Patrick Racing Brings Natural Gas to American Le Mans

| USA, Jackson MI and Braselton GA

Patrick Racing’s LMPC entry vehicle for 2013

“Natural gas-powered cars … have a compelling story to tell, and we have the ability to tell that story at 200 mph.” Ralph Hansen, Pegasus Marketing

Embracing natural gas as a safe and abundant transportation fuel, the Patrick Racing Team has entered into an agreement with the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), sanctioning body for the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), to identify development and testing opportunities for the fuel system to power the Series’ Prototype Challenge class beginning in the 2013 season. Read more »

Biomethane Sciroccos Dominate Championship Table in STCC after Round 2

| Sweden, Knutstorp

Biomethane-powered VW Scirocco at Knutstorp

After completion of the second round of the Swedish Touring Car Championship, at Knutstorp last weekend, the drivers of all four biomethane-powered VW Motorsport Sciroccos, two each for Team biogas.se and IPS Team Biogas, are placed in the top six on the championship table. In a tight battle with two conventionally-powered WTCC-specification Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T competitors the 2.0 litre turbocharged Super 2000 spec Volkswagen Scirocco teams believe they will continue to improve, looking forward to the forthcoming Malmö event to test out vehicle handling adjustments.

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Biomethane-Powered Sciroccos Dominate 2012 STCC Round 1 at Mantorp Park

| Sweden

Kristoffersson pulling away at Mantorp Park, the first round of STCC 2012

The Swedish Touring Car Championship season is off to a flying start for two racing teams driving VW Sciroccos powered by biomethane, at Swedens Mantorp Park circuit last weekend. Team biogas.se is racing in its third season, joined this year by newcomers IP Team Biogas. Both teams are fielding two cars, both running with support from Volkswagen Sweden and energy company E.ON. Johan Kristoffersson from Team biogas.se won both opening races, leading from lap one to the finish, to claim the maximum 50 championship points for the event. Read more »

Maxximus World Records Highlight Power of LNG

| USA, Los Angeles CA

Maintaining the crown as the world’s fastest street-legal car, the Maxximus LNG 2000, the brainchild of financier Bruce McMahan and Indianapolis-based designer Marlon Kirby, has now set world records for both LNG (liquefied natural gas) and LPG (propane). By utilizing proprietary technology, the Maxximus team say they have revolutionized the next generation of green vehicles that provides “legendary” versatility for using both natural fuels and reducing our dependence on foreign fuel sources. Read more »

Rally of Champions 2011 Prepares for Vettel’s Revenge

| Germany, Düsseldorf

VW Scirocco – biomethane power on display

After its debut in the 2010 Scirocco R-Cup the 275 hp VW Scirocco GT 24 will again be fielded at the Race of Champions in 2011. The world’s best racers will meet with each other in the biomethane-powered coupé at the Düsseldorf Football Arena on 3 and 4 December. 2011 Formula One world champions Sebastian Vettel is back to do one better, have tasted defeat in 2010 at the hands of U.S. Motocross superstar Travis Pastrana. Pastrana took advantage of the Scirocco’s innovative push-to-pass button which delivers an additional 50 hp for a few seconds, to snatch victory. Read more »

Team biogas.se Takes Home Gold and Silver in 2011 STCC

Tommy Kristoffersson, Team Manager of Biogas.se holds the champions trophy for STCC 2011.

After an exciting final weekend at Mantorp Park, Sweden’s “greenest” racing team, racing biogas fuelled vehicles, can call themselves Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC) champions. The celebration was only dampened by the fact that Fredrik Ekblom missed the gold in the individual competition after a much-debated incident in the final heat. “This win is proof of the project’s success,” said Kristoffersson as he lifted the heavy trophy, following an outstanding season of biomethane-powered performance at the top level of touring car motorsport. The project, involving E.ON, Volkswagen and Team biogas.se, commenced with the first race of the 2009 season. Read more »

Ekblom Holds Slender Lead Before Final Event of 2011 STCC

| Sweden

Biomethane power outperforms competitors in the 2011 STCC.

With one race to go, driver Fredrik Ekblom of Team biogas.se holds the lead by a mere two points in the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC). Driving one of three VW Motorsport Scirocco GT24 powered by biomethane, Ekblom drove to a second and seventh place finish in the two heats at Ring Knutstorp in Skåne to secure his first-place position in the individual competition. Read more »

STCC Stats Depict Quality of Biomethane VW Scirocco Combination

| Sweden | Source: TouringCarTimes

Ekblom at Falkenburg

The Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC) is halfway through its racing calendar for 2011, having completed 10 races over 5 weekends.

TouringCarTimes has gathered statistics from this first half and, while the championship is a close fought contest, the numbers depict the powerful combination of biomethane fuel and VW Motorsport technology. The Scirocco GT 24 driven by Fredrik Ekblom has claimed the position of championship leader. Team Biogas.se is also on top of the ladder for the team championship. Read more »

CNG-Fueled Collegiate Racecar Sets World Record

| USA

The CNG-fuelled collegiate race car leaves the OSU workshop, headed for a world record.

Give engineering students a workshop to develop innovative vehicles and they are happy. Give them a race track to try out their creations and they are ecstatic. Give them natural gas for fuel and they become world record breakers. Oklahoma State University racing enthusiasts have set a record by running their natural gas-fueled formula race car 328 laps in a 24-hour period at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit in Oklahoma. Hallett is a 1.8 mile, 10 turn road racing course between Tulsa and Stillwater. Read more »

Biomethane-Powered Scirocco GT 24 Now Leads STCC Championship

| Sweden, Falkenberg

Ekblom celebrates his third win of STCC 2011.

Team biogas.se, with its three biomethane-powered 1998 cc VW Motorsport Scirocco GT 24 cars, has just cause to celebrate. After the fifth racing event of the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC) series held at Falkenberg, the fastest racing circuit in Scandinavia, driver Fredrik Ekblom goes into the lead of the Championship with 125 points. In a thrilling first race Ekblom started in pole position and held off all-comers to notch up his third win of the season. The second race saw him start in eighth position, in accordance with race rules, where he also finished – a strong enough performance to head the championship by just two points. Read more »