Getting nice clean air flow into a motor without too much added engine heat has always been the first modification to the OEM design.  Little changes in air flow management can allow for some well needed reductions in engine compartment temperatures and increases in cool air flow velocity.  Getting all the spent air and fuel out would be the next logical area to assess for potential improvement.  Many times the engine tuning is looked at strictly for performance, but efficiency can be had with a re-tune as well.

Driving style for many is faster is better, but thats generally not the best or most efficient use of resources or driving privilege.  It takes many people a few speeding tickets to fully understand this concept.  When it comes to performance driving smooth and easy can produce better results than quick and fast.  To better understand the finer points behind smooth and easy driving get involved with www.chinmotorsports.com.   Chin Motor Sports has helped me to fully understand the art of performance driving.  They teach high performance driving at many local auto tracks in the Eastern United States.  The concepts involved can have a dramatic impact on ones self control and ability to safely navigate an automobile in any situation.

Current Eco-Auto Events

June 2010 

ALMS Announces Green Racing Rules

On June 23, the American Le Mans Series announced the competition rules and regulations for its Green Challenge™ that will debut at Road Atlanta on Oct. 4 for Petit Le Mans.

The Green Challenge™ has been developed in association with the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and SAE International. The protocols upon which the rules are built were developed to provide guidance to race series for the development of competitions that allow for the recognition of different types of renewable fuels and technologies that reduce the use of petroleum.

Representatives from these entities along with those from Argonne National Laboratory and the American Le Mans Series collectively have spent thousands of hours developing the formula for the race car competitors to win the Green Challenge™.

That formula involves more than 30 pieces of data and measurements. The criteria measures race car performance, fuel efficiency and environmental impact using a formula that ranks each car by the amount of energy used, greenhouse gasses emitted and petroleum displaced.

In recent months, members of the aforementioned entities have comprised the Green Racing Work Group (GRWG) commissioned with the task of creating the rules, regulations and protocols of that competition in which all race cars would participate in a competition measuring three critical criteria: performance, fuel efficiency, and environmental impact.

"The subjects of energy and environment are globally profound. At SAE International, we are committed to making sure that dialogue on these related subjects is amplified and carried forward. We believe that the Green Racing Initiative, and the American Le Mans Series' entrance into this project, is significant because of Series' overall recognition with the public,� commented Dr. David L. Amati, PhD, SAE International's Automotive Business Director

The American Le Mans Series features four different classes of cars, 14 auto and chassis manufacturers, and three different alternative fuels. To develop a formula of how to create a fair competition with real time analysis and a format that is easy to understand and communicate has been very difficult to say the least.

The American Le Mans Series and internationally recognized Argonne National Laboratory have developed a Green Challenge™ ranking system to be used for all cars competing in the Series. Cars will be ranked by the:

• amount of energy they use;
• greenhouse gases (GHG) they emit;
• amount of petroleum they displace.

In brief, race cars that go the farthest, the fastest with the smallest environmental footprint for the energy used will get the lowest scores.

Members of the GRWG and The International Motor Sport Assn. (IMSA) will test the process and criteria August 7 to 9 at the Generac 500 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI.

More information is available at: http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=4384

ALMS Announces Green Racing Rules

June 2008 

On June 23, the American Le Mans Series announced the competition rules and regulations for its Green Challenge™ that will debut at Road Atlanta on Oct. 4 for Petit Le Mans.

The Green Challenge™ has been developed in association with the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and SAE International. The protocols upon which the rules are built were developed to provide guidance to race series for the development of competitions that allow for the recognition of different types of renewable fuels and technologies that reduce the use of petroleum.

Representatives from these entities along with those from Argonne National Laboratory and the American Le Mans Series collectively have spent thousands of hours developing the formula for the race car competitors to win the Green Challenge™.

That formula involves more than 30 pieces of data and measurements. The criteria measures race car performance, fuel efficiency and environmental impact using a formula that ranks each car by the amount of energy used, greenhouse gasses emitted and petroleum displaced.

In recent months, members of the aforementioned entities have comprised the Green Racing Work Group (GRWG) commissioned with the task of creating the rules, regulations and protocols of that competition in which all race cars would participate in a competition measuring three critical criteria: performance, fuel efficiency, and environmental impact.

"The subjects of energy and environment are globally profound. At SAE International, we are committed to making sure that dialogue on these related subjects is amplified and carried forward. We believe that the Green Racing Initiative, and the American Le Mans Series' entrance into this project, is significant because of Series' overall recognition with the public,” commented Dr. David L. Amati, PhD, SAE International's Automotive Business Director

The American Le Mans Series features four different classes of cars, 14 auto and chassis manufacturers, and three different alternative fuels. To develop a formula of how to create a fair competition with real time analysis and a format that is easy to understand and communicate has been very difficult to say the least.

The American Le Mans Series and internationally recognized Argonne National Laboratory have developed a Green Challenge™ ranking system to be used for all cars competing in the Series. Cars will be ranked by the:

• amount of energy they use;
• greenhouse gases (GHG) they emit;
• amount of petroleum they displace.

In brief, race cars that go the farthest, the fastest with the smallest environmental footprint for the energy used will get the lowest scores.

Members of the GRWG and The International Motor Sport Assn. (IMSA) will test the process and criteria August 7 to 9 at the Generac 500 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI.

More information is available at: http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=4384

Shell blends next generation biofuel into

Shell V-Power Diesel race fuel at the

24 Hours of Le Mans race