Guzzling Gas

Stretching fuel mileage has taken on new meaning these days around Charlotte, N.C. Getting gas means getting in line, oftentimes squeezing into a 25-car draft that spills out onto the street.

The current national average is $3.61 a gallon. Charlotte has partly been in gridlock with some pumps pushing $4.19. Residents are taking the bus and bumming rides because even the next station’s “93” pumps carry a grocery bag.

Consider these numbers relating to NASCAR:

A Talladega car holds 19 gallons of gas. Cars can complete 34 laps (90.6 miles) before refueling, with six stops anticipated in Sunday’s 500-miler. Between practice, qualifying and the race, about 135 gallons will be consumed per piece. That amount translates into a Charlotte street value of $540, even though Sunoco supplies the fuel at no charge to NASCAR teams.