NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series fans can watch Ron Hornaday, Jr. defend his Championship in High Definition at Daytona on SPEED. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) ยป More Photos
"This partnership between government and industry to use the American Le Mans Series as an incubator to accelerate the development of new, relevant and practical automotive technologies that will use less fuel and emit fewer greenhouse gasses and air pollutants further emphasizes the American Le Mans Series as the global leader in this important area," said Atherton. "This support by EPA and DOE in conjunction with the SAE comes at a time when manufacturers and consumers alike are looking for 'green' solutions. We are the only series in which manufacturers can aggressively develop breakthrough technologies for automobiles that consumers will ultimately buy and drive, reinforcing the American Le Mans Series as the most relevant racing series in the world."
The American Le Mans Series' 2008 season begins with the 56th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring March 15 at Sebring International Raceway. For the first time in history America's premier sports car endurance classic will feature teams that will all use clean diesel, E10 gasoline, or E85 ethanol.
What Is Being Said about the American Le Mans Series' Green Racing Initiatives and its partnership with the EPA, DOE, and SAE International:
"Like never before, America is confronting a nexus of concerns relating to climate change and energy security - among the greatest challenges of our time. There's no reason why the motorsports community should not be a part of the dialogue. My office, which is concerned with pollution from mobile sources, is all about putting clean, efficient technologies on the 'fast track', and that's what this initiative literally seeks to accomplish."
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-Margo T. Oge
Director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
"The American Le Mans Series represents a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate and educate consumers about alternative fuels and innovative, efficient automotive technologies in an interesting and dynamic way that captures the public's attention. These subjects are driven home and made real and pertinent when consumers see some of the fastest racing cars on the circuit competing with E85 or clean diesel. The fact that manufacturers are already actively competing with these alternative fuels makes our association with the Series a natural fit. We also hope that other automotive manufacturers will enter and compete with exciting new technologies they have developed - technologies that will not just make them competitive on the race circuit, but in the consumer automotive market, as well."
-Ed Wall
Program Manager, Vehicle Technologies Program, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
"Partnering with the American Le Mans Series will further allow SAE International to challenge the future of global mobility engineering and the way we all use energy. We look forward to working with the Series to create protocols for a Green Racing Challenge that will encourage the development of alternative-fuel technologies and other related innovations by automobile manufacturers - and we're pleased to know that many of these manufacturers already are involved in the American Le Mans Series."
-David L. Amati
Ph.D., Director of Global Automotive Business, SAE International
