Motogp News: The Kiss Initiative Moves to North America

One of the principal aims of the KiSS (Keep it Shiny & Sustainable) project is to raise awareness of the need to reduce the environmental footprint left behind by mega-events such as the various rounds of the Federation Internationale de Motorcyclism (FIM) Road Racing Grand Prix World Championships.

The KiSS Mugello & Kiss Motorland initiatives, which were implemented in 2013, proved to be hugely successful. The FIM is proud to announce that the third edition will be organized for the first time outside Europe in North America at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) on April 11-13 during the 2014 Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas. Once again, the event will have the support of Dorna, IRTA, the Teams, the riders and especially the spectators, who have played such a key role in the previous campaigns.

Since its inception, COTA has been committed to setting a standard for sustainability programs within major event facilities; recent accomplishments include: Last year COTA recycled 71 tons of material, composted nearly 17 tons, and sent almost 7 tons of food to the local food bank, diverting over 95 tons of material from the landfill. That’s more than the weight of 500 MotoGP bikes!

These resource recovery efforts helped COTA avoid approximately 98 tons of CO2, an additional 2 tons were sequestered through urban forestry efforts, and 1875 tons of CO2 were offset with certified credits. That’s equivalent to removing nearly 400 cars from the road for a year.

COTA’s on-site environmental stewardship efforts include use of drought tolerant plants, a dry creek restoration project, invasive plant removal, planting nearly 1400 new trees, use of compost to fertilize the track verge, and two native tall-grass restoration areas bordering the track.

Bobby Epstein, chairman, Circuit of The Americas: “Motorsports cannot be considered independently of the major challenges facing the world, including the environment. As sports leaders, the FIM, Dorna, and COTA share a responsibility to building a sustainable future through our activities and policies. We designed our campus with a strong focus on sustainable building and operational practices; a vision that is shared by our staff. The KiSS COTA environmental program marks another concrete demonstration of our willingness to take action to support this commitment.

“COTA is proud to expand our environmental commitment through the KiSS COTA partnership with the FIM and Dorna. We are particularly honored to be the first venue in North America to implement this program to reduce waste and raise environmental awareness.”

Katia Hernandez, FIM director International Environment Commission (CIE) added: “For the FIM, it is a pleasure to find new allies in the field of environmental sustainability. This shows that day by day the consciousness to organize green events is increasing. Since we proposed to organize the KiSS program for the first time in North America, we found a very proactive partner in COTA. Each program is different and tailored to the needs of each country and each circuit, and this time we found that Circuit of The Americas is doing an excellent job that fits very well with the FIM environmental policy and Ride Green Philosophy. We are sure that KiSS will be a milestone in COTA’s MotoGP and will grow year after year with innovative and new action for future generations.”

Motorcycle racing fans attending the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas are invited to support the KiSS environmental program by helping COTA “kiss waste goodbye”! Fans are invited to Tweet an image of themselves keeping COTA and MotoGP shiny and sustainable, and include the hashtag #kissyourselfie. Three winning images will receive autographed MotoGP gear !

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Recycling can earn you prizes! #KissYourSelfie at @circuitamericas during #MotoGP for chance to win official merch, http://bit.ly/COTAKiSS

About Circuit of The Americas
Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, is the home of world championships and a world-class destination for premium sports and entertainment. COTA has been nominated as the 2014 “Sports Facility of the Year” by SportsBusiness Journal/Daily. The same publication named COTA’s annual automotive marquee event, the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, “Sports Event of the Year” for 2013. Additionally, COTA is the new North American home for the summer edition of ESPN’s X Games. More than one million visitors come to COTA each year for events such as the MotoGP™ Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas, United Sportscar Racing, the FIA World Endurance Championships, business and social functions, and more than 20 performances at the venue’s acclaimed Austin360 Amphitheater, winner of Pollstar’s “Best New Major Concert Venue” award for 2013. COTA’s 1,500-acre campus includes a variety of permanent structures, including a 44,000-square foot Event Center, an impressive Main Grandstand with hospitality suites and the Velocity Lounge, a 270,000-square foot Paddock Building with 34 garages, and an iconic 25-story Observation Tower at the heart of the facility. For more information and downloadable video and photos, visit: www.CircuitofTheAmericas.com, www.Austin360Amphitheater.com or COTA’s dedicated FTP site, media.circuitoftheamericas.com. Follow COTA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CircuitofTheAmericas and Twitter @circuitamericas and @COTAmedia.

About the FIM (www.fim-live.com)
The FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) founded in 1904, is the governing body for motorcycle sport and the global advocate for motorcycling. The FIM is an independent association formed by 111 National Federations throughout the world. It is recognised as the sole competent authority in motorcycle sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Among its 50 FIM World Championships the main events are MotoGP, Superbike, Endurance, Motocross, Supercross, Trial, Enduro, Cross-Country Rallies and Speedway. Furthermore, the FIM is also active and involved in the following areas: public affairs, road safety, touring and protection of the environment. The FIM was the first international sports federation to impose an Environmental Code in 1994.

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