Michigan Corn Growers Association members, it's time to start your engines and race over to Dixie Motor Speedway in Birch Run for Ethanol Night at the Races, Saturday, Sept. 8.

"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 Jeff Sandborn, MCGA president and a corn grower from Portland. "We can't think of a better place to celebrate Michigan's vital ethanol industry than at Ethanol Night at the Races."

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 rate of $15 per person, while 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, 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.

Michigan Corn Growers Association members invited to bring friends and family to Ethanol Night at the Races

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 the Spectator Drags.

"The MCGA would not be as successful without the help and participation of our members, and this event is one way we can let them know how much we appreciate their support throughout the year," Sandborn says.

Sponsors for the 2012 Ethanol Night at the Races include: Mark Bauer, a corn grower and Pioneer representative; Don Morse, a corn grower and Pioneer representative; ADM Grain Company; The Andersons Albion Ethanol, LLC; Carbon Green BioEnergy, LLC; Crop Production Services; DuPont Pioneer; Great Lakes Hybrids; Growers National Cooperative; Monsanto; P & C Ag Solutions; Poet Biorefining; and Tri County Equipment. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available.

If the weather is threatening rain on Sept. 8, please contact Dixie Motor Speedway at (989) 624-9778 to confirm that Ethanol Night at the Races is still on. The rain date for this year's event will be Saturday, Sept. 15.

For more information, 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.