MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge Prepares to Crown First Season Champions

Today, Michelin is launching its first global advertising campaign. The new campaign’s theme – “The right tire changes everything” – is intended to illustrate the competitive advantages of Michelin® tires in media outlets The MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge prepares to crown its first season champions as the American Le Mans Series heads into the tenth & final race of the 2009 season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, October 10th.

Through the course of the year, the ALMS manufacturers & teams have competed in events ranging from 100 minutes to 12 hours on a wide range of circuits & in varied temperatures, elevations, & weather conditions.

A "race within the race" at every ALMS event, the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge recognizes performance, energy efficiency & reduced environmental impact under a formula developed by the Argonne National Labs in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy & Environmental Protection Agency.

"It is very exciting to have the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge championships going right down to the final race," said Silvia Mammone, Michelin Motorsports manager. "The competition has grown as the season has progressed & we expect a terrific race here in Monterey to determine the first champions."

Acura & Porsche have clinched the respective Prototype & GT category MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge manufacturer titles; however, the team & driver championships are very much in play at the hilly, 2.238-mile circuit near Monterey, Calif.

Heading into the finale, the Lowe's Fern&ez Acura of LMP2 championship winning Adrian Fern&ez & Luis Diaz holds a narrow lead over the LMP1 championship leading Patrón Highcroft Acura of David Brabham & Scott Sharp.

The Fern&ez Acura earned the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge prototype honors at St. Petersburg & Road America, while the Patrón Highcroft squad claimed the award at Mosport. The third Acura of de Ferran Motorsports st&s third as a pair of DNFs off-set their four wins. The GTL low sulfur diesel fueled Audi R15 TDi also claimed a pair of wins in its two ALMS starts, the Twelve Hours of Sebring & Petit Le Mans.

In the GT category, all three full season Porsche 911 GT3 RSR entries have claimed the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge honors at least once.

The #45 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche of GT2 championship leaders Joerg Bergmeister & Patrick Long have a pair of wins (Long Beach & Lime Rock Park), while teammates Seth Neiman, Darren Law & Johannes van Overbeek in the #44 took the honor at the recent Petit Le Mans after switching from E10 to E85R fuel. The two cars are currently separated by just 14 points in the season long MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge championship. The Farnbacher Loles Porsche has parlayed its award at Salt Lake City into a strong third spot in the st&ings heading into the season finale.

Despite a limited schedule, Corvette Racing's two cars have also claimed four wins (Twelve Hours of Sebring, Mid-Ohio, Road America, Mosport) & currently st& in fourth & fifth place.

About the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge

The MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge, developed in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency & SAE International is a race within the race at all 2009 American Le Mans Series events.

All ALMS entries compete with E10 ethanol blended gasoline; E85R gasoline blended ethanol, GTL (natural gas to liquid) biodiesel or E10-electric hybrid power.

Teams win by delivering the best overall performance, fuel efficiency, & smallest environmental impact throughout the race. Using a formula developed by the Argonne National Labs that includes over 30 different factors, real time st&ings are posted on timing & scoring screens throughout the race. The American Le Mans Series is the only series currently recognized as "Green Racing" by the U. S. Department of Energy; Environmental Protection Agency & SAE International.

The MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge trophies are presented to the respective Prototype & 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 & weight without compromising other key performance factors such as traction, grip & tread wear. Each tire is marked with Michelin's "GREEN X®" symbol on the sidewall, indicating to consumers a level of increased fuel-efficiency & reduced CO2 emissions.

For over 16 years, Michelin has been dedicated to the research & development of energy-efficient tires & now, a complete line of fuel-efficient tires is available to fit the most immediate consumer needs.

Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures & sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles & the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, hotel & restaurant guides, maps & road atlases. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America (www.michelinman.com) employs more than 22,600 & operates 19 major manufacturing plants in 17 locations.
 

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