BALTIMORE, MD (August 30, 2012) – The streets of downtown Baltimore will see some different traffic this weekend as the Prototype and production-based GT cars of the American Le Mans Series take to the 2.0-mile temporary circuit and the “race within the race,” America’s premier environmental motorsports competition, the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge.
“Racing on a downtown street circuit in Baltimore is the closest that we come to the stop, start, constant braking and acceleration that consumers face every day in the real world,” said Scot Elkins, COO of the sanctioning International Motor Sports Association.
Overseen by the Green Racing steering group comprised of representatives of the U.S. Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, SAE International and IMSA, the competition recognizes clean, fast and efficient performance at each ALMS event.
MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge results continue to prove that being clean and efficient doesn’t come at the expense of winning performance. Consider:
- The ALMS Prototype Championship-leading Muscle Milk Pickett Racing HPD Honda leads the MICHELIN GREEN X challenge Prototype championship, with the team’s three MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge wins coming in its five race wins.
- The two cars of the ALMS GT championship-leading Corvette Racing team also lead the MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge GT championship. The #3 Corvette has scored four MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge wins while teammates in the #4 Corvette have four –second-place scores and stand second in MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge points. The car positions are reversed in the ALMS GT championship.
- MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge Prototype wins by Muscle Milk Honda (3), Conquest Endurance Racing Nissan (2), Dyson Racing Mazda (1) and Level 5 Performance Honda (1) through the first seven races of the 2012 ALMS season were also paired with a class win on track.
- Chevrolet’s Corvette Racing (4), BMW Team RLL (2) and Extreme Speed Motorsports Ferrari (1) have each claimed MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge GT honors. All race on E85R fuel.
“Accelerating new technologies, energies and the awareness of performance capabilities drives the MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge,” said Silvia Mammone, Michelin motorsports manager. “Racing on real world streets in a major city is an opportunity to face new technical challenges and to enhance awareness that clean and efficient vehicles can perform at incredibly high levels.”
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 energy-efficiency that reduces CO2 emissions.
For over 20 years, Michelinhas 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.
Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks and motorcycles. The company also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America (www.michelinman.com) employs more than 22,200 and operates 18 major manufacturing plants in 16 locations.
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For more information, visit www.michelinmedia.com or contact:
Lynne Fowler John Love
MichelinNorth America EMC Strategic Communications
office: 1 864 458 6365 office: 1 248 816 0106
mobile: 1 864 561 9914 mobile: 1 313 506 2114
lynne.fowler@us.michelin.com john@emcstrategic.com