greenspotlight
Racing Forward…Responsibly
by tiffany schroeder
H
“
eading to the races this weekend?” Like it or not, the love of vehicular in-
genuity and recreational racing are simply part of local culture. A vibrant
history surrounds this pastime and Volusia residents find themselves, at
least annually, at the industry’s epicenter.
Let us delve under the hood and beyond into the series of events that hap-
pen after the big events make history. The question burns. “Could NASCAR ever
go green?” Judging by the look on some faces, NASCAR isn’t the first place some
might look to stimulate their environmental consciousness. Maybe it’s time to give
this old pastime a second thought.
Cars….we all drive them. Until we have a deeply improved rail system, cars
aren’t going anywhere. If that’s the case, learning green tips from NASCAR does
begin to sound more sensible. There are six green features to NASCAR that gener-
ate some impressive statistics:
• Tires: Goodyear, the official tire supplier of NASCAR, ships spent tires to Char-
lotte, North Carolina where they are immediately shredded (which eliminates
risks of fires as well as breeding environment for mosquitoes), and sold to vari-
ous industries including power-generating plants and cement kilns. The end
result is composite material for playgrounds and material for asphalt mixtures.
• Oil: Safety Kleen Systems Inc. collects and re-refines 170,000 gallons of NA-
SCAR oil annually.
• Recyclables: Waste Management helped Daytona International Speedway
recycle 11,980 total pounds of aluminum and plastic from cans and bottles
left over from race events during Speedweeks in 2007.
• Eco-Ed: Coca-Cola Recycling, a promotional recycling sponsor of NASCAR,
educates fans on the benefits of recycling and encourages them to dispose
of plastic bottles and aluminum cans in their proper bins as they enter the
racetrack.
• Fuel Efficiency: The “Be Car Care Aware” program encourages motorists to
increase safety, reduce emissions, and improve gas mileage by taking care
of their vehicles. NASCAR has also joined forces with the Alliance to Save
Energy’s “Drive Smarter Challenge,” a call to action through radio that teaches
ways to save money at the gas pump.
• Green Building: The NASCAR Plaza at the Hall of Fame in Charlotte, sched-
uled to open in 2010, plans to qualify for LEED certification with low-emitting
building materials and state-of-the-art energy management systems. Interna-
tional Speedway Corp.’s new office building, Daytona Speedplex, also plans
to qualify for LEED certification. Daytona Speedplex will be the new head-
quarters for ISC, NASCAR and Grand American Racing in Daytona.
A special thanks to NASCAR’s Andrew Giangola who shared these valuable, but
unsuspecting traits of the industry giant who is keeping up with these changing
times.
This Green Spotlight is dedicated to the memory of Eduardo Cademartori, a be-
loved local racecar mechanic and friend.
Tiffany Smith Schroeder, Green MBA, FGBC Certifying Agent, is the Executive
Director of the Florida Green Guild. She can be reached at 386-736-2001 or
floridagreenguild@gmail.com.
18 Volusia / Flagler
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40