WASHINGTON -- The ethanol industry is trying to popularize the corn-based fuel by getting it into racing cars -- specifically those at the Indianapolis 500.

Ethanol's backers want the Indy Racing League to replace the natural gas-made methanol used on the circuit since the 1970s.

"It's like those commercials where the race car driver says, `I use this particular type of oil in my own car.' What does that tell people?'' said Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo. "The key here is advertising and further acceptance of ethanol.''

Talent belongs to the Senate Biofuels Caucus, which is dedicated to increasing ethanol use. Lawmakers have written an energy bill that would double ethanol's use in gasoline to 5 billion gallons a year by 2012. The legislation, however, is stalled over how to continue ethanol's current tax breaks.

The caucus wrote Tony George, president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IRL, urging him to consider ethanol. IRL officials are open to the idea -- if ethanol makers are willing to pay.

"If we had a fuel sponsor who wanted to be involved in advertising ethanol and wanted to be involved in our series, we would give it serious consideration,'' said Fred Nation, executive vice president of communications for the Speedway, which owns the league.

The switch for Indy cars would be more a symbolic gesture than a new market. IRL races, including the Indianapolis 500, use fewer than 60,000 gallons of methanol each year. Because of auto racing's popularity, it's just the symbol ethanol producers want.

"It's the great American race, and we're the great American fuel, so it seems like we ought to be able to work something out,'' said Monte Shaw, a spokesman for the Renewable Fuels Association.

The IRL is in the heart of corn country. Besides Indiana, other top ethanol-producing states are Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Missouri, Kansas, Wisconsin and Tennessee.

Of course, competing methanol producers oppose switching fuels.

"Methanol has proven to be a highly effective and safe racing fuel, and it also has been very cost effective for the Indy Racing league,'' said Gregory Dolan, vice president of communications and policy for the Methanol Institute.