Michelin is anticipating the closest competition in the history of the company’s GREEN X Challenge when the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) takes to the 1.968-mile Long Beach street circuit on April 17.
Now in its second full season as the “race within the race” at all ALMS events, the tire maker’s challenge recognizes the Prototype and GT category entrants that go “the farthest, the fastest, with the least environmental impact.”
Thus far cars from Audi, Peugeot, Acura, Porsche, Chevrolet and BMW have each claimed at least one GREEN X Challenge victory. Aston Martin, Ferrari, Mazda, Jaguar and the independent Lola/Judd are seeking to join the club.
The shortest race of the ALMS season at just 100 minutes, the Long Beach run is likely to require just one pit stop for most of the teams.
The field will include factory GT category entries from Porsche, Ferrari, Corvette, BMW and Jaguar, and they are expected to finish within seconds of each other with victory being decided by just a few ounces of fuel.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and SAE International developed the formula for the challenge in cooperation with the Argonne National Laboratory. The formula combines more than 30 different factors in allocating 60 percent of the score for each car’s distance and average speed, with 20 percent for the well-to-wheel requirements to create and distribute the energy used, and 20 percent for emissions out the tailpipe. Real-time scores are posted on the sanctioning body’s official monitors throughout the race.
Since the creation of the GREEN X Challenge awards at the beginning of the 2009 ALMS season, 12 of the 22 winners have also taken the race victory in their respective classes.
All five energy sources identified as part of the U.S. government’s energy policy (E10 ethanol blended gasoline, E85R gasoline blended ethanol, GTL (natural gas to liquid) biodiesel, E10-electric hybrid power and Iso-butanol gasoline) have been used in ALMS competition.
The Peugeot GTL diesel prototype and the Flying Lizards Porsche E85 fueled entry took the challenge honors at last month’s 2010 season-opening ALMS event in Sebring, Fla. Acura and the Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche team were the respective category winners in Long Beach last year.
The GREEN X Challenge has grown into a global program with the first Asian events held in the fall of 2009 joining the ALMS, European Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The specific formulas are regionalized for each series.
ALMS is the only series currently recognized as “Green Racing” by the DOE, EPA and SAE.
Challenge trophies are presented to the respective Prototype and GT winners. The bases of the awards are made of rubber recycled from Michelin GREEN X-labeled consumer tires.
For more information, visit www.michelinman.com.
