In honor of hypermilings achievements as both a word and a lifestyle in 2008, here are the top 10 hypermiling techniques:

1. Do not idle. Shut the engine off if you’re going to be waiting for 30 seconds or more.
2. Do not accelerate quickly. You’ve heard it before: no jackrabbit starts from stop lights.
3. Properly inflate your tires. Keeping air in your tires reduces friction and increases fuel economy.
4. Take ‘er easy. There’s a reason the feds set the speed limit at 55 during the gas crisis of the 1970s — it’s the best speed for the best mileage on the highway.
5. Clear out the car. Every pound counts, so clear out anything that isn’t needed, especially if it’s on the roof, where it can create drag.
6. Keep it in tune. Oil changes, regular maintenance, and the like will keep your mpgs as high as possible.
7. Ride the ridges. In bad weather, drive with your tires on the higher center of the road and the white line to stay out of the rain- or snow-filled ruts. Be careful with this one.
8. Make a trip chain. Don’t run six separate errands; do one trip with six stops to keep the engine warm.
9. Make right turns. Do like UPS does: plan your route to have as many right turns as possible to minimize idling time while waiting for traffic to clear for your left turn.
10. Hybrids only: Maximize the electric motor. Start slow and keep the car running under electric power for as long as you can, usually up to 35 or 40 mph.

NASCAR will give the challenge props on its reality show, “NASCAR Angels,” on its weekly radio show “NASCAR Performance Live,” and in podcasts by the likes of Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Mobil 1 Dodge.  Driver $marter calls NASCAR “a leader in promoting conservation messages,” which I’m not sure is the most apt description of the race organizations eco-efforts.

But race teams would do well to improve their own fuel economy. As I mentioned a few months ago, they’re feeling the pinch of fuel prices — if not the pangs of guilt at sucking up the earth’s resources — at the track, in testing, and in team transportation.

Photo: Robert Laberge/Getty Images for NASCAR