Concord, NC – Officials from NASCAR and Sunoco announced on Saturday that a 15 percent ethanol blend will be used in race fuel for all three of NASCAR's national touring series, beginning in 2011.

NASCAR and Sunoco held a press conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the site of Saturday's 500-mile Sprint Cup Series race.

The ethanol mix -- known as Sunoco Green E15 -- will be blended at Sunoco's fuel facility in Marcus Hook, PA. The American-made corn ethanol will come in part from the gasoline manufacturer's new facility in Fulton, NY. The new fuel will be pumped directly from tankers at the track, rather than from on-site underground storage tanks.

NASCAR team engine builders have been testing the fuel for several months, and response has been positive. Many teams reported an increase in horsepower.

"What we know from the testing is that the fuel that we've chosen and the fuel that was ultimately developed by Sunoco is going to be cleaner burning," NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian France said during the announcement. "It's going to be actually, from a performance standpoint, we're actually going to be better. I'm told the drivers will have a little more horsepower and so on."