110 teams showed up for the 2009 edition of the famous Pont-de-Vaux 12 hour endurance race, but one of these teams was running with a totally different type of engine.
For the first time in the racing scene, a race quad was using an engine that is fed by Ethanol. This FlexFuel engine was developed by Dominique
Maingret and Julien Ferrand. – Their goal was to build an engine that would be eco-friendly and still as powerful as a conventional race engine that runs on gas.
Cellulose ethanol is a fully renewable, advanced biofuel that can be used in today’s cars. It is one of the most cost effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The number 100 Suzuki LT-R was the chosen ATV that would receive the Hyoshung 500cc prototype engine which was prepared by SIMA in Beaune France.
Georges Beigne and Sébastient Limonet managed to bring The FlexFuel Elka suspension equipped race quad to the chequered flag in the 105th spot. Although the end result might seem disappointing, for the builders, it was a victory because it was the first ever race quad using this type of technology in an endurance race.