Content area
Full Text
Photo:
GP LeMans race
Audio Slideshow:
24 min with LeMans
LONG BEACH - Even at 180 mph, Allan McNish thinks about fuel efficiency and the environment.
The Scotsman will be driving an Audi R10 TDI car in the American Le Mans Series today when an offshoot of the world's oldest motorsports race brings a European flair to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
The American Le Mans Series is in its first year in Long Beach, and its ninth year of existence.
Over the last few years the race - actually four races in one, with different styles of cars topping out at varying speeds - has expanded its audience at a more rapid pace than any other racing series.
Experts credit that growth to the high-tech appeal of the Le Mans cars, the style of racing and having a broad range of manufacturers involved.
Manufacturers have flocked to a series that involves both top performing speedsters and production-based cars they can use to test new, environmentally friendly technologies.
"Yes, we think about winning the race, but I don't think as humans we are outside the problems of the world," said McNish, a two-time American Le Mans...