Information Council Sponsors the May 13 Appearance

 

Las Vegas, NV-November 5, 2007- Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute (AFVi) is
pleased to announce that legendary American open-wheel racing star, Bobby
Rahal, is to keynote the 14th annual Alternative Fuels & Vehicles National
Conference + Expo on May 13, 2008.  The championship driver and racing team
owner will share his passion for the industry as he addresses 2,000
attendees at AFVi's annual conference, May 11-14, at the Rio All Suite Hotel
in Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

Featured speaker Bobby Rahal has had enormous influence on racing as an
athlete, owner and executive.  Rahal won three IndyCar/CART championships as
a driver, as well as the 1986 Indianapolis 500.  As a team owner he has
overseen the growth of Rahal Letterman Racing, which has become a multi-car,
multi-discipline organization.  He's known for nurturing young talent such
as 2004 Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice, Vitor Meira and Danica Patrick.  The
Ohio-born star is also credited for bringing American Honda into open-wheel
racing, which has yielded eight championships and over 100 victories for the
manufacturer.  Rahal was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of
Fame in 2004.

 

The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) is sponsoring Bobby
Rahal's appearance at the AF&V Conference + Expo 2008.  In 2007, for the
first time, the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCarR Series powered its Honda
engines on 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol, a renewable and
environmentally-friendly fuel.  EPIC is a nonprofit alliance of ethanol
industry leaders who have come together to grow consumer demand for ethanol
energy through targeted marketing and public relations. The organization is
a 2008 Gold level conference sponsor.

 

"I can't imagine a more compelling figure than Bobby Rahal to attract fleet
decision-makers to our conference," said Annalloyd Thomason, Executive
Director of AFVi.  "Showcasing the impressive performance of renewable,
environmentally responsible ethanol in Indy Car racing sends a very
powerful, credible message to those considering alternative fuels."

 

The conference features 125 exhibitors, an opportunity to test drive new
model year alternatively fueled and/or powered vehicles, tours, and more
than 200 speakers.  In addition to EPIC, early sponsors include American
Honda, Clean Energy, Chrysler, Cummins Westport, FirmGreen Energy, Ford,
General Motors, Global Electric Motorcars, National Biodiesel Board, Bosch,
and Westport Innovations.  The conference also enjoys broad support from a
planning committee, which includes representation from many of the sponsors,
as well as the City of Las Vegas, Clark County Department of Air Quality and
Environmental Management, Cromwell and Associates, Greater New Haven Clean
Cities Coalition, Hampton Roads Clean Cities, J.D. Power and Associates,
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Francisco Clean Cities, ShowTimes, and
the United States Department of Agriculture.

 

Information is available at http://www.afvi.org/NationalConference2008/.

 

About AFVi

AFVi is an entrepreneurial organization that works through industry to bring
people in need of proven transportation technologies together with those who
can meet their needs.  AFVi is the education provider and information link
between the alternative fuels and vehicles industry and public/private
fleets. The primary business of the company is to advance the interests of
OEMs, fuel providers and their associated business partners through
education, outreach and deployment.  AFVi is fuel and technology neutral.