Mid-Ohio American Le Mans Series: The Little Team That Could! Dyson Lola Wins Emotional Mid-Ohio American Le Mans Race with Bio-Isobutanol (From BP)

By Robert E. Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) Imagine. Imagine you’re a small but very smart racing team with a history of innovation and success.

Following your strengths, you spent a considerable amount of money modifying your turbocharged engines to run on bio-isobutanol, testing them extensively on a dynamometer to maximize their performance.

After a very successful test run on bio-isobutanol in late 2009, you decide to run bio-isobutanol (a C-4 alcohol) this season. But, in the first five American Le Mans prototype races, something always happens to keep you out of Victory Lane. Be it a minor mechanical problem or getting collected in a crash someone else started. You experienced them all.

If that isn’t enough, imagine this. The supplier of the bio-isobutanol and a major sponsor of the team is BP. Yes, the same BP that had that oil spill in the Gulf.

Finally, imagine coming to Mid-Ohio with no wins and a sponsor that had you change the colors on your #16 Lola/Mazda from BP to Castrol (a BP owned lubricant) presumably for their PR reasons. Add an uncertain sponsorship future since BP has announced they will be divesting/closing business units to pay for the spill. How’s that for pressure on team owner Rob Dyson and the rest of the team?

I spoke with Michael Smith of Dyson Racing about their experience with bio-isobutanol before qualifying.

He said they really liked both the quality and performance enhancing characteristics of the fuel. Because premature detonation (knock) decreases the power output of turbocharged engines, bio-isobutanol allowed the Dyson team to get the most out of their Mazda engine. He said they wanted to continue with the fuel and BP was staying with them for the rest of the year. However, Michael also said they had not heard anything from BP about 2011 and for now the bio-isobutanol story seemed to on the back-burner for BP.

At the green flag the Intersport prototype driven by Clint Field raced to the lead. Guy Smith driving the BP/Castrol Mazda Lola hung close in 2nd running smoothly. At the first pit stop, Chris Dyson got in to drive the Mazda Lola while Clint Field stayed in the Intersport car.

Clint lengthened the Intersport lead with some really fast laps, essential to balance the time needed in their next stop to change drivers (race rules require two drivers).

Meanwhile, lurking in 3^rd was the series leading Highcroft Racing Accura being driven by Simon Pagenaud.

After the second set of pit stops, the Mazda Lola was in 1^st while the Highcroft car was now in 2^nd with the Intersport car fading due to mechanical problems. When the green flag waved again after the yellow caution, it was definitely “Game On.”

While Chris didn’t have to pass two BMWs at once as Jamie Melo did in his Ferrari on that lap, he had to fight off Pagenaud who kept up the pressure. Getting through the traffic of the slower production GT cars became crucial.

On one lap the Mazda Lola would have a 2 or 3 second lead and on the next one Simon would be breathing down Chris’s neck. It went on, lap after lap. The first Mazda/Lola driver, Guy Smith, said the last part of the race was so intense he couldn’t even watch. Chris Dyson and the bio-isobutanol powered Lola raced on, crossing the finish line a mere ½ second ahead of Simon.

Now imagine being in Victory Lane. Bet the champagne tasted great! Even if was sprayed on you, as it was on the very elated team owner Rob Dyson.

We saw the team in the paddock after the race. All the tension that was there a day before was drained away. Instead it was joy and relief.

So, with the Dyson team clearly demonstrating the performance advantage of the isobutanol produced from biomass by BP’s Biofuels division, we at Advanced Biofuels USA Green Racing have two real questions (not imagined) for BP.

When are you going to run some TV ads featuring the Dyson bio-isobutanol car’s great day at Mid-Ohio?

Wouldn’t this show your commitment and evolution toward a renewable, sustainable fuel future?

For those who couldn’t make it to Lexington, Ohio for the race (and for those who can’t wait to see it again), CBS will be rebroadcasting the race Sunday, August 15^th at 12:30 pm EDT. (Check listings for your local time.)