Green Racing Vehicles on Display at Ohio State University

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The world’s leading sports car series, American Le Mans Series, rolls onto The Ohio State University campus Tuesday (8/3) with an emphasis on its position as the global leader in green racing.

Partnering with Ohio State’s EcoCAR program and the College of Engineering, the American Le Mans Series will display some of its race cars beginning at 3:00 p.m. and deliver a program from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at Knowlton Hall, 275 W. Woodruff Ave., emphasizing advances in technology and alternative fuels being pioneered by its manufacturers and teams.

Program participants include American Le Mans Series President/CEO Scott Atherton; Corvette Program Manager Doug Fehan; U.S. Department of Energy’s Forest Jehlik; and Paul Drayson, team owner/driver for Drayson Racing and Great Britain’s former Minister of Science and Innovation. Ohio State participants include Dr. Giorgio Rizzoni, director of the Center for Automotive Research and Eric Schacht, team leader for the EcoCAR program.

The cars and stars of the series will begin arriving on Knowlton Plaza at 3:00 pm. Among the cars on display will be BMW Rahal-Letterman’s M3, Drayson Racing’s cellulosic E85 fueled Lola and Intersport Racing’s LMP Challenge class prototype. The vehicles are in Central Ohio in advance of the American Le Mans Series races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday, August 7.

What: American Le Mans Series program presentation and vehicle display

When: Tuesday, August 3
 

3:00-5:30 pm Vehicle Display

5:30-7:00 pm Program Presentation

 


Where: Vehicle Display--Knowlton Plaza, 275 W. Woodruff Ave., Columbus

 

 

 

Program Presentation--Knowlton Hall Room 250

 


Why: American Le Mans Series will highlight its advances in technology and alternative fuels being pioneered by its manufacturers and teams, in advance of ALMS races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, to be held Saturday (8/7).

The EcoCAR program is sponsored by the U.S. DOE and selects student teams from across North America to re-engineer a GM-provided Saturn Vue using advanced powertrain technologies to minimize energy consumption, emissions and greenhouse gases. A tour of Ohio State’s Center for Automotive Research will be available to ALMS participants and the public beginning at 3:00 p.m.

The American Le Mans Series is the only major sports series in the world that runs exclusively on multiple alternative fuels and energy sources. The five approved energy sources include clean diesel, two ethanol blends [cellulosic E85 and E10], isobutanol and gas-electric hybrid. The Series recently announced the North American debut of Porsche’s GT3 R Hybrid at its season-ending Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.

The U.S. DOE, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and SAE International have proclaimed the American Le Mans Series as the only motorsports series that meets its green racing protocols. As such, it has created a year-end Green Challenge™ award for auto manufacturers that score best over the course of the season in overall performance, fuel efficiency and reduced carbon footprint. The MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge duplicates the award on a race-by-race basis for teams – one prototype and one GT class team.

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Contact: Gina Langen, langen.2@osu.edu

 

 

Category: College