ALMS & Grand-Am to merge
09-01-2012, 01:27 PM
#3
Rumors for years, but if it finally has legs, this will be really interesting. It would be nice to see the same cars run Daytona, Sebring, and Lemans again, but will they? or will Grand Am sever the ties with the ACO? I have so many questions...
09-01-2012, 03:29 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
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St. Jude Donor '12
Well it has the potential to make me care about the 24 Hours of Daytona. Maybe they will get smart and give Road America a longer enduro
Hopefully they dont kill ALMS altogether...
Hopefully they dont kill ALMS altogether...
Last edited by KBow_Photo; 09-01-2012 at 03:31 PM.
09-01-2012, 04:07 PM
#7
My thoughts on classes:
Prototypes:
P1 - ACO spec, so they can race at Lemans
DP - Grand Am spec for the lower budget teams
GT:
GTE - ACO spec, so they can race at Lemans
GX - Grand Am spec, for the lower budget teams
Prototypes:
P1 - ACO spec, so they can race at Lemans
DP - Grand Am spec for the lower budget teams
GT:
GTE - ACO spec, so they can race at Lemans
GX - Grand Am spec, for the lower budget teams
09-01-2012, 04:55 PM
#8
Melting Slicks
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St. Jude Donor '12
That would be the best case, i'm more worried that NASCAR will really screw everything up and base everything on their really crap boring cars.
09-01-2012, 10:31 PM
#11
Burning Brakes
,
09-02-2012, 07:37 AM
#13
Team Owner
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In the past ( 10 years ago or so ) did not NASCAR want to introduce a European Series?
Dr Panoz is very wealthy, but dwarfs the France Family wealth and advertising connections.
Dr Panoz is very wealthy, but dwarfs the France Family wealth and advertising connections.
09-02-2012, 10:27 AM
#14
Safety Car
This is awesome IMO, best for the sport in the states, the question is what the schedule will be, hopefully they will keep all of the classics with some new flavor:
Daytona
Sebring
Laguna
Road America
Petite
Mid-Ohio
Circuit of Americas
Watkins Glen
Indy
Detroit or F1 - There will be at least one street circuit IMO
VIR?
Barber?
That's a pretty outstanding schedule right there. Hopefully continental series will benefit from this as well since the TV opportunities should grow. Then maybe World Challenge will also benefit as a secondary catch series for those who can't find an ideal spot in the new Grand ALMS series.
Daytona
Sebring
Laguna
Road America
Petite
Mid-Ohio
Circuit of Americas
Watkins Glen
Indy
Detroit or F1 - There will be at least one street circuit IMO
VIR?
Barber?
That's a pretty outstanding schedule right there. Hopefully continental series will benefit from this as well since the TV opportunities should grow. Then maybe World Challenge will also benefit as a secondary catch series for those who can't find an ideal spot in the new Grand ALMS series.
09-02-2012, 10:50 AM
#15
Race Director
I saw a post where Scott Atherton denied this (this weekend, at Baltimore), but obviously he has to keep things under wrap. I'd love to see ALL of the best cars running together at ALL of the best circuits, but I really don't want them to just combine even more classes! Hopefully this will work out, all of the crappy "C" classes will go away (GTC, LMPC), and we can have more than 3 or 4 cars in each class.
I also hope we get MORE events out of this, not less. I'd hate to have events evaporate, like the original Indycar/Champ car merger.
Excited to see what happens
I also hope we get MORE events out of this, not less. I'd hate to have events evaporate, like the original Indycar/Champ car merger.
Excited to see what happens
09-02-2012, 11:39 AM
#17
Safety Car
GTC should fit in pretty well with Grand-AM GT. If you look at the GTC qualifying times from Mid-O, they are pretty much equal to the Grand-AM GT times. There should not be much needed to make those work together and increase the field size.
Some drivers though will have their racing schedules cut in half though.
Seems like it will be tougher to decide between LMPC/DP as it seems they will be roughly the same speed. I doubt DP goes away, but LPMC was gaining momentum and is still faster than DP. LMP1 is borderline useless right now with the lack of entries. No need in sacrificing LPMC and all the money that goes with it. Hard to imagine 5 classes though.
Some drivers though will have their racing schedules cut in half though.
Seems like it will be tougher to decide between LMPC/DP as it seems they will be roughly the same speed. I doubt DP goes away, but LPMC was gaining momentum and is still faster than DP. LMP1 is borderline useless right now with the lack of entries. No need in sacrificing LPMC and all the money that goes with it. Hard to imagine 5 classes though.
09-02-2012, 12:41 PM
#19
Safety Car
The beginning of the END in my opinion.
Thanks Dr.Panoz for selling out (if this ends up true). I guess you really NEED the money or don't care about your original "for the fans" motto.
I've been following the ALMS since '99 and have been to every Petit Le Mans since/including 2003. It has grown SO much over the years. It doesn't seem like attendence or fans is a problem, but getting cars on the grid is.
It's a shame we lost Porsche and Audi from the prototype grid in ~'08. Really hurt.
Oh well, enjoyed it while it lasted.
It'll make me look forward to June and the 24hrs of LeMans even more now.
It's a shame the WEC wants to use Austin (COF) instead of a great track like Road Atlanta.
My .02 cents
Thanks Dr.Panoz for selling out (if this ends up true). I guess you really NEED the money or don't care about your original "for the fans" motto.
I've been following the ALMS since '99 and have been to every Petit Le Mans since/including 2003. It has grown SO much over the years. It doesn't seem like attendence or fans is a problem, but getting cars on the grid is.
It's a shame we lost Porsche and Audi from the prototype grid in ~'08. Really hurt.
Oh well, enjoyed it while it lasted.
It'll make me look forward to June and the 24hrs of LeMans even more now.
It's a shame the WEC wants to use Austin (COF) instead of a great track like Road Atlanta.
My .02 cents