Interview: Todd Ketcham, Technical Operations Manager and Chief Scrutineer, SRO Motorsports Group America
In our second Behind the Scenes feature we spoke to Todd Ketcham, our Technical Operations Manager at SRO America. Todd gave us an insight on the actions taken towards more sustainable event operations, the approach he prefers taking regarding motivating our audiences to embark our sustainability journey and his private involvement with sustainability, which we found inspirational.
1) Please describe your professional role at SRO?
In my role of Technical Operations Manager, I organise the transport of all equipment to and from events in the US, oversee set up and tear down of the transporters and equipment before and after the events.
As a Chief Scrutineer I organise and oversee the safety and technical inspections of all entries during SRO’s events in the US.
2) Please describe your private daily life involvement with sustainability?
Recycler: My family is lucky enough to have a wonderful recycling center provided by the county where we live. This allows us to recycle a large variety of items from home and work including all metals, glass, paper products, books, clothing, automotive fluids, cooking fluids, tires, batteries, plastics (1&2), and printer cartridges. We take all our sorted materials here every couple of weeks - it’s one of my daughters’ favourite chores.
Composter: It’s a small thing but, we compost all our vegetable and fruit scraps and used coffee grounds. The coffee grounds are spread throughout the yard and help repel mosquitos. The vegetables are buried in the back woods in Bahamian style to feed the earthworms. The Planet has better use for them then the landfill.
Reduce, Reuse: We use reusable bags for shopping and reusable k-cups for coffee, one less thing to go to the landfill. I have also installed LED lighting through most of the house to save energy and these LED lights last longer, reducing replacement materials as well. 
3) Which concrete actions is SRO America taking in 2022 to make its paddocks and events more eco-friendly?
We will be eliminating single use plastic containers from our operations. We are providing all of our staff with reusable aluminium containers and placing water stations in our working areas. The bulk containers used for the water stations are then returned to be reused again and again. This has the ability to keep thousands of plastic bottles out of our landfills and oceans.
4) How can we convince our American audiences to join us on our sustainability journey?
Focus on shaping the habits of the younger generations of fans. There will be greater gains in teaching good habits to a younger audience, than changing the minds of people set in their ways. Next, we should push to make sustainability more attractive and convenient than the alternative of tossing our future away.
5) Why is sustainability important at SRO America’s racing events?
Everyone should look to the future and do what we can to protect it. Racing has always been about pushing the boundaries of innovation, sustainability is the necessary barrier that needs to be pushed forward to protect that future.
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