Cross country trip to promote energy independence stops in Green Country

TULSA - A couple of pioneering travelers are hitting the open road in an effort to promote energy independence.

It's never been done before, but Mark McConville and Keith Barfield are are attempting to drive the entire length of Route 66 with a compressed natural gas powered car.

They started in California, they are ending in Chicago. They are riding in style, in a converted 1966 Pontiac GTO.

The goal of the trip is to shed some light on benefits of this alternative fuel.

"Natural gas is obviously a very green fuel but most important to us is the fact that it's from our country and our dollars stay here so energy independence is what we are trumpeting," said McConville.

Their Route 66 trip will end on Independence Day. They are traveling in a caravan with both of their families.

Oklahoma is one of the top producers of natural gas in the country. It's second only to California in availability to drivers.