Michigan Corn Growers Association (MCGA) members, start your engines and race over to Dixie Motor Speedway in Birch Run for Ethanol Night at the Races this Friday, Sept. 10.

"Ethanol Night at the Races is a great way for MCGA members to celebrate what has been accomplished over the past year, especially in regards to ethanol," says Ed Breitmeyer, MCGA president and a corn grower from Croswell. "We have come a long way in terms of infrastructure for producing and consuming ethanol in Michigan. We can't think of a better place to celebrate Michigan's ethanol accomplishments than at Ethanol Night at the Races.
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MCGA members must pre-register for the event and will receive:
• Free admission to Ethanol Night at the Races for themselves. Spouses and guests are welcome to attend for a fee. The first four adult guests of an MCGA member will receive a reduced fare of $15 per person and additional adult guests will be charged $20 per person. Children under the age of 12 will be admitted for $5 per child and children under the age of 6 are free.
• A free commemorative t-shirt.
• A great steak dinner from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• The opportunity to examine ethanol-powered projects from Kettering University, corn-based projects from Saginaw Valley State University, ethanol-powered race cars from Clark Motor Sports and Muskegon Community College, and an ethanol-powered tractor and lawnmower from the Eastern Michigan Tractor Pulling Association.
• A full night of racing with the green flag dropping at 7 p.m.

The steak dinner will be followed by the "Eve of Destruction," a full night of auto racing, highlighted by events such as the Figure-8 Trailer Race, School Bus Figure-8, Chain-Gang Race, Dixie Crash Cars, Flagpole Race and Spectator Drags.

"The MCGA would not be as successful without the power of our members, and this event is just one way we can give back to them for their support throughout the year," adds Breitmeyer.

Sponsors for the 2010 Ethanol Night at the Races include Mark Bauer, a Pioneer Seed Dealer from Reese; Don Morse, a Pioneer Seed Dealer from Birch Run; ADM; The Andersons Albion Ethanol, LLC; Carbon Green BioEnergy, LLC; Great Lakes Hybrids; and Pioneer Hi-Bred International; and Poet Biorefining. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available.

If the weather is threatening rain on Sept. 10, please contact Dixie Motor Speedway at (989) 624-9778 to confirm Ethanol Night at the Races is still on. The rain date for this year's event will be Friday, Sept. 17.

For more information, questions, to become a member, or to register for Ethanol Night at the Races, contact the MCGA office at 1-888-323-6601 or visit www.micorn.org.