ECO Radical 'greenest ever'

A new British project is aiming to go to the Le Mans 24 Hours with the greenest car ever to compete at La Sarthe.

ECO Racing, which shelved the debut of its new turbo-diesel Radical LMP1 in the Sebring 12 Hours for homologation reasons, intends to race its car on ‘green diesel’ containing a 50 per cent bio element in the future. It also plans to run body components made from biodegradable hemp fibre and solar panels that power its ancillary electrical systems.

The car will initially run on the Shell diesel mandatory in Le Mans-sanctioned races, but the ECO team is hoping that series organisers on either side of the Atlantic will open up their rules to its fuel, which is made from the jatropha plant. ECO Racing, which is run by stalwart sports car team boss Ian Dawson, should give the Radical a race debut in round four of the American Le Mans Series at Salt Lake City in May and plans to be on the grid at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2009.