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Posted on October 16, 2013

Michelin Readies for ALMS Grand Finale

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BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 16, 2013) – Intense competition, championship smiles, teary good byes and friendly helloes will make up the scene as Michelin and its technical partner teams head to Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans race, October 19.

The final race of the 2013 American Le Mans Series season is also the final race for the series as it unites with GRAND-AM in the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship (TUSC). For Michelin, with all three of the open class 2013 ALMS tire championships secured and 27 of 27 possible race/class wins in 2013, the year-end awards are assured.

Michelin and its technical partner teams enter Petit Le Mans having claimed 138 race victories and 390 class wins in the 146 ALMS events since the ALMS debuted in March 1999. The other nine tire makers to compete in the series have a combined eight race wins and 121 class wins.

For Michelin, the GT and P2 driver championships are intramural affairs. The GT driver championship leaders Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia of 2013 GT manufacturer and team champion Corvette Racing, and the hunter, BMW Team RLL’s Dirk Mueller are Michelin technical partner teams.

In the P2 category, both the Honda prototypes of driver championship leader Scott Tucker of Level 5 Motorsports and Extreme Speed Motorsports’ Scott Sharp are Michelin equipped.  Michelin technical partner Muscle Milk Pickett Racing Honda has clinched the ALMS P1 manufacturer, team and driver championships.

There are many demands throughout the 10 Hours/1,000 miles in the red clay hills of north Georgia. The 2.54-mile natural terrain circuit means that the slightest issue can spell disaster for championship hopes as teams encounter endless traffic working their way through the multi-class 36-car field.

Keeping the cars and tire choices well matched to the changing track conditions requires continuous monitoring and evaluation by Michelin engineers and teams.  Preliminary forecasts indicate a cool, partly cloudy day with highs approaching 70 degrees, but dropping into the low 50s by race end at approximately 9:30 pm.

“Whether it’s for racing or for our consumers, Michelin likes to design and develop tires with an increasingly broader bandwidth of performance attributes,” said Chris Baker, motorsports director for Michelin North America. “This is what we call Michelin Total Performance.”

“By this point in the season Michelin engineers and technical partners have a good understanding of the differences and ideal operating temperature ranges for each of our tire options,” said Baker.

“We are pleased to have been successful in all of the ALMS races this season and to have the last open championships down to Michelin technical partners” said Baker.  “We hope to continue the success at Petit Le Mans and provide each of our technical partners with the right tire to enable optimum performance.”

“We have enjoyed competing in the ALMS and want to recognize the fans, the series organizers, ALMS staff and officials,” said Baker. 

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For more information, visit www.michelinmedia.com or contact:                                                          

Sachin Deshpandé                                                              John Love

Michelin North America                                                     EMC Strategic Communications

office: 1 416 576 0226                                                      office: 1 248 816 0106

sachin.deshpande@ca.michelin.com                              mobile: 1 313 506 2114

                                                                                                john@emcstrategic.com

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About Michelin North America

Michelin, the leading mobility company, is working with tires, around tires and beyond tires to enable Motion for Life. Dedicated to enhancing its clients’ mobility and sustainability, Michelin designs and distributes the most suitable tires, services and solutions for its customers’ needs. Michelin provides digital services, maps and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences. Bringing its expertise to new markets, the company is investing in high-technology materials, 3D printing and hydrogen, to serve a wide variety of industries — from aerospace to biotech. Headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, Michelin North America has approximately 22,500 employees and operates 34 production facilities in the United States and Canada. (michelinman.com