ECO Racing, a British-based racing team, plans to unveil a biodiesel-powered LMP1 prototype in this weekend's American Le Mans Series season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna SecaAutoWeek. The report said that the team was founded by race engineer Ian Dawson and aims to showcase environmentally efficient technologies through international motorsport.

"In 2004, Dawson raced the first biodiesel sports car at Le Mans," the report said, "two years ahead of the debut of Audi's R10 TDI diesel racer and three years ahead of Peugeot's 908 HDi diesel."

Since that time, the article said that Dawson has continued to develop the production car-based V10 engine, forming a partnership with D1 Oils to employ Jatropha-based biodiesel: "The Jatropha curcas tree is a drought-resistant inedible oilseed plant which makes use of otherwise unusable land and has no impact upon the food chain," with the latter two qualities being key to viable biodiesel.