SEBRING, Fl. (March 17, 2012) – Fast, Clean, and Efficient was the formula for victory on the track and in the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge as the 2012 American Le Mans Series and World Endurance Championship seasons opened here at the Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Audi R18 turbo diesel prototypes finished 1-2 in the 12 Hour race and 1-2-3 in the Prototype category of the MICHELIN® GREEN X ® Challenge.
Audi's double-victory did not surprise winning co-driver Dindo Capello.
Caplleo, an Audi dealer in Italy, proudly wore his MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge winner's hat as he joined co-drivers Tom
Kristensen and Allan McNish in the Sebring race winner's press conference. Repeating the award's recognition for "Fast, Clean, and Efficient" scores,
Capello declared, "Fast. Clean. Efficient, that is Audi!"
The MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge victory is the third for Audi in American Le Mans Series competition.
The AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia driven by Olivier Beretta, Andrea Bertolini and Marco Cioci captured the fourth MICHELIN® GREEN X ® Challenge GT honors for Ferrari. The car races on E-10 ethanol fuel.
"Today was a great way to kick-off the fourth season of the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge," said Silvia Mammone, manager
motorsports, Michelin North America. "The field was filled with new cars, new engines, and innovative technologies and once again we saw the most efficient
cars on the race track also did well in the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge.
ABOUT THE MICHELIN® GREEN X® CHALLENGE
The American Le Mans Series is the only series currently recognized as "Green Racing" by the U. S. Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection
Agency and SAE International.
In 2010, the season-ending Petit Le Mans event at Road Atlanta marked the first time that all five energy sources identified in the U.S. Department of
Energy's National Energy policy were represented in competition. The five energies are E10 ethanol-blended gasoline, E85R second generation cellulosic
ethanol, GTL (natural gas to liquid) biodiesel, E10-electric hybrid power and Iso-butanol gasoline.
The MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge trophies are presented to the respective Prototype and GT winners. The bases for the unique MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge
trophies are made of rubber recycled from MICHELIN GREEN X labeled consumer tires.
ABOUT MICHELIN® GREEN X® TIRES
MICHELIN® GREEN X® labeled consumer tires are optimized for fuel economy by reducing their rolling resistance and weight
without compromising other key performance factors such as traction, grip and tread wear. Each tire is marked with Michelin's "GREEN X" symbol on the
sidewall, indicating to consumers a level of increased fuel-efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions.
For over 20 years, Michelin has been dedicated to the research and development of energy-efficient tires and now, a complete line of fuel-efficient tires
is available to fit the most immediate consumer needs. Please visit www.michelinman.com for a complete list.