World-class brand of motorsport to switch to ethanol-enriched fuel
HILLIARD, Ohio, Feb. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Le Mans Series
continues its tradition of excellence and leading edge technology with its
decision to use ethanol-enriched fuel for the 2007 racing season.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061117/CGF027LOGO )
The organization has partnered with the Ethanol Promotion and
Information Council (EPIC) to make E10, "the official ethanol-enriched
fuel" of the series.
"At a time when alternative fuel initiatives are in the daily
headlines, we could not be more pleased to unite with an organization such
as EPIC to aid in spreading the awareness of renewable energy and the
benefits of ethanol in the most demanding environment in motorsports:
American Le Mans sports car racing," said Scott Atherton, President and CEO
of the American Le Mans Series.
The American Le Mans Series was founded in 1999 by Georgia-based
entrepreneur Don Panoz. It features top manufacturers such as Acura, Aston
Martin, Audi, Corvette, Ferrari, Mazda, Panoz, Porsche, and Saleen.
Four different classes of competition are showcased in the American Le
Mans Series, featuring open-top prototypes and sophisticated
production-based GT cars. The competition is held at road racing venues
across North America, as well as selected temporary street circuits in
major urban markets. All cars in each class will be using gasoline enriched
with 10% ethanol for the entire season.
"We are proud to be associated with one of the fastest growing brands
of motorsports in North America," said Tom Slunecka, executive director of
EPIC. "With television broadcasts in the U.S., Latin America and Europe,
this partnership offers an incredible platform to market the performance
and environmental benefits of ethanol, in a variety of engine types, from
multiple manufacturers. This will also be the first time that
ethanol-enriched fuel will be used in a 12 hour endurance race."
The agreement follows the IndyCar(R) Series decision to use 100 percent
fuel-grade ethanol for the 2007 season. The EPIC-IndyCar series partnership
began in 2005, and has advanced from ethanol being a team sponsor to
working with the series to introduce an ethanol-methanol blend in 2006.
The American Le Mans Series features 12 races in 2007, including the
prestigious season opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (March 17) and
the 1,000-mile Petit Le Mans. All other races are sprint endurance formats,
ranging from an hour, forty minutes at Long Beach to four hours at both
Road America and the series finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. All events
are televised by CBS, NBC or SPEED.
About The American Le Mans Series:
The American Le Mans Series is the premium brand of motorsport in North
America, featuring high-tech sports cars from the most prestigious
automobile manufacturers in the world. Its unique four classes of
competition showcase exotic, open-top prototypes and sophisticated
production-based GT cars, all competing on the track at the same time. The
American Le Mans Series competes at the premier road racing tracks across
North America and at selected temporary street circuits in major urban
markets. With a 2007 television package that includes five network
broadcasts on CBS and NBC as seven telecasts on SPEED, plus live broadcasts
across Europe, the Series delivers a global marketing platform that is
unmatched in motorsports. The Series, founded in 1999 by Georgia
entrepreneur Don Panoz, represents a mirror image to the prestigious 24
Hours of Le Mans, the world's most famous and authentic automobile race.
The American Le Mans Series features elite marques such as Audi, Porsche,
Corvette, Aston Martin, Ferrari and Panoz, and premium brands such as
Michelin, Yokohama, Kumho, Lowe's, EPIC, Shell and many others. To learn
more about the American Le Mans Series, visit http://www.americanlemans.com
.
About EPIC:
The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council is an alliance of ethanol
producers and industry leaders who have come together to spread the word
about the benefits of ethanol through information and promotional programs.
EPIC is a nonprofit organization and is overseen by a nine-member board of
directors. To learn more about the ethanol, visit
http://www.drivingethanol.org .
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SOURCE Ethanol Promotion and Information Council
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Related links:
http://www.drivingethanol.org
http://www.americanlemans.com
Photo Notes:http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061117/CGF027LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Joanna Schroeder APR, Director of
Communications, EPIC, +1-636-399-4381-mobile, +1-402-932-0567,
jschroeder@EPICinfo.org , or Tom DiBacco of Broadhead + Co,
+1-612-418-7426 - mobile, +1-612-617-7951,
tdibacco@broadheadco.com
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