This is Lord Drayson. He's the minister for science and innovation for the United Kingdom. He's also a complete and utter car nut who races in the American Le Mans Series. Cooler still, he's got a huge inclination for all things green.

Drayson Racing recently bought a Lola B09/60 that will make its racing debut in the top-tier LMP1 class at the Petit Le Mans race at Road Atlanta next month. He plans to use the car as a test bed for greener automotive technologies – a niche the American Le Mans Series has carved out for itself with its embrace of alt fuels and hybrid drivetrains.

We caught up with Drayson – who holds a doctorate in robotics, drives an Aston Martin Vanquish and also owns a Lotus Elan – to get his thoughts on racing, technology and how the two can make the world a cleaner, greener place to live.

Wired.com: How can auto racing be environmentally responsible? It seems the very idea of auto racing – cars circling a track at high speed, burning large amounts of fossil fuels — is the antithesis of environmental responsibility.

Lord Drayson: Life is about pushing the boundaries and challenging ourselves. The human race by its very nature is competitive which is why many of us love to race and many more love to watch racing; not just cars, but everything. So it’s no use telling people they can't race cars because of the environment. Making people feel guilty is not going to work in converting them to be environmentally responsible. Much better for racing to be used as a positive force to drive innovation and to change people's perceptions; to make "going green" cool and exciting, not dull and boring. If the fastest race cars in the world can be used as a technological proving ground for new fuels, new energy efficiency and low emissions technologies, to speed the development of better battery technology for electric vehicles, to accelerate the introduction of regenerative braking systems and other kinetic energy recovery systems, then the world will be better for it – and we're still having fun doing what we love.

Wired.com: What specific initiatives would you like to see auto racing adopt, and how is the Ministry of Science and Innovation pushing those innovations?

Drayson: I have been very impressed by what the American Le Mans Series is already doing in collaboration with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency. The Green Challenge [An environmentally slanted set of racings rules within the ALMS] is just the model to drive innovation while maintaining exciting racing. I would like to see their formula adopted worldwide because long-distance endurance sports car racing is the ideal type of motorsport to lead the way in green racing. I also liked the all electric superbike racing at the Isle of Man TT this year [The TTxGP]. Scary fast – and the bikes sound like jets. Totally cool. I would like to see Formula 1 encourage more fuel efficiency in the regs, and I think it is a pity that KERS [kinetic energy recovery systems] is being dropped for next year. Particularly when the KERS cars, like Lewis Hamilton's McLaren, are starting to win races. My ministry is working with the motorsport industry and the car industry to support these innovations through grants and research projects managed through the Technology Strategy Board within my department. I am also setting up a new "Office for Low Emission Vehicles" which aims to co-ordinate the UK government's support for green automotive technology.

Wired.com: What do you think of KERS in F1 and the alt-fuel / hybrid push we’re seeing in Le Mans and ALMS?

Drayson: KERS is going to be big in the future, both for racing and road cars. We just can’t afford to throw away all that precious kinetic energy every time we brake. Both electrical and mechanical KERS systems have pluses and minuses. It’s not clear which will be the winner, which is why fast-track development through racing is key. Remember, the antilock braking system is one of many, many innovations that came out of racing. Second- and third-generation biofuels are going to be important, i.e. the ones made from waste biomass or algae. We must not squander precious food resources in making first-generation fuels. Le Mans and ALMS are the natural place to develop and showcase these technologies because the races are so long and endurance and efficiency are key to winning. The multi-class racing is pretty awesome too – loads of overtaking and spectacle."

The Drayson Racing Aston Martin at the 2009 Le Mans race. Photo: Flickr/ Dave Hamster

Wired.com: Is this an “evolve or die” situation? is there a concern that racing must become more environmentally responsible if it is to avoid being legislated out of existence?"

Drayson: Yes, racing must evolve to stay relevant. But it’s first and foremost about racing. It’s about winning. The innovations must not stifle the sport or the spectacle. The evolution is about achieving maximum performance and maximum efficiency with minimum emissions. It’s a technology challenge plain and simple, and in the past motorsport has always risen to technology challenges. Look at the drive to improve driver safety after the death of Ayrton Senna. We need a similar push on green tech now."

Wired.com: Just how does a cabinet minister end up a racing driver?

Drayson: He grows up within earshot of Britain's best grand prix circuit in the 1960s: Brands Hatch in Kent. He watches Steve McQueen in the movie Le Mans when aged 11 and never forgets it. He becomes a car nut as a teenager, gets sponsored through university by a car manufacturer, after his PhD becomes a science entrepreneur and makes enough money to go racing. In 2007, he comes in second in the British Sportscar Championship on the way achieving the first-ever win for a bio-fueled race car and persuades the prime minister to let him take a leave of absence to focus on racing full time in the United States with the aim of qualifying to race in the world famous Le Mans 24 Hours. He meets Dale White, two-time Le Mans winning team manager. He qualifies, forms his own race team with Dale and achieves his lifetime ambition to race at Le Mans in 2009. The first time a serving government minister has ever raced at Le Mans. He also had an Irish grandmother who gave him great good fortune in his life and a wonderful wife who manages the race team brilliantly and shares his passion for racing. Now he's focused on making the step up to the big league in the Le Mans Prototype Class LMP1 for the Petit Le Mans Race at Road Atlanta next month.”

Ah. Sounds easy...

*Portrait of Lord Drayson: *Regis Lefebure.