ALMS Goes Green

[cosworth151]

Bernie and Max please note: yet another racing series has "gone green."

The American Le Mans Series on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to lead the charge for alternative fuels in the motorsports field.

In a press conference at the Detroit auto show on Tuesday, the ALMS said it has formed what it calls an unprecedented partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Society of Automotive Engineers International to become the first racing series to meet “green racing” criteria being developed by the three groups.

The criteria set forth by SAE in concert with the Environment Protection Agency and Department of Energy to qualify as a Green Racing series requires that certain elements in a series be present. These elements focus on three vital characteristics that measure performance, fuel efficiency and ecological impact. They include:

  The use of renewable bio-based fuel or fuels

  The use of multiple engines, fuels and powertrain configurations

  The use of regenerative energy powertrain technologies

  The use of well-to-wheel energy analysis and GHG analysis

  The use of emission control strategies and systems

Alternative fuels are not new to the series. Audi’s R10 turbo runs on zero-sulfur clean diesel and has competed for the last two seasons. Last year, the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council and VP Racing Fuels introduced E10 (10 percent ethanol, 90 percent gasoline) to all other manufacturers. This year, the series and its partners also will offer E85 to competitors in addition to E10; the E85 is a second-generation, cellulosic ethanol made from waste material (Competition, Dec. 3, 2007). Corvette Racing pledged to run on E85 all year (but not at Le Mans because of E85 supply issues), as has GT2-class Aston Martin team Drayson-Barwell.

While the ALMS is the first racing series to switch to cellulosic ethanol, the Indy Racing League’s IndyCar Series began using E10 in 2006 and switched to 100 percent ethanol last season.

Sources: ALMS and AutoWeek Daily Drive

[Steven Roy]

This must be wrong.  F1 is a leading edge technology formula that will develop road relevant environmental technology.  Max said so.  So how can any other series be years ahead of F1.  Doesn't make sense.

One other point.  Bio-fuels are not zero carbon as a lot of their publicity would have you believe.