OK, going green is no longer just for the tree huggers and left-wingers in today's society. The movement is now firmly planted in the NASCAR garage.

From sponsors upping track-side recycling programs to Pocono Raceway's decision to build a solar farm, the sport is growing increasingly cognizant of its carbon footprint.

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You know, it doesn't matter who you are or how much money you make, everyone should do their part. It might be on different levels, but it's a thought process and the action that you are taking.

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JEFF GORDON

Falling in line are the stars of the show, the Sprint Cup Series drivers, which should be commended because it's easy to endorse a hybrid pace car while the cameras are on and sponsors are feeding you the company line -- but keeping up the front in daily life off the track is no easy task. Recycling is costly and time consuming. Buying locally grown and organic goods is expensive. And driving a hybrid is the antithesis of cool when you're a stock-car driver accustomed to the growl of a gas engine as opposed to the buzz of an electric variety.

But it's cool enough for Jeff Gordon.

"I drive a hybrid," Gordon said. "You know, it doesn't matter who you are or how much money you make, everyone should do their part. It might be on different levels, but it's a thought process and the action that you are taking. The environment is something that is big on people's mind and I'm in support of that."

Jimmie Johnson is also educating himself in the ways of greener living. He's reducing waste and hoping NASCAR can be a testing ground for cleaner technologies.

"I think that racing is a great proving ground for safety, for new technology that can help the country and world to go green. So I'm excited to see new things coming along and hope there are many more to follow and really use motorsports as a testing program for that," Johnson said. "I think that makes us valuable to the manufacturers and really to the government, and the government is running the manufacturers right now, so we need to make sure that we are on top of those trends and can hopefully lead the way and prove that racing is needed in that area."

And while he's open to going green at his work place, Johnson is practicing what he preaches at home as well.

"I was watching something on TV the other day where the guy was talking about paper towel use and how every time you wash your hands you use a paper towel and there were some statistics they showed on that, so now, I'm not using paper towels as much anymore, especially when I wash my hands. I have a towel I lay on the sink," he said. "My wife doesn't like it. She's like, 'Why is this sitting out?' Well, it's to dry my hands and I explain myself. And she's like, 'That's a good idea.'" (Continued)