The Michelin Green X Challenge Will Roll Again For The 2010 American Le Mans Series

Michelin today announced that it will continue its support of the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) for the 2010 season.

"We have exceeded all of our initial expectations & expect to further build & grow the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge in our second season," said Silvia Mammone, Michelin Motorsports manager. "Michelin is an environmental & technological leader & the ALMS is the global leader in Green Racing, so this is an excellent fit."

Launched earlier this year as a "race within the race" at every ALMS event, the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge has quickly gained support from manufacturers, teams, & media.

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. Using a formula developed by the Argonne National Labs that includes over 30 different factors, ALMS manufacturers & teams win the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge by delivering the best overall performance, fuel efficiency, & smallest environmental impact throughout the race. Prototype & GT category winners are determined at each race & in a season-long championship.

"Michelin has brought a very valuable element to the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge," said Scott Atherton, President & CEO of the American Le Mans Series. "This race-within-a-race has become the cornerstone of our green racing initiatives for our fans at each event & those watching on television. Not only has Michelin helped us spread this vital message, but their involvement has also provided an opportunity for fans to underst& such things as how essential tire rolling resistance is to being fuel efficient. Michelin's renewed commitment to help us develop this message will continue to reinforce our position as the Global Leader in Green Racing."

Entering the final race of the 2009 season, nine different cars from eight different teams representing five different manufacturers & using three different fuels have won the 18 MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge trophies. All ALMS entries compete with E10 ethanol blended gasoline, E85R gasoline blended ethanol, GTL (natural gas to liquid) biodiesel or E10-electric hybrid power. Another fuel option & possibly a factor for tire use may be considered for inclusion in the 2010 formula.

"The diversity of manufacturers, cars, engines, fuels & circuits along with the opportunity for technical innovation makes the ALMS particularly relevant," said Forrest Patterson, Ph.D., director of research for replacement market passenger car & light truck tires for Michelin North America. "Thanks to the efforts of the ALMS & the Green Racing working group, important baseline data has been captured during the 2009 season. In the future, we hope to gain comparative data showing a reduction in the energy used & the emissions created without a reduction in overall performance."

During the 2009 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 41 (of 55) Michelin technical partner entries covered over 100,00 race miles while using 13 percent fewer tires per car than in 2008.

Michelin supports similar MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge awards at the 24 Hours of Le Mans & the European based Le Msn Series & is expected to extend the program to an Asian based series.

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.

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.