Top-Rated Raceway Gives the Green Light to Recycled Oil
September 17th, 2012 by Tina Casey
EcoPower recycled oil has just been named the official oil of Virginia International Raceway, one of the top-rated tracks in the U.S., so if you had any doubts that the green revolution is sweeping into the mainstream, this ought to help put them to rest. VIR is making a big deal out of this deal, which it sealed in time to kick off its inaugural VIR 240 American Le Mans Series this week.
Green Oil for a Greener Raceway
EcoPower is a brand of the environmental services company Safety-Kleen, which bills itself as the largest oil recycler in the U.S.
According to Safety-Kleen, its used-oil refining process can use up to 85% less energy than producing motor oil from virgin crude.
The arrangement with VIR is designed to show off EcoPower’s performance under a wide range of conditions. The raceway will use several different grades of EcoPower to power dozens of vehicles, from emergency vehicles and ATVs to heavy equipment and lawn mowers.
Building Green Cred at the Racetrack
Auto racing has the unique ability to blast the green tech message out to millions of fans from all walks of life in a high-performance, pumped up setting that’s hard to beat anywhere else.
The marketing power of new green tech hasn’t been lost on the racing industry. NASCAR, for example, has added a whole new “Green Sponsor” category among which are Liberty Tire Recycling, the bio-oil company Green Earth Technologies, and electronics recycler Creative Recycling.
Earlier this year, Richmond International Raceway made the Ford Focus EV its first ever all-electric pace car for a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
Just a couple of other examples are the huge solar installation at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania and the green showcase at the Indy 500 last year, which was part of the event’s 100th anniversary celebration.
VIR seems a little slow to the party, but it is positioned to take it up to a whole new level through affiliations with the tenants of its on-site industrial park, the Virginia Motorsports Technology Park, including Virginia Tech’s new National Tire Research Center.
It’s also worth noting that one of VIR’s sponsors is the green-transitioning Coca-Cola company, which has been getting top marks for pushing the global corporate world in a more sustainable direction particularly in the field of water conservation.
Image: Oil (cropped). Some rights reserved by L.C.Nøttaasen.
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About the Author
Tina Casey specializes in military and corporate sustainability, advanced technology, emerging materials, biofuels, and water and wastewater issues. Tina’s articles are reposted frequently on Reuters, Scientific American, and many other sites. Views expressed are her own. Follow her on Twitter @TinaMCasey and Google+.
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