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That Energy Efficient Motorsport (EEMS) is seen as an important subject for discussion has recently been illustrated on both sides of the Atlantic. A panel of UK-based experts discussed the subject at last December's SAE Motorsport Engineering Conference in Dearborn, while announcements made the following month at the Autosport International show underlined the theme.
In February the Motorsport Development Board's (MDB) EEMS project also participated in the Green by Design exhibition and the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership Annual General Meeting, which took place at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon.
The MDB supported three EEMS initiatives during 2004 and it is thought that it could back five for the coming season. The MDB's EEMS project team, established in February 2004, presented its proposals for the future of EEMS to the September 2004 meeting of the board. These were unanimously accepted and the team continues to liaise with manufactures, series promoters, rule makers and many other interested parties to see them through to fruition.
Its targets include persuading at least one major British series to adopt a fuel flow formula, encouraging vehicle manufacturers to work with UK companies on EEMS concepts and getting cars using different fuels and engine technologies to race against each other. It also wants to be able to show that petrol is not the only fuel capable of delivering high performance. Finally, it would like to see Eco record breaking at one or two annual events.
The seminar in Dearborn was jointly organised by the MIA and SAE and chaired by Chris Aylett. It featured Dr Steve Bunkhall, who is project leader for the MDB EEMS team, Derek Charters of MIRA, Xtrac founder Mike Endean, Taurus Sports driver Calum Lockie and John McNeil of Team Nasamax. The latter two illustrated that the UK is already doing something practical about the subject. Last year Taurus became the first team to enter a diesel fuelled car for the Le Mans 24-hours while Nasamax has been at La Sarthe for the past two years with its bio-ethanol fuelled racer. The latter was the first ever to be entered for the event using a wholly renewable fuel.
McNeil's contribution was acknowledged at Autosport International with the MIA's Technology & Innovation award and the presence of the Nasamax DM139 as part of the MDB EEMS exhibit which utilised a prominent part of the association's stand. At the same event it was announced that self-confessed ‘tree-hugger' David Brabham was to be an official ambassador for the MDB EEMS programme. Brabham, who is due to drive one of the Aston Martin DBR9s at Le Mans, was guest speaker at an EEMS workshop during the show. The level of interest in the subject can be gauged by the fact that this attracted a capacity attendance. On the panel were McNeil, Bunkhall, George Lendrum of Pi Research and the MDB's board champion of the EEMS project, plus Duncan Riding from diesel engine manufacturer Caterpillar Perkins which supported the development of the engines for the Taurus Le Mans entry.
Also at Autosport International, Green Motorsport launched what it described as the first ever electric racing championship. This eight round electric kart series is to be held in conjunction with the BRDC Stars of Tomorrow Championship.
The 2004 season saw three highly publicised and very different attempts at using alternative fuels for racing, all from small, highly motivated operations, all British and MDB supported. The Nasamax bio-ethanol team, being in its second year was able to point to a successful season. The car, now converted from a Reynard 01Q into a hybrid LMP1 contender, finished at Le Mans and then went on to score a popular fifth overall in the Silverstone 1000kms. It has been calculated that just an acre and a half of corn is needed to produce the fuel needed to run the car for 24 hours.
This season Nasamax will continue to develop the former Reynard, competing at Le Mans and in races in Le Mans Endurance Series. However, during the year the team, in conjunction with Kieron Salter of KW Motorsport, will be designing and developing its own LMP1 car built to the new regulations. John McNeil is not wedded to bio-ethanol per se but to the cause of energy efficiency and so it is unlikely that he will remain static with his ideas.
The Nasamax project has received tremendous publicity during its two years racing and has started this year as it means to go on with appearances on BBC Working Lunch and Meridian TV news.
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