Thought Leaders, Athletes and High-Powered Brands Gather At 2015 NASCAR Green Summit Presented By American Ethanol-E15
Featured Speakers Include Dr. Amory B. Lovins of Rocky Mountain Institute; Dr. Marius Stan of the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 16, 2015) – A cross-section of thought leaders and influencers in environmental sustainability, business and sport will gather today for the 2015 NASCAR Green Summit presented by American Ethanol-E15. Convening in Chicago for the second time in the past three years, a distinguished roster of participants will examine the future of environmental sustainability and its impact on the American consumer.
Today’s keynote speaker is widely considered to be among the world’s leading authorities on energy, Dr. Amory B. Lovins, Co-Founder, Chief Scientist and Chairman Emeritus of Rocky Mountain Institute. He will be joined by Dr. Marius Stan, Senior Scientist Nuclear Energy at Argonne National Laboratory, Senior Fellow at University of Chicago and Northwestern University, and actor from the television series Breaking Bad; Dr. Sabina Shaikh, Economics Lecturer at the University of Chicago in Public Policy and the Program on Global Environment; Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, President and Co-Founder of The Green Sports Alliance; Alderman Edward M. Burke of Chicago’s 14th Ward; and John Davies, Vice President and Senior Analyst at GreenBiz Group.
“The NASCAR Green Summit brings together an array of corporations, educators, policy makers, economists, scientists, and athletes – all who share our commitment to help protect the environment,” said Brent Dewar, NASCAR chief operating officer. “Today’s event allows for the real-time exchange of ideas, which helps the industry advance important initiatives that educate fans and ultimately drive sustainable behavior.”
As part of today’s summit, NASCAR will formally announce its membership of the Green Sports Alliance, a movement to make sports more sustainable through environmental performance. Since its founding in 2011, the Green Sports Alliance has grown to more than 300 professional and collegiate teams and venues from 20 difference sports leagues and 14 countries.
The 2015 NASCAR Green Summit presented by American Ethanol-E15 will recognize a number of Official NASCAR Partners that continue to raise the bar in driving sustainable behavior. The program includes executives from some of the world’s most influential brands, such as Ford Motor Company, General Motors, POET, Safety-Kleen, SunEdison, Sunoco, Toyota and presenting partner American Ethanol.
Additionally, athletes representing a number of sports properties, including NASCAR, NFL, NBA and UFC will be on-site. Scheduled to attend are Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing; Sam Hornish Jr., Richard Petty Motorsports; Mike Miller, Portland Trailblazers; Will Weatherspoon, former NFL linebacker, sustainable farmer and reporter for the Rams Radio Network, and Robbie Lawler, current UFC Welterweight Champion. Leading conservation and sustainability organizations will also be represented, including Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, Quality Deer Management Association, and Sportsmen’s Alliance.
NASCAR will honor a number of teams and sanctioned tracks for their dedication to making a positive impact on the environment. Tracks receiving awards include, Daytona International Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Pocono Raceway, Richmond International Raceway and Sonoma Raceway. NASCAR teams being honored include Canada’s Best Racing Team, Ganassi Racing, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and Roush Fenway Racing.
The NASCAR Green Summit takes place in advance of the start of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Chicagoland Speedway. For tickets to the September 18-20 race weekend, visit www.ChicagolandSpeedway.com or call 1-888-629-RACE (7223). Single-day tickets are available. NBCSN will air the race at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 20. Fans can also find the race on the NBC Sports Live Extra app, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.
For additional information on NASCAR Green, visit www.nascar.com/green.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™, NASCAR XFINITY Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association® (IMSA®) governs the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. For more information visit http://www.NASCAR.com and http://www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR at www.Facebook.com/NASCAR and Twitter: @NASCAR.
Sources: Chris Tropeano/NASCAR PR