"Going green" is auto racing jargon for the start of an event, the ceremonious moment a waving green flag signals to the drivers and fans that the race is on. Recently retired Nextel Cup owner Robert Yates is ready for NASCAR to go a different sort of green -- the environmentally sensitive variety.

NASCAR said it is committed to finding ways to become more environmentally friendly.

According to NASCAR, its use of racing fuel has no impact on the availability or price of passenger fuel. The gas used in racing is not compatible with passenger cars, and the quantity used is minute when compared to the amount of consumption on highways by passenger cars each year.  

"We are working together with our fuel supplier, Sunoco, at the large range of alternative fuels," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said in an e-mail. "It's a long-term process, but one that is important nationally to help achieve energy independence and a healthier environment."

Poston offered an array of examples as to how NASCAR is working to protect the environment. NASCAR's tire supplier, Goodyear, recycles most used race tires. They are shredded in Charlotte, N.C., and the recycled material is sold to various industries, including power plants and cement kilns. The recycled tires are also used as composite material for playgrounds and asphalt mixtures.

Read the full article at ESPN.

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