Is NASCAR truly as harmful to the environment as it's often portrayed?

In the United States, more people tune into NASCAR racing than to baseball, which is traditionally known as "America's pastime." NASCAR ranks just below football, attracting 75 million loyal fans who either watch or attend races nearly every weekend of the year to see stock cars speeding around a track at up to 190 mph (306 kph) [sources: Fulton, Eaton].

The sport's high-speed races and engines that aren't regulated by the EPA bring excitement to viewers. But they also make it one of the least eco-friendly sports. NASCAR drivers do what we are all encouraged to avoid in the fight against global warming: driving powerful, fuel-thirsty cars at high speeds purely for entertainment.

NASCAR's fuel consumption is so high that during the 1970s energy crisis, the U.S. government called it a waste of gas. In response, NASCAR reduced the length of one of its races from 500 miles (804 km) to 450 miles (724 km) as a temporary act of goodwill.

Have you ever wondered how much fuel is required to run a NASCAR event, and what impact it truly has on the environment? Is it a significant CO₂ contributor, or is it unfairly criticized due to the nature of the sport?

In this article, we will explore whether NASCAR is as much of a polluter as it is often portrayed. We'll examine the fuel usage and CO₂ emissions, compare it to other activities, and consider the sport's potential for a more eco-friendly future.

The key to understanding NASCAR's carbon footprint is realizing that race cars are far removed from regular vehicles in ways many might not expect. Speed comes at a significant environmental cost.

Racing and Global Warming

When you watch a car zoom around the track at nearly 200 mph (322 kph), it quickly becomes clear that, aside from the internal combustion engine under the hood, race cars bear little resemblance to the vehicles we drive daily. But the differences go deeper than just that.

First off, the immense power means the gas doesn't last long. While many people complain if their car falls below 20 miles per gallon, and some vehicles achieve 50 mpg, a typical NASCAR car gets only 5 mpg. Additionally, features that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires in regular cars, like catalytic converters to reduce emissions, are absent in race cars. NASCAR cars are only regulated by the organization itself.

This all adds up to significant fuel use. Over a typical NASCAR race weekend, with over 40 cars racing at high speeds for 500 miles (804 kilometers)—including practice laps—and at 5 mpg, the total fuel consumption is about 6,000 gallons (22,712 liters). Each gallon of fuel burned releases roughly 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of carbon dioxide, which means about 120,000 pounds (54,431 kilograms) of CO₂ for one race weekend [source: Finney]. With 35 races per year, that totals around 4 million pounds (1.8 million kilograms) of carbon emissions annually.

Yes, it's a significant amount. The energy used during just one race could power more than three houses or fuel seven cars for an entire year [source: Shelby]. But does it seem like a lot when you consider the bigger picture?

That depends on your perspective. When you compare 6,000 gallons (22,712 liters) of fuel consumed in two days to the 400 million gallons (1.5 billion liters) the U.S. uses every day, it seems relatively small [source: Finney]. And 4 million pounds of CO₂ per year doesn't seem so significant when weighed against the world's annual emissions of 6 billion tons (5.4 billion metric tons) or the 1 million tons (907,184 metric tons) released on the day of the 2005 Super Bowl [source: Fulton].

Yet, this figure is remarkably high when compared to the 45,000 pounds (20,411 kilograms) of CO₂ that the average American's lifestyle contributes over the span of an entire year.

So, what conclusion can we draw? We have a sport that, while it may not be solely responsible for driving humanity towards a heated extinction, certainly could benefit from a greener approach. Fortunately, change is already on the horizon.

NASCAR Getting Greener

Even NASCAR has recognized its role in environmental impact. The promising news is that the organization, or at least its sponsors, are beginning to take responsibility and care.

Contrary to popular belief, car racing is not completely indifferent to environmental concerns. Other racing organizations, like Formula One and Indy, have already made significant strides in reducing their environmental impact. Formula One is currently undergoing a 10-year engine development ban to push teams towards creating green racing technologies [source: Eaton]. Meanwhile, Indy race cars now operate on 100 percent ethanol fuel [source: Fulton], a renewable energy derived from corn. While these cars still only get around 2 mpg, their emissions are significantly lower.

NASCAR has lagged behind in this area for many years. Until 2007, NASCAR cars were still using leaded gas, which releases toxic lead into the atmosphere, a substance that has been phased out of most gasoline since the '80s [source: Fulton]. The organization had largely ignored environmental concerns -- that is, until recently.

Perhaps driven by genuine concern over its reputation as a major polluter, or perhaps due to public pressure regarding rampant fuel consumption amidst the threat of global warming, NASCAR is now attempting to clean up its image. It has recently partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to promote high-MPG vehicles at NASCAR events. These vehicles aren't racing on the track, but are displayed at the fairgrounds to encourage NASCAR fans to consider reducing their fuel consumption in their everyday lives. It's a small start, but a start nonetheless.

NASCAR teams are also taking bigger (if largely symbolic) steps. The Hall of Fame racing team has pledged to purchase carbon credits to offset all the emissions they generate during 18 races in the 2009 season, covering travel, practice, and racing emissions. NASCAR driver Leilani Munter also purchases an acre of rainforest for every race she participates in, further offsetting her carbon footprint.

As with any purchase of carbon credits to offset nonrenewable energy use, whether NASCAR’s approach truly reduces its environmental impact is debatable. However, at the very least, the effort helps raise awareness, which is a promising first step toward making NASCAR a less harmful sport. If this initiative leads to real technological changes, NASCAR might eventually be removed from the list of the most environmentally destructive sports.