Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Green flag in: 
 
 
  • MICHELIN EMBRACES GREEN RACING WITH MICHELIN® GREEN X® CHALLENGE

  • Michelin has entered into an environmentally-conscious partnership with the American Le Mans Series in 2009 to entitle the Series’ coveted Green ChallengeTM award presented to race teams at each race. Beginning at the season opener in Sebring, two teams - one prototype and one GT - that demonstrate the best overall performance and fuel efficiency with the least environmental impact will win the MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge award.

    Michelin, the world’s leading tire manufacturer, has been a global leader in environmental issues for well over a decade. Eleven years ago, it created Challenge Bibendum, the world’s premier event for clean vehicles. Three years ago, it created the Michelin Energy Endurance Challenge at the world’s most famous auto race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in 2008 extended that award to all of the races on the European-based Le Mans Series.

    Michelin will present the MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge award at each 2009 American Le Mans Series race to the prototype and GT teams scoring best in the three aforementioned criteria. At the end of the season, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy in conjunction with SAE International will present Green Challenge™ awards to manufacturers in each class who have scored best during the entire season.


    TURNING THE CORNER TO THE FINAL FIVE RACES OF 2009

    An epic battle continues between American Le Mans Series teams and manufacturers competing for the MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge championship. With Acura is the prototype manufacturer to beat and Porsche for GT, Patrón Highcroft Racing and Flying Lizard Motorsports continue to carry the banner in team standings.

    Click here to view championship standings, team rankings and manufacturer rankings.

    MANUFACTURER STANDINGS
    Throughout the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix, each manufacturer continues to be represented by their leading prototype or Grand Touring car on the grid. Following the stellar performances by all 13 manufacturers at Lime Rock Park, Acura and Porsche continue to astound.

    As the prevailing Acuras continue its lead - now with a 44-point championship lead in the MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge - Mazda and Audi are in close contention for the LMP manufacturer crown. Porsche - equally honored for demonstrating speed while being measured for distance covered, the amount of energy used, greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted, and petroleum displaced throughout the GT field - claims the lowest score to date, with 140 out of the maximum of 225 points, which places it in first, with Ford following close behind with 159 points and BMW with 175 points.

    TEAM STANDINGS
    Following Lime Rock, even with de Ferran Motorsports’ third straight triumph in class and overall, the No. 9 Patrón Highcroft Racing team still claims the highest position in LMP for the MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge. Running on E10, fellow Acura competitors Lowe’s Fernandez Racing (LMP2) and de Ferran Motorsports (LMP1) round out the top three positions in the category, followed by the two LMP2 Mazda-powered Lolas.

    The GT category is heavily weighted by three competitive and resilient Porsche teams. In first place, No. 45 Flying Lizard Motorsports of Jörg Bergmeister and Patrick Long; in third place, Farnbacher Loles Wolf Henzler and Dirk Werner; in fourth place, fellow Flying Lizard car of Seth Neiman and Darren Law. Second place is held by Panoz, just 19 points off of the leading No. 45; fifth is home to the No. 62 Ferrari of Jamie Melo and Pierre Kaffer.

    LIME ROCK PARK RACE RECAP
    Gil de Ferran and Simon Pagenaud continued setting the benchmark at the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix with their third consecutive The MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge accolade for de Ferran Motorsports (LMP1). Flying Lizard Motorsports (GT2) also continues to be the efficiency and performance leader with Bergmeister and Long, who know have their second MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge award under their belt (first was in Long Beach).

    Both teams ran during the two-hour, 45-minute sprint race on Michelin tires throughout the 1.51-mile, 10-turn natural terrain circuit on E10, one of four alternative fuels used in the Series.

    The race marked the competition debut of a gas-electric hybrid entry from Corsa Motorsports.

    MICHELIN® GREEN X® CHALLENGE
    Championship standings (through four rounds)
    Manufacturer rankings

    PrototypeGrand Touring
    1. Acura - 145 points1. Porsche - 140 points
    2. Mazda - 189 points
    		2. Ford - 159 points
    3. Audi - 195 points 3. BMW - 175

    Team rankings

    PrototypeGrand Touring
    1. Patrón Highcroft Racing -
    Acura ARX-02a (E10)   145 points    		1. Flying Lizard Motorsports (No. 45) -
    Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (E10)   140 points
    2. Lowe's Fernandez Racing -
    Acura ARX-01b (E10)  149 points
    		2. Panoz Team PTG -
    Panoz Esperante GTLM (E10)   159 points
    3. de Ferran Motorsports -
    Acura ARX-01b (E10)   157 points     		3. Farnbacher Loles Racing -
    Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (E10)   163 points

    To learn more about the winners of MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge trophies at previous events click on the following:

    • Sebring - Audi Sport Team Joest/Audi and Corvette Racing/GM
    • St. Petersburg - Lowe's Fernandez Racing/Acura and BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team/BMW
    • Long Beach - de Ferran Motorsports/Acura and Flying Lizard Motorsports/Porsche
    • Utah - de Ferran Motorsports/Acura and Farnbacher Loles racing/Porsche
    • Lime Rock - de Ferran Motorsports/Acura and Flying Lizard Motorsports/Porsche