Connor and his lime green-colored Mercedes are to cover over 20,000 miles and 31 states throughout the fall sports season visiting premiere college and pro football, basketball and hockey teams nationwide. Last year, Connor found the 1984 Mercedes on AutoTrader.com and had a two-tank fuel system installed that uses primarily biodiesel fuel, a cleaner form of diesel, to start the car and switches to vegetable oil when running.

“Each summer, Americans look forward to autumn tailgates and passionately supporting their favorite football team," said Clark Wood, vice president of marketing, AutoTrader.com.  “This year, Joe is taking football road trips and tailgating to another level.  His ambitious endeavor to promote awareness of alternative fuels and renewable energy is truly admirable!”

A San Diego-based freelance sports writer, Connor, 35, has written for the likes of ESPN.com and FOXSports.com.  With his second tour, Connor plans to continue to encourage Americans to reduce their dependency on foreign oil by promoting alternative fuel methods.

Connor’s Mercedes uses the existing diesel tank and filter system on engine start-up.  During that time the vegetable oil-fueled system heats the vegetable oil to reduce the viscosity so the oil may be used for fuel during normal driving conditions.  The 13-gallon vegetable oil tank is capable of generating between 20-23 miles per gallon, but performance varies based on the quality of the vegetable oil and driving conditions.

“My true passion for sports, my love for travel and my experience last summer inspired me to develop this second road tour,” said Connor.  “Being able to do what I love and promote awareness for a good cause makes this trip worthwhile.”

In 2006, Connor's "Fuel of Dreams" road tour of Major League Baseball parks, also sponsored by AutoTrader.com, covered more than 50,000 miles over the course of 215 days.  Connor took in 273 baseball games while promoting the virtues of renewable fuels.

About AutoTrader.com
AutoTrader.com, created in 1997 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is the Internet's leading auto classifieds marketplace and consumer information website. AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location more than 3 million vehicle listings from 40,000 dealers and 250,000 private owners, which provide the largest selection of vehicles attracting more than 13 million qualified buyers each month. Through innovative merchandising products such as multiple photos and comprehensive search functionality, AutoTrader.com unites buyer and seller online - dramatically improving the way people research, locate and advertise vehicles.

AutoTrader.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. The venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is also an investor.

Contact(s):
Jason Jager
Manager, Media Relations
AutoTrader.com
404-568-5947
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

SOURCE: Autotrader.com

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