Porsche and Corvette Win Green Challenge World Debut

BRASELTON, Georgia — The first Green Challenge trophies were handed out on Saturday to Porsche and Corvette for earning the best scores in class for overall performance, fuel efficiency and environmental impact in the inaugural Green Challenge at Road Atlanta. The green race gave manufacturers a chance to showcase their commitment to environmentally friendly vehicles.In one disappointing note to fans, an electric hybrid vehicle that had been expected to debut at the Green Challenge was AWOL without much explanation. In a statement on Monday, the American Le Mans Series said the electric hybrid would make its debut shortly, 'perhaps at the season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, October 18.'In the meantime, Porsche and its Penske RS Spyder team of Pat Long, Sascha Maassen and Emmanuel Collard are celebrating their win. The Corvette Racing team of Johnny O'Connell, Jan Magnussen and Ron Fellows were winners in the GT class.The unusual race was put together by the EPA, the U.S. Department of Energy and the automotive engineering group SAE International. The cars race on three alternative 'street legal' fuels: clean sulfur-free diesel, E10 and cellulosic E85.What this means to you: The wait goes on to get a peek at that electric hybrid the American Le Mans Series has been buzzing about. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent