Nissan, BMW take Michelin Green X Challenge Honors at Mid-Ohio

Conquest Endurance claimed its first Michelin Green X Challenge victory and the first for Nissan today at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge. The win follows the team’s first ever American Le Mans Series class win at the previous event.

Drivers Martin Plowman of Indianapolis and David Heinemeier-Hansson of Chicago helped take team owner Eric Bachelart’s Indianapolis based LMP2 team to victory in America’s premier environmental motorsports competition.

The win is also the first for Nissan and chassis maker Morgan. The E-10 fueled Conquest team finished second in the LMP2 class and fourth overall in the two-hour 45 minute race on the 2.258 mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Taking the Michelin Green X Challenge GT class award was the No. 55 BMW Team RLL driven by Redondo Beach, California’s Bill Auberlen and Jorg Muller of Monte Carlo. Starting the race from the GT class pole, the E-85 fueled BMW E92 M3 led the early stages of the race and finished third in the rugged GT class.

The Michelin Green X Challenge win is the second of the season for the team headed by former Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal.

 “Our second Michelin Green X challenge trophy of the season recognizes our efficient use of energy over the course of today’s race. The trophy is proof that we get everything out of our BMW on every lap,” said Rahal.

The American Le Mans Series is the only series currently recognized as “Green Racing” by the U. S. Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and SAE International. Together with the sanctioning International Motor Sports Association, the groups comprise the ALMS Green Racing Group and oversee the Michelin Green X challenge and a  year-end Green Challenge for manufacturers.

“The hot, steamy weather and tight competition posed many challenges for the teams and drivers” said Silvia Mammone, manager motorsports, Michelin North America “We congratulate Conquest Endurance and BMW Team RLL on their victories in the Michelin Green X Challenge. We also congratulate Nissan on its first victory in the challenge.

All LMP1 and LMP2 class entries and GT class entries are automatically entered into the Michelin Green X Challenge as a “race within the race” at every American Le Mans Series event.  Entries are scored based on Clean, Fast and Efficient performance.