It was the first race in which all five fuels permitted in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) – GTL-diesel, E85R; E10; Isobutanol, and hybrid electric – were on the track together in competition.
The BMW Rahal Letterman Racing team captured GT category honors and became the 12th different car from 10 teams and seven manufacturers to claim a Green X victory in 2010; the Drayson Racing Lola Judd notched its third Green X win of the season in the Prototype class.
Highcroft HPD claimed the year-long Prototype honors and the Flying Lizard Porsche team successfully defended its GT championship."The ALMS has become a spot for rapid prototyping of technologies that can help the world," says Highcroft team owner Duncan Dayton, who gives a "hats off" to ALMS, the EPA, the DOE and Michelin.
"It's only going to get more exciting as we bring in more and more technologies to make cars better," Dayton says.
A new Porsche GT3 R Hybrid made its American debut, completing the entire race and finishing 18th in the 45 car field. The car ran unclassified and was not eligible for Green X honors as technical rules for the hybrid class are still in development.
"Road Atlanta is one of the most difficult and demanding tracks in North America, and the elevation changes, high speed corners and endless traffic place tremendous loads on tires," notes Silvia Mammone, Michelin's motorsports manager. "It is very satisfying to our engineers, tire developers, chemists and support staff to see all of our technical partners able to perform at a very high level over the entire 1,000-mile race."
For more information, visit www.michelinman.com.
