Things are heating up as we enter the market with Infineon Raceway’s new Sustainable Sponsorship Program.

No strangers to the art of sponsorship, the celebrated Northern California raceway is nevertheless breaking new ground.  In an industry that is not ordinarily thought of as being particularly “green”, there is plenty of room to make major strides in the right direction and educate hundreds of thousands of committed fans along the way.  With a steadily increasing variety of sleek and sexy alt-fuel performance vehicles, sustainable fuels and tires, and an increasingly aware public, it is only a matter of time before the entire motorsports industry jumps on the sustainably-powered bandwagon.

Infineon Raceway (IR) is well ahead of the curve, as it already conducts its business with a sense of environmental stewardship.  Located amidst the idyllic landscape of Sonoma County’s famous vineyards, IR’s venue design is environmentally conscious, right down to the natural land care provided by a flock of sheep that maintain the grounds.  Owl boxes offer pesticide-free rodent control, environmentally safe products are used for venue cleaning, and water is conserved by utilizing well systems.  IR has instituted an aggressive recycling program that includes all used tires, and a fleet of hybrid vehicles are used throughout the grounds.

Not content to stop there, IR has now entered the market seeking sponsorships and partnerships to help institute a range of hard-hitting sustainability actions around the venue.  First up is the installation of a highly visible solar power system to reduce grid-based power use, demonstrate the impact of solar, and provide a shade structure for fans.  We’ve been having some great conversations with some of the top solar installers and manufacturers in the industry, who stand to receive excellent visibility by helping to bring solar power to the raceway.  We’re also meeting with potential partners on a new solar-powered LED message board on heavily-traveled Highway 37.  This sign will positively impact IR’s energy usage while offering partners the benefit of high-profile branding to over 1.5 million cars per month.  Everyone wins—the raceway, the partners, and the public.

We have plenty more sustainability initiatives up our sleeve, including a Green Media and Business Center IT product showcase, collaborative transportation programs to reduce traffic, enhanced recycling programs, fan engagement programs, and alternative energy vehicle demos and races.  IR will kick that off this year with an all-electric motorcycle race at the AMA Pro Road Racing TTXGP U.S. Championships in May.  Stay tuned for more news as this exciting Sustainable Sponsorship program unfolds!