Lord Drayson Appointed Science Minister: British racer back in government

Paul Drayson, a former member of the House of Lords and former Defense Minister, has been appointed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to be Great Britain's new Science Minister. Lord Drayson is team principal of Drayson-Barwell Motorsports, which campaigns an Aston-Martin Vantage in the GT2 category of the American Le Mans Series.

Lord Drayson was on the panel that introduced the ALMS Green Challenge initiative last Thursday in the lead up to the 1000-mile Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.

We spoke with Lord Drayson at Road Atlanta. He described the alternative fuel situation in Great Britain as a "classic chicken and egg" dilemma.

"First," he said, "we have ample anecdotal evidence that the general public wants to buy vehicles powered by alternative fuels, but availability is virtually nil." According to Drayson, the 60-million people in the London metro area are served by exactly one station offering alternative fuel.

Obviously, ethanol from food products is a poor option says Lord Drayson. The scramble to move to other sources of ethanol has caused the European Union to slip its goal of 5.75 percent usage further out than the 2010 date originally mandated. The Drayson-Barwell Aston Martin runs on E85 derived from waste wood and switch grass.

Lord Drayson's self-described "dream job" as Science Minister will not curtail his racing activities which are fully supported by the Prime Minister. "I'm a racer and an engineer," Lord Drayson told us. "The American Le Mans Series offers a unique opportunity to showcase alternative fuel technology as a means of improving both performance and fuel efficiency. Racing interests and inspires people who will make the connection."