Drive Clean Indiana’s Breakfast of Champions Will Feature Indianapolis 500 Winner Hélio Castroneves at JW Marriott March 11, 2026
Drive Clean Indiana is pleased to announce four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Hélio Castroneves as the keynote speaker for the coalition’s 2026 Breakfast of Champions. The event will take place on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, during Work Truck Week 2026, hosted by NTEA, at the JW Marriott Indianapolis (10 South West Street).
The 2026 Breakfast of Champions is an exclusive gathering of coalition members, fleet operators, industry leaders, policymakers, and clean transportation advocates. Held in conjunction with Work Truck Week, the event celebrates the progress made in 2025 and examines the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in 2026.
Castroneves will share insights on how the principles of speed, strategy, discipline, and teamwork translate from elite motorsports to leadership and performance beyond the racetrack. The program will also feature Chuck Lessick, chaplain of IndyCar Ministry, with the discussion moderated by Michael Young, Public Address Announcer for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Register Here: https://bit.ly/2026DCIBreakfast
Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Time: 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. EST
Location: JW Marriott Indianapolis, Griffin Hall, 10 South West Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204
Cost: $100 per attendee
Drive Clean Indiana and the Acceleration of Clean Transportation
Across the Midwest, transportation remains one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions and petroleum consumption. Drive Clean Indiana is working to change that equation through targeted deployment of alternative fuels, fleet modernization, and infrastructure expansion.
Founded as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities and Communities network, Drive Clean Indiana operates as a nonprofit coalition that brings together public agencies, private fleets, utilities, fuel providers, and technology companies. Its mandate is practical and results driven: reduce petroleum use, lower emissions, and strengthen Indiana’s transportation economy.
The organization focuses on high impact strategies. These include electrifying municipal and commercial fleets, expanding EV charging infrastructure, promoting propane and natural gas vehicles where appropriate, and supporting emerging technologies such as hydrogen and renewable fuels. By concentrating on fleet operators rather than solely on individual consumers, Drive Clean Indiana achieves measurable scale. A single fleet transition can displace thousands of gallons of fuel annually.
Grant facilitation is a core competency. The group helps members secure federal and state funding for vehicle replacements and infrastructure buildout. In a capital intensive sector where upfront cost remains a barrier, this technical assistance is often the difference between a pilot project and full deployment.
Drive Clean Indiana also plays a convening role. It connects stakeholders across logistics, utilities, manufacturing, and government to coordinate infrastructure planning and align investment with projected demand. That coordination reduces stranded assets and improves return on investment for charging and fueling projects.
As electrification accelerates nationwide, states that build cohesive public private partnerships will capture economic and environmental benefits. Drive Clean Indiana represents a pragmatic model for how regional coalitions can translate national clean transportation goals into on the ground implementation.
