Carbon Neutral Stock Car Brought Back Ahead of Talladega Race

LINCOLN, Ala. — Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing is bringing back its carbon-neutral Ford Mustang for NASCAR’s Geico 500 Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24.

Roush Fenway debuted the carbon-neutral race car last year through its partnership with Castrol as part of the British oil company’s sustainability program which aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The all-white number six car will be driven by former champion Brad Keselowski, who co-owns the racing team.

The vehicle uses 50% re-refined base oil, essentially recycled motor oil, as a lubricant for its mechanical components. By doing so, the racing team managed to reduce its direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 40% in addition to a 23% reduction in Scope 3 emissions associated with the company’s value chain.

Re-refined base oil produces half of the lifecycle carbon emissions on average compared to conventional motor oil, according to Castrol.

“As an organization, Roush Fenway has always been environmentally conscious,” Roush Fenway President Steve Newmark said in a written statement. “Our hope with this program is to demonstrate that every business, small or large, and regardless of industry, can contribute to addressing global climate challenges. We hope to set an example and highlight that small steps by many can make a real difference.”

Additionally, Castrol will lead a community-wide clean-up with Keselowski and his teammate Chris Buescher in Oxford, Alabama, on April 22., according to a release. Oxford Mayor Alton Craft said in a statement that he hopes Castrol and RFK’s carbon-neutral initiative inspires NASCAR fans to contribute to the cause.

The partnership between RFK and Castrol has allowed the race team to achieve carbon neutrality for the entire organization including operations during last year’s NASCAR season.

The team’s emissions standards are in accordance with the internationally applicable British Standards Institution’s Publicly Available Specification 2060 and verified by the independent third-party Environmental Resources Management Certification and Verification Services.

Fans nationwide are encouraged to submit photos of their own clean-up efforts to Instagram with the hashtag “drivingforchange” for a chance to win Keselowski’s race-worn fire suit.

“Since RFK’s milestone commitment to carbon neutrality last year, we at Castrol have continued to look for ways to help drive change and to support our partner RFK,” Castrol Vice President of Marketing Rayne Pacek said in a written statement. “And we’re excited to get fans involved this year in the community clean up and to have Chris and Brad leading the charge in Oxford, in addition to raising awareness on the track.”

Reece can be reached at [email protected].