Hybrid pace car sends positive message to fans

By Raygan Swan, NASCAR.COM
November 14, 2008
The country elected its first "green president" and now it may be a step closer to its first green NASCAR.

Perhaps taking a page from President-elect Barack Obama's playbook of greening the nation's auto fleet, NASCAR and Homestead-Miami Speedway announced their plan to debut the first hybrid pace car this weekend at the Ford 400.

With this, NASCAR fans have been sent a message: Hybrid cars are no longer exclusive to tree huggers and environmentalists; it's cool to go green in the off-track sense.

But like Kermit the Frog said, "It's not easy being green."

Changing mind-sets and educating the public takes time. Costly advertising campaigns and effective leadership is required to persuade the NASCAR stronghold that driving a plug-in car is better or at least more socially responsible than a sport utility vehicle that averages 18 miles per gallon.

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