Michelin Man Busy at ALMS Finale

The iconic Michelin Man will be busy this weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the tenth & final race of the 2009 American Le Mans Series. The technical partner of choice for 13 of the 24 entries in the four-hour race into sunset at the iconic 2.238-mile circuit, the Michelin Man will be both presenting & accepting awards.

In conjunction with the final race of the season, Michelin launched its first global advertising campaign this week, where the Michelin Man plays an integral role. The theme of the campaign, "the right tire changes everything" is intended to illustrate the competitive advantages of Michelin® tires in media outlets around the world. The campaign launched first in the U.S. so race fans are now able to see the first spot on national television as the Michelin Man appears as a heroic figure in a 3D animated world. Fans can also visit him on-line at: michelinman.com/the-right-tire or become a fan of the Michelin Man on the official Michelin Man Facebook page.

On the track, the Michelin Man will be cheering for all their technical partner teams as they have claimed 28 of a possible 29 ALMS class wins this year including teams from Acura & Porsche as they have already clinched the ALMS manufacturer championships in all three ALMS classes. The Lowe's Fern&ez Racing Acura Michelin team & drivers Adrian Fern&ez & Luis Diaz have secured the LMP2 championships.

"Michelin & our technical partner teams from Acura, Audi, Corvette, Ferrari, Mazda, Peugeot & Porsche have enjoyed great success in 2009 ALMS competition by meeting the challenges at every turn," said Silvia Mammone, Michelin Motorsports manager. "Now, in addition to the excitement surrounding the final race of the season & the ALMS championship battles, we are pleased that our dramatic new ad campaign featuring the Michelin Man will air during the SPEED TV broadcast of the race."

While the team & driver championships are still up for grabs in the LMP1 & GT2 categories, all of the remaining championship contenders are Michelin technical partner teams & drivers. Despite competition from four other tire makers, Michelin has also clinched the tire manufacturer awards in all three ALMS classes.

The Michelin Man will also join in presenting the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge Awards at the conclusion of the race to the top rated Prototype & GT teams.

Fans watching the race on SPEED TV will also see the Michelin Man in a series of new television spots demonstrating what manufacturers, teams & drivers in the ALMS & the 24 Hours of Le Mans already know; 'The right tires make all the difference.'

The four-hour race on Saturday will determine the championship battles in the LMP1 class where the Patrón Highcroft Racing Acura (3) of David Brabham & Scott Sharp & the de Ferran Motorsports Acura (4) of Gil de Ferran & Simon Pagenaud have combined for seven race wins. The race will mark the final professional race drive for team owner Gil de Ferran, the 2003 Indy 500 winner & twice Indycar series champion.

The GT2 championship leading Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche team will look to successfully retain its team & driver crown for Joerg Bergmeister, now teamed with Patrick Long. They have eliminated all but arch-rival Risi Ferrari & drivers Jaime Melo & Pierre Kaffer from title contention, but points could be at a premium as the Corvette Racing & BMW Rahal Letterman Racing teams have also scored wins in recent events.

2009 ALMS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Class Manufacturer Team Drivers Tire
LMP1 Acura* TBD* TBD* Michelin
LMP2 Acura* Lowe's Fern&ez Racing* Adrian Fern&ez / Luis Diaz* Michelin
GT2 Porsche* TBD* TBD* Michelin
*Michelin technical partner


ALMS TIRE CHAMPIONS

Michelin wrapped up their fourth consecutive ALMS Tire Championship class sweep earlier this year. Below is a historical breakdown of the ALMS Tire Championships.

AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES TIRE MANUFACTURER CHAMPIONSHIPS
YEAR/CLASS LMP1 LMP2 GT1 GT2
2000 Michelin Not awarded Michelin Michelin
2001 Michelin Avon Goodyear Michelin
2002 Michelin Avon Goodyear Michelin
2003 Michelin Goodyear Goodyear Michelin
2004 Michelin Pirelli Michelin Michelin
2005 Michelin Goodyear Michelin Michelin
2006 Michelin Michelin Michelin Michelin
2007 Michelin Michelin Michelin Michelin
2008 Michelin Michelin N/A Michelin
2009 Michelin Michelin N/A Michelin
* The tire championships were not presented in the 1999 inaugural season of the American Le Mans Series.


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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