Indianapolis, IN
Indy 500 waves green flag on sustainability with lofty goals
INDIANAPOLIS – Parked a couple of ft from the enduring pagoda at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a reimagined E-Z-Go golf cart that’s basically stuffed with rubbish. Plastic bottles tossed into recycling bins months in the past at the moment are neatly stacked in rows — and so they’re on the market.
Going quick, too.
The electrical cart homes a whole lot of Indy 500 T-shirts constituted of waste. The garments are as mushy as something on the cabinets within the common merchandise shops and value roughly the identical. And it’s no coincidence they’re getting prime retail area, basically positioned on the entrance door to the famed racetrack.
They’re the centerpiece of IndyCar’s newest push to go inexperienced, dubbed “The Penske Initiative.” The collection is taking increasingly steps – some greater than others – towards holding carbon-neutral races by 2050. No, actually.
What might have been thought of a laughable endeavor only a few years in the past now looks as if an affordable purpose regardless of IndyCar’s truckloads of gas and tires, in addition to numerous pollution like emissions, chemical substances and petroleum merchandise. And that doesn’t embody the waste that can include internet hosting almost 300,000 followers for the 106th working of the Indy 500 on Sunday.
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“It’s child steps,” longtime IMS President Doug Boles mentioned. “It’s like hundredths of a second for the automobiles. It would not appear to be a lot, however once you add up 4 or 5 modifications, then suddenly you’ve bought a tenth of a second. That’s the place we’re. It’s plenty of little issues that on the finish of the day hopefully make a big effect.”
That features placing the normal balloon launch on pause due to environmental and wildlife affect issues.
Right here’s a take a look at a few of the extra notable ventures Penske Leisure has undertaken to assist fight international warming and do its half to wave the inexperienced flag on sustainability:
RENEWABLE FUEL
IndyCar will grow to be the primary North American racing collection to make use of 100% renewable gas in its race automobiles.
Shell, the longtime gas sponsor for the open-wheel collection, introduced plans Friday to change to a low-carbon gas starting in 2023. The brand new gas shall be a mix of second-generation ethanol derived from sugarcane waste and different biofuel, and it’ll create a gas that’s 100% composed of feedstocks categorized as renewable beneath the relevant regulatory frameworks. The oil large says the gas will lower greenhouse gasoline emissions by 60% in contrast with fossil-based gasoline.
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“You’ve bought to be a part of the options, and the way in which there’s by way of these actually potent companions who convey expertise,” mentioned Penske Leisure President and CEO Mark Miles. “Carbon reductions come from nice expertise and innovators. We’ve got each.”
RENEWABLE TIRES
Firestone has been engaged on a renewable tire since 2012 and is nearing the end line to getting it on monitor.
The tire producer created a analysis heart in Mesa, Arizona, a decade in the past and employed a whole lot of biologists, chemists and botanists to assist develop the guayule shrub. The guayule produces pure rubber and seems to be the way forward for racing tires.
Roughly 90% of the world’s rubber comes from Hevea brasiliensis in Southeast Asia. Harvesting these bushes and getting the rubber again to North America is pricey and creates a heavy carbon footprint. It’s additionally topic to geopolitical instability.
The guayule is a less expensive, extra sustainable different that renews itself in about three years and wishes about 50% much less water than different crops.
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Guayule tires, distinguished by green-painted sidewalls, made their IndyCar debut through the Pit Cease Problem on Friday. They’ll get a extra vital check on the Music Metropolis Grand Prix in Nashville, Tennessee in August, when IndyCar will use tires made partially of guayule rubber.
“You don’t wish to go straight to the Indianapolis 500,” mentioned Cara Krstolic, director of race tire engineering for Bridgestone Americas Motorsports. “You wish to get there in phases. One of many enjoyable issues about racing is each as soon as and a when you get to showcase one thing that results in the automobile you and I’ll drive.”
ELECTRIC TRUCKS
Penske Truck Leasing used two absolutely electrical tractor-trailers to haul all of the race tires utilized in Could from Firestone’s distribution heart. IndyCar put in a high-speed charging station at IMS that may get a truck shut to completely charged in about three hours. The vehicles made six journeys to relocate 12 trailers stuffed with tires.
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The enlargement of electrical tractor-trailers and the set up of extra charging stations may very well be the subsequent carbon-saving steps for a collection that crosses the nation usually.
COMPOSTING/DONATING
IMS put in a pilot program in Could for accumulating meals waste and sending it to an off-site composting facility. Prepped and unused meals, which in earlier years would have gone in trash bins, is now being saved in a refrigerated trailer to be taken day by day to meals banks.
MOBILE MERCHANDISE
The electrical golf cart stuffed with garments constituted of recycling, although, has gotten essentially the most consideration at Indy this week. The cart has remained in a single spot for the final two weeks, however officers plan to make it a rolling market shifting ahead. It has a 50-mile vary and comes geared up with an electrical generator than runs LED lights and a point-of-sale machine.
Every shirt is made partially from 6½ plastic bottles and makes use of water-based inks. There are 5 designs ranging in worth between $32 and $35.
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“When individuals rise up there and really feel the shirt, they will’t consider that is made out of plastic bottles,” mentioned Raeann Suggs, senior purchaser of merchandise for IMS and IndyCar. “I might have been like, ‘I’m not shopping for a shirt made out of plastic bottles. That’s going to be rubbish!’ But it surely actually is rubbish that feels wonderful.”
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Extra AP Indy 500 protection: https://apnews.com/hub/indianapolis-500 and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials will not be printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed with out permission.
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis’ most-read news stories of 2024: From the court and courtroom to the cosmos
Totality welcomed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to loud cheers
Watch as thousands of spectators bring in totality during the total solar eclipse viewing event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
IndyStar
As many as 7 million people a month visited the IndyStar online this year and it’s my job to help reporters and editors understand what they’re reading.
These journalists give me plenty of data to work with, too, because no one covers Indianapolis like IndyStar. Through mid-December, IndyStar published more than 10,000 articles, 1,000 photo galleries and nearly 2,000 videos. That’s nearly 30 articles, three photo galleries and five videos each day (you get a lot with a subscription) and that’s not even counting the statewide and national news produced by other USA TODAY Network newsrooms across Indiana.
As we prepare to put a very newsy 2024 behind us, let’s take a look back at some of the most widely followed storylines and coverage topics of the year, in no particular order:
Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever
By the time Clark made her Fever debut, she was already a household name for many college basketball fans. But her WNBA Rookie of the Year performance took her star power to another level with fans around the country.
Clark’s skills on the court drew a lot of attention (and fouls) from her opponents, too, and her work helped the Fever reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
IndyStar’s Chloe Peterson put on a rookie of the year campaign of her own in 2024, covering Clark at Iowa as student and landing in Indianapolis before the WNBA Draft, just in time to cover arguably the biggest story in women’s sports this year.
Clark put on an incredible show and Peterson and IndyStar were there for it all, publishing nearly 300 articles since April and making the Fever beat IndyStar’s most-read of the year.
While Clark isn’t playing overseas or in 3-on-3 leagues this summer, Fever fans will likely have good reason to read every word again during the 2025 season. And IndyStar makes it easy, too: subscribe to the Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
Richard Goodall on “America’s Got Talent”
Richard Goodall says community support was ‘immeasurable’ in AGT win
“I left it all on the stage,” Goodall told reporters Friday. “And not only did I try to pull through for you guys, you guys pulled through for me.”
If seeing someone live out a dream brings a smile to your face, you’ll remember Richard Goodall’s going from middle school janitor to Journey frontman for a day.
The Vigo County, Indiana, native won over judges and IndyStar readers while winning Season 19 of “America’s Got Talent” by performing Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger,” Michael Bolton’s “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” and Journey’s “Faithfully,” among others.
The most memorable moment was seeing Goodall bring back his audition song, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” this time with the legendary rock band on the season finale where he won the $1 million prize.
The Indianapolis 500
It would be hard to make this list any year and say the Indy 500 didn’t belong on it, even if the results looked familiar with Josef Newgarden repeating as champion and Team Penske earning its record-extending 20th Indy 500 victory.
The didn’t mean the race was completely predictable, though. Pato O’Ward gave a challenge that Newgarden held off by a mere 0.3417 seconds and an hours-long rain delay emptied out the grandstands and pushed the race back to nearly 5 p.m.
The race was also notable for anyone following the money. Newgarden’s repeat victory earned him more than $4 million in prize money as he became the first back-to-back winner since Helio Castroneves did so in 2001-02.
The Delphi murders trial
One of America’s most haunting cases finally saw some closure in November when Richard Allen was found guilty of all four counts against him in the deaths of Abigail “Abby” Williams and Liberty “Libby” German.
The coverage of this case also highlighted the importance of local journalists. IndyStar’s staff spent months preparing to cover this high-profile case fraught with misinformation and got assists from around the USA TODAY Network, including the expertise of Lafayette Journal & Courier reporter Ron Wilkins, who has been reporting on the case since it began.
The team of reporters and visual journalists worked through plenty of logistical hurdles to bring close-to-live updates to readers each day, detailing everything from the heartwrenching witness testimony to details about Allen’s prison confessions.
And while Allen was found guilty, he’s likely to appeal and you can count on IndyStar to follow any updates to the case.
The solar eclipse
IndyStar published plenty of words about this once-in-a-lifetime celestial event for many Hoosiers but the photo staff’s images told the story best. Bonus: This video of fans viewing totality at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Honorable mention
A few pieces of standalone coverage that resounded with readers in 2024:
Indianapolis, IN
Colts’ Taylor repents for gaffe with 218-yard day
INDIANAPOLIS — Jonathan Taylor made a lightning-quick jump cut through the hole and saw nothing but daylight ahead.
Once the Indianapolis Colts running back reached the goal line, some 65 yards later, his run was still not complete. Taylor kept going, running into the tunnel that leads to the Colts’ locker room in the southwest corner of Lucas Oil Stadium. It was Taylor’s way of sending a message: This time, he would hold on to the football after arriving at the end zone — something he did not do a week ago.
Taylor reached the end zone two more times Sunday, including a 70-yard scoring run, during his 218-yard performance in the Colts’ historic 38-30 win over the Tennessee Titans. Indianapolis’ offense dominated the line of scrimmage, rushing for a franchise-record 335 yards in a victory that kept the team’s faint playoff hopes alive. The Colts surpassed the previous high established in 1956, nearly three decades before the franchise left Baltimore for the Midwest in 1984.
It was Taylor’s second career 200-yard performance behind only his career-high 253-yard game in the final week of the 2020 season. His most recent performance came on the heels of last Sunday’s game in which Taylor committed a costly miscue, dropping the ball prematurely as he crossed the goal line on a would-be 41-yard run that could’ve given Indianapolis a two-touchdown lead.
The Colts went on to lose the critical matchup, dealing a severe blow to their playoff hopes. Taylor didn’t make the mistake again this week.
“I had already predetermined in my mind that next time, I’m going all the way in the tunnel,” Taylor said Sunday.
In fact, Taylor approached the whole situation with levity. He and backup running back Tyler Goodson planned a bit ahead of the game. After Taylor emerged from the tunnel, Goodson ran up to him and playfully tried to strip the ball, with Taylor keeping a tight grip.
“Just trolling, making the crowd laugh a little bit,” Goodson said.
In reality, there was nothing funny about the way the Colts pushed around the Titans. Tennessee allowed the most rushing yards of any team this season and the second most in Titans/Oilers franchise history. The Colts made no pretense about their intentions, either, at one point running on 12 consecutive plays during three possessions in the second quarter.
“That’s kind of the exciting part,” Taylor said “It’s kind of when you start imposing your will, establishing that line of scrimmage. Those are the types of football games as a running back … you love.”
Tight end Mo Alie-Cox added: “By the end of the game … we were still getting 5 yards a pop. They still couldn’t really stop it. They were calling it, but they couldn’t do nothing about it.”
Then, Alie-Cox relayed a story that unfolded before a particular play.
“It’s hilarious,” he said. “One time, they were like, ‘It’s a screen. Boom.’ And then one of their [defensive] ends was like, ‘Man, they’re about to give it to Jonathan Taylor. He’s about to run for 300 [yards] on us.’ Once he said that, I was like, ‘Yeah, we got him.’”
In light of the rushing success, Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson wasn’t asked to do much from the pocket. He completed just 7 of 11 passes for 131 yards. But Richardson was a part of the rushing bonanza, running for a career-high 70 yards.
Now, the Colts hope to finish with wins over the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars in their remaining two games, along with hoping numerous other dominoes fall their way in their bid to make the postseason.
Indianapolis, IN
How the Colts can make the NFL playoffs
INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts’ playoff odds are at 10% according to the New York Times, and that seems high. Here is what to know:
The Colts are out of the playoffs if they lose to the Titans
This is pretty straightforward. If the Colts lose, the most games they can win this season is 8. Seven teams — Kansas City, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Houston, Los Angeles and Denver — already have nine wins.
The Colts can make the playoffs if they win out, Chargers lose out
If the Colts win out against the Titans, Giants and Jaguars, they’ll be 9-8. If the Chargers lose to the Raiders and Patriots. The Colts would win the conference record tiebreaker if they are the only two teams with nine wins.
There are multiple-team scenarios involving Los Angeles but the Colts will make the playoffs if these two scenarios happen.
How the Colts can make the playoffs if they win out and the Broncos lose out
If the Broncos lose to Cincinnati and Kansas City and the Colts win out, the Colts make the playoffs if Cincinnati or Miami win out or the Chargers lose out.
The Colts lose the head-to-head tiebreaker to Denver if its just those two teams.
If Los Angeles is also 9-8, it wins the division tiebreaker over the Broncos due to head-to-head and advances to the wild card tiebreaker.
In this scenario, the Colts and Dolphins would have the best conference record at 7-5, eliminating the other possible teams. Indianapolis beat Miami, putting them in the playoffs.
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