The Michelin Green X Challenge prepares to crown its first season champions as the American Le Mans Series heads into the tenth and final race of the 2009 season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, October 10th.
“It is very exciting to have the The Michelin Green X Challenge championships going right down to the final race,” said Silvia Mammone, Michelin Motorsports manager. “The competition has grown as the season has progressed and we expect a terrific race here in Monterey to determine the first champions.”
Acura and Porsche have clinched the respective Prototype and GT manufacturer titles. However, the team and driver championships are very much in play at the hilly, 2.238-mile circuit near Monterey, Calif.
Heading into the finale, the Lowe’s Fernandez Acura of LMP2 championship winning Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz holds a narrow lead over the LMP1 championship leading Patrón Highcroft Acura of David Brabham and Scott Sharp.
In the GT category, all three full season Porsche 911 GT3 RSR entries have claimed the The Michelin Green X Challenge honors at least once.
The Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche of GT2 championship leaders Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long have a pair of wins (Long Beach and Lime Rock Park), while teammates Seth Neiman, Darren Law and Johannes van Overbeek took the honor at the recent Petit Le Mans after switching from E10 to E85R fuel. The two cars are currently separated by just 14 points in the season long Michelin Green X Challenge championship. The Farnbacher Loles Porsche has parlayed its award at Salt Lake City into a strong third spot in the standings heading into the season finale.
Despite a limited schedule, Corvette Racing’s two cars have also claimed four wins (Twelve Hours of Sebring, Mid-Ohio, Road America, Mosport) and currently stand in fourth and fifth place.
