Muscle Milk Team CytoSport won the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge at Long Beach. Photo credit: Rick Dole

The list of winners in MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® Challenge competition may grow Saturday at the third stop of the 2010 American Le Mans Series season here at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The isobutanol fueled, Mazda powered Lola prototype from Dyson Racing will start the six-hour race from the pole position, having topped both the final practice and qualifying.

A victory in the MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® Challenge for Mazda and isobutanol would add both to the exclusive list of winners in America’s premier motorsports competition.

Mazda seeks to join Audi, Acura, Porsche, BMW, Chevrolet and Peugeot as the seventh manufacturer to claim a victory in the “race within the race” at every ALMS event.

Initially produced from feedstock such as corn and sugarcane, isobutanol provides higher energy content than many first generation biofuels and is one of five energy sources identified by the U.S. Government as part of the U.S. national energy policy. Dyson Racing introduced the fuel into ALMS competition last fall at Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.

E10 ethanol, E85 second-generation biofuels, and GTL diesel fuels have fueled previous winners.  Gas/ethanol electric hybrid entries are also permitted and have previously entered ALMS competition.

MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® Challenge Prototype and GT class awards are presented at each ALMS event to the car going the furthest, fastest, with the least environmental impact. Rules and the formulas for the competition are managed by the “Green Racing” steering group comprised of representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, and SAE International in cooperation with the sanctioning body.