Mid-Ohio American Le Mans Series: G-Oil’s Perspective on Green Racing

by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) If there is any doubt that the Green Earth Technologies (G-Oil) Gunnar Racing Team stands for green racing, then you aren’t looking at the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) Le Mans Prototype Challenge car. “Bright” doesn’t come close to describing the vivid green background wrapped with sinuous vines and living things of all kinds. Little blue fish swim in front of the driver’s seat. Organic symbols of each track on which the #99 car raced are hidden in the foliage. It even glows in the dark. And a large G-Oil logo announces the main sponsor.

Jeffrey Loch, Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Green Earth Technologies is pleased with the attention that their G-Oil product is getting, as well as with the excitement of sponsoring an ALMS effort. His relationship with ALMS also includes G-Oil being named the official motor oil of ALMS and the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and is used in the IMSA safety trucks.

G-Oil, a low-petroleum biodegradable motor oil made in the U.S. from animal fat, fits with ALMS’ Green Racing emphasis. Even more important to Loch, other competitors have started to use G-Oil. He reiterated what others in the paddocks have said. Enhanced performance is their motivation to “go green.” If the biofuels and bio-lubricants didn’t improve performance, they wouldn’t use them.

Loch gives two examples of documented performance: the longevity of the oil and its heat-transfer properties. In the API 400 hour run test, monitors were surprised that they did not have to add oil. On the race course, Gunner Racing has already put 4000 racing miles on the #99 and expects to go to 6000 racing miles before changing oil. In addition to being biodegradable, longer use is more efficient, another “green” attribute. Temperature measurements have shown that in addition to lubricating, G-Oil sucks heat from the engine, then comes cooler from the radiator.

Loch is trying to show the public, by way of their ALMS experience, that green technologies can be the superior technologies. He wants to overcome public perception that “green” is either something inferior that we have to put up with if we want to be good to the planet—or something so expensive that we can’t afford to do it.

In its ads, G-Oil reinforces the message they are trying to develop by participating in ALMS racing: “If it works in this engine, it will definitely work in yours” under a photo of the flamboyant ALMS prototype racer.

The emphasis of ALMS is relevance. This team does its part by giving G-Oil a workout. And from the crazy fluorescent green sunglasses handed out at the team paddock, it looks like these experienced, professional drivers and crew have a good time doing it.

There are many elements to attaining energy security and decreasing our use of fossil fuels. From the perspective of green racing, people want to continue to experience freedom of mobility; and if they don’t enjoy that luxury, many aspire to do so. Using renewable resources, agriculture and food processing residues, purpose-grown energy crops, etc., to develop tomorrow’s transportation technologies; as Jeffrey Loch said, "to do what has not been done before," can result in improvements to the way we do things—if we keep sustainability values in mind as part of the improvement we seek.