Acura and Corvette win Michelin Green X Challenge in Canadian debut

David Brabham, co-driver of the race winning Patrón Highcroft Acura prototype has now added a victory in the first Michelin Green X Challenge race held in Canada to his legendary racing portfolio. The only driver to win in all four American Le Mans Series classes, Brabham, and co-driver Scott Sharp took their third overall race victory of the 2009 American Le Mans Series season and their first Michelin Green X Challenge prototype win in the “race within the race.”

Racing at the historic 2.549-mile circuit where his father claimed victory in the first Grand Prix of Canada in 1967, Brabham recalled the letter that he sent to ALMS President Scott Atherton in 2001, encouraging the series to take a leadership position in the racing community on the environment. “This is still early days, but to see the Michelin Green X Challenge and the way that this series has embraced technology and innovation is close to my heart,” said Brabham.

“Competition breeds technology. If we can push technology and find ways to change the ways we use energy we will have started something important,” said Brabham.

While their Corvette Racing teammates scored the marques first ever GT2 class race victory, it was the third place finishing GT2 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R of Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta that came through to take the fifth Michelin Green X Challenge GT win of the season for Corvette. The win is the third in three class starts for the E85R fueled GT2 Corvette C6.R

“The Michelin Green X Challenge is indicative of the engineering that goes into these Corvettes,” said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. “We’re not jut engineering a fast car, we’re also engineering a green car through fuel efficiency and E85 ethanol.  Those advances transfer into GM production vehicles, so what we saw today was a victory for engineering that will produce a greener future.”