Company turns food waste into race car fuel

CORNELIUS, Ore. -- A local dried fruit company has found a high-octane purpose for all its left over fruit waste.
For nearly two decades, Summit Foods in Cornelius has been making dried fruits. But the process to dry those fruits creates hundreds of gallons of waste juice every day.
The problem is, the landfill won't take it and it's too expensive to put down the drain.
So company owner Mark Smith had an idea.
"We got to thinking, wow you could make alcohol out of it... that kind of started about five years of research," said Smith.
Research that culminated in the building of an ethanol plant on the property. It ferments the waste juice, distills it and turns it into pure alcohol, or in this case clean fuel.
The company now sells that fuel called "Thunderbolt" to local race car drivers.
Not only is it clean-burning, the food waste fuel actually gives the cars an added boost.
"More horsepower, typically the engines we've converted have gotten about 35-50 percent more horse power," said Smith.
In addition to using its own waste to make the fuel, the company also takes in the sugary waste from surrounding manufacturers.
"One day it's fruit juice from the plant, the next day it may be donut mix or cake mix," said Smith.
On the day we were the plant was turning old pie filling to fuel.
"Cherry pie filling, apple pie filling, lemon pie filling," explained plant manager Dave McCoy.
Which explains another benefit.
Not only is the exhaust the fuel easier on the environment, it's much easier on the nose.
"Depending on the racer you talk to, some of my racers smell berries," said McCoy.
Smith invested about $4 million in his ethanol plant. Right now he is selling his fuel mainly to local race car drivers.
It's certainly not a profitable business yet, but he hopes down the road, it will pick up speed.

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