Mazda joins Michelin Green X Challenge winners

Mazda power and Isobutanol fuel made history in the 26th Michelin Green X Challenge as Mazda became the 12th different manufacturer to claim victory in America’s premiere environmental motorsports competition here in the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix.  

The victory was also the first for Isobutanol fuel, the Oryx Dyson team, and for drivers Steven Kane of Ireland and Humaid Al Masaood of the UAE.

“Getting that Michelin Green X Challenge award today is more important to us than even winning the race,” said John Doonan, Director of Mazda Motorsports. “As a small car company we work to do things efficiently. That includes producing highly efficient small displacement engines. Winning the Michelin Green X Challenge is a huge deal for us.”

“It is also a big deal for us to score the first Michelin Green X Challenge award for Isobutanol,” said Doonan..  

Presenting the award was Dr. Kathleen Hogan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Taking the Michelin Green X Challenge victory in the GT category was the Walker Racing Team Falken Porsche. Presenting the GT category award was Karl Simon, Director, Compliance, and Innovative Strategies Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Both winners also won their respective categories in the two-hour race on a temporary 2.04 mile circuit through the streets of downtown Baltimore. This marks the 23rd and 24th times in the history of the competition that the winners on the track also captured the Michelin Green X Challenge awards for being clean, fast and efficient.