Corvette Racing goes Greener
Discussion
The GM Corvette Racing team is planning to become the first E85 ethanol based motorsport program in the American Le Mans Series. The team's 2008 outlook for the C6.R includes the development and implementation of what the automaker says is the first E85R fuel system in a dedicated racing vehicle.
In February, Corvette Racing tested an E85R fuel mixture but deemed the program needed further development as a result of the alternative fuel's breakdown of the C6.R's twin fuel cell adhesive.
"The performance of E85 ethanol racing fuel was firmly established in our initial track test," said Doug Fehan, Program Manager for Corvette Racing. "Now the team is working with the fuel cell manufacturers, IMSA, and our technical partners at the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council to develop an advanced ethanol fuel cell. As a manufacturer team, safety is paramount at Corvette Racing, and we will always err on the side of caution. Just as every new component in a production GM vehicle must be exhaustively tested, every new part that goes into the Corvette C6.R race cars must be tested and validated. It wasn't feasible to do this in the weeks since the program was announced, but I am confident that we will resolve the situation in a short period of time."
The team has planned on racing this year's Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with an undamaging E10 hybrid fuel mixture. This combination has proven in 2007 to be efficient, powerful, and safe for racing use on the C6.R's dual tank design.
Running E85R fuel poses another challenge for the team: unequal amounts of fuel in racing vehicles. This variation in fuel levels due to the hybrid mixtures can create varying levels of performance and reliability. As noted by Fehan, "So until all entries are using the same fuel, the series has to create an energy balance between cars that are running E85 ethanol, E10 ethanol, and diesel." This fuel load inequality will hopefully be addressed soon by the FIA and we'll quickly see who the fastest green machine really is.
To find out more on Corvette Racing, visit http://www.corvetteracing.com/
In February, Corvette Racing tested an E85R fuel mixture but deemed the program needed further development as a result of the alternative fuel's breakdown of the C6.R's twin fuel cell adhesive.
"The performance of E85 ethanol racing fuel was firmly established in our initial track test," said Doug Fehan, Program Manager for Corvette Racing. "Now the team is working with the fuel cell manufacturers, IMSA, and our technical partners at the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council to develop an advanced ethanol fuel cell. As a manufacturer team, safety is paramount at Corvette Racing, and we will always err on the side of caution. Just as every new component in a production GM vehicle must be exhaustively tested, every new part that goes into the Corvette C6.R race cars must be tested and validated. It wasn't feasible to do this in the weeks since the program was announced, but I am confident that we will resolve the situation in a short period of time."
The team has planned on racing this year's Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with an undamaging E10 hybrid fuel mixture. This combination has proven in 2007 to be efficient, powerful, and safe for racing use on the C6.R's dual tank design.
Running E85R fuel poses another challenge for the team: unequal amounts of fuel in racing vehicles. This variation in fuel levels due to the hybrid mixtures can create varying levels of performance and reliability. As noted by Fehan, "So until all entries are using the same fuel, the series has to create an energy balance between cars that are running E85 ethanol, E10 ethanol, and diesel." This fuel load inequality will hopefully be addressed soon by the FIA and we'll quickly see who the fastest green machine really is.
To find out more on Corvette Racing, visit http://www.corvetteracing.com/
Gassing Station | Corvettes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff