Winning both the American Le Mans Series race and the Michelin Green X Challenge at Long Beach is a great combination. For the second consecutive year, the Muscle Milk Pickett Racing team pulled off the big double, proving that clean and efficient performance can also be exceptionally fast.
A new HPD Honda prototype driven by Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr, won today’s race and the Michelin Green X Challenge following last year’s success with an Aston Martin prototype. The victory is the ninth in competition for the Benicia, Calif. based Muscle Milk Pickett Racing team
“HPD and Honda have proven to be a reliable and fuel efficient combination,” said winning co-driver Klaus Graf. “We feel very strongly that in long-distance races a big part of the race is to go the furthest, fastest, and use the least amount of energy. Future rules will change in that direction and we are pleased to partner with HPD to have success both in the race and in the Michelin Green X Challenge.”
Taking the Michelin Green X Challenge victory in the GT category is the Stuart, Fla. based Extreme Speed Motorsports Ferrari 458 Italia of Scott Sharp and Johannes van Overbeek. The team started in ninth position in the GT class, charged to the class lead after 35 minutes and eventually finished third in class while claiming the team’s second Michelin Green X Challenge.
Now in the fourth year as America’s premier environmental motorsports competition, six of the eight Michelin Green X Challenge winners on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn Long Beach circuit have also won their respective classes in the race.
“Here on the streets of Long Beach we saw the ALMS manufacturers and teams continue to deliver cleaner, faster, and more efficient performance and bring new technologies closer to the consumers who drive these same streets in their own cars,” said Silvia Mammone, manager motorsports, Michelin North America.
