No. 96 team goes green by offsetting carbon footprint

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- JuicedHybrid.com, a sponsor in the Sprint Cup Series with Hall of Fame Racing's No. 96 car, is joining together with Hall of Fame to further the team's green initiative.

In an effort to offset the No. 96 team's carbon footprint, a green associate sponsorship partnership was developed for the first 18 races of the Sprint Cup season among Hall of Fame Racing, Ask.com -- primary sponsor on the No. 96 car -- and JuicedHybrid.com, the leading supplier of auto accessories for hybrid cars and trucks.

"As a hybrid automotive accessories business that really cares about the environment, we are excited to expand our green initiative into NASCAR with the support of Ask.com, Hall of Fame Racing and Ford," said Paul Goldman, JuicedHybrid.com's chief executive officer. "Not only does this initiative allow us to offset the carbon emissions of the No. 96 team, but it provides us a platform to bring this vital message to the attention of NASCAR's 75 million fans."

The program will measure and offset carbon emissions for the No. 96 Sprint Cup entry during each practice session, qualifying session and the race. It will also offset the carbon emissions for the No. 96 transporter and Bobby Labonte's travel to and from each NASCAR race.

Carbon offset is a certificate representing the reduction of one metric ton (2,205 pounds) of carbon dioxide emissions, the principal cause of global warming.

"Our company is proud to be part of NASCAR and to support this important step in helping the industry make progress in protecting the environment," said Jim Safka, Ask.com chief executive officer.

The amount of the emissions created during standard racing activities of the No. 96 Ford will be offset through investments made by Ask.com and Juicedhybrid.com in clean energy projects such as solar energy and wind farms by purchasing credits though TerraPass. These projects result in verified reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

In support of additional efforts to address the environment, NASCAR is developing an industry-wide green initiative led by Dr. Mike Lynch. The initiative will include the sport's various stakeholders and will seek to mobilize the NASCAR fan base in this important issue.