OMV employs natural gas-driven Mitsubishi Evo IXOMV duo Beppo Harrach/Andreas Schindlbacher will employ the car in group N of Austrian Championship. Successful cooperation with Stohl-Racing meant to set basis for international assignments. OMV CNG Team will be Austria's
first CarbonNeutral® rally team.
Following the worldwide first-time and successful employment of a natural gas-driven Mitsubishi Evo VI in 2006 OMV, Central Europe's leading crude oil and natural gas group, will continue the project with Beppo Harrach/Andreas Schindlbacher. The OMV duo will compete in a natural gas-driven Mitsubishi Evo IX in division 1/group N4 in seven runs to this year's Austrian Rally Championship. Thereby one plans to do further development work and thus set the basis for international assignments together with Stohl-Racing. The pilot project, initiated by OMV, for CO2 neutralisation in the FIA World Rally Championship will in this manner be continued with the OMV CNG Team in Austria, as well.
Innovation and success of alternatively driven vehicles is being furthered
The results of the first season of the OMV CNG Team in the Austrian Rally Championship were very satisfying. The crowning conclusion was a sensational fifth place in the final standings and a superior victory in the alternatively- and diesel-driven class at the OMV Rally Waldviertel 2006. Reason enough to continue and further develop such an innovative and succesful project.
Therefore a natural gas-driven Mitsubishi Evo IX will be employed at seven runs to the Austrian Rally Championship in collaboration with Stohl-Racing. OMV driver Beppo Harrach: “Last year we achieved some really great results. The cooperation with OMV, Stohl-Racing and the whole team was sensational. The more am I happy that we will now steer and further develop the OMV CNG Mitsubishi of the Evo IX version.“
This is made possible by the long-sighted decision by OSK to authorise natural gas-cars for division 1 as long as the vehicle (apart from adaptations for natural gas) complies to the regulations of division 1.
Vision: international stage
One could, of course, be satisfied with assignments on a national level. Which one is but on the other hand one also wants to act as trendsetter in international rallying. “Our vision are international assignments of natural gas-driven rally cars. Our switch to the Mitsubishi Evo IX is meant to set a basis for this in collaboration with OMV. Precisely because we are a small team working at international projects it is a special challenge to act as trendsetter at innovations“, says OMV driver and Stohl-Racing entrepreneur Manfred Stohl.
OMV CNG Team will be Austria's first CarbonNeutral® rally team
Currently all CO2 emissions for the 2007 season concerning the OMV CNG Rally Team are being calculated and reduced as much as possible in collaboration with “The CarbonNeutral Company“. The remaining emissions will be neutralised by offset-projects which save the respective level of CO2. Therefore the OMV CNG Team is Austria's first CarbonNeutral® rally team.
Press Release OMV
