Muppet News Flash: ALMS and Grand-Am joining forces?

I just saw this online: http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/sportscar-alms-grand-am-finalizing-merger

Feel free to discuss.

I think that this is an important step in sports car racing for the U.S. Just like IRL and CART, two competing series aren't sustainable. The merger should put major events such as the Daytona 24, Sebring 12, and Petit LeMans 10 under one series. Now that the Daytona prototypes aren't so butt ugly, the thought of bringing the LeMans classes and the already epic GT battle together with them has appeal. The ALMS GT2 cars lap faster than the Daytona prototype cars so that will need to be addressed. ALMS has struggled to field full class grids in all except the GT2 class and only Sebring is still a part of the European chamionship. Grand Am lacks international recognition and credibility. Done properly, this could be a big win for sports car racing fans.

In reply to Argo1:

The issues with the ALMS go deeper- into the LMS series in Europe- very light prototype fields. There tend to be more DP cars than P cars at a given race. Not sure why, but it needs fixed.

Personally, I think the prototype cars have to be street legal, like they were up until the late 60's. The sports car classes seem very limited in their effect, and want of investment.

OTOH, the GT classes are deep, and getting deeper. For both DP and ALMS. Companies are happy to invest in the cars.

Eh- that's all speculation and opinion. I too hope to bring the Datytona 24 hr back into the major race that it was- so that it, Sebring, and Petit all have large international fields.

I don't think these 2 will play well together. And doesn't Nascar own Grand Am?

If so can you imagine what kind of shenanigans they can pull, in the interest of good rating you understand.

I'll bet that instead of being a shot in the pocketbook for both it ends up being the death of one.

I am really wondering how the prototype field will work. DP cars aren't in the same ball park as far as meeting WEC/LMS rules so how will Grand Am host Sebring and Petit(if on the schedule in the future) if no one in the states are fielding prototype cars. I don't see many teams building prototypes just for 1 or 2 races in WEC. Dr. Panoz isn't going to give up hosting Sebring, Petit I could see him letting slip away.

Maybe having multiple prototype fields?
Put Daytona GT field and GTC together and keep the ALMS GT(2) field stand alone?
Allow changes to the DPs to be competitive in the LMP fields but not allow to run WEC?

I need details that this article isn't producing.

I would love to see some Continental racing at Petit, thats about the best thing that I see coming out of this deal.

This could be fantastic for US sports car racing; uniting the two series means less competition for fans and we get to see the best of both on track at the same time.

I seem to remember that ALMS was looking at eliminating the P1 class and emphasizing the P2 cars. I think it's possible to equalize and merge the DP and LMPC classes pretty easily

GT might be more problematic but they should leave GT2 alone and then look at incorporating the GTC and GT classes in some manner.

Consolidating the two series means more cars and competition even it means a few less events. I don't see either Daytona or Sebring disappearing and the Petit shouldn't be in any danger; all three can exist together just fine.

I think it would be the cats pajamas if the Rolex 24 came into WEC's radar and FIA would give it the green light to run there. It would be like the 60s again. Daytona, Sebring, and Le Mans would all be battle grounds for endurance racing.

Now I am getting all excited.

A lot will depend on how the rules turn out. I personally think the loss of prestige of Indycar (and the ratings/attendance failures of IRL) was because they took the big fast cars out, and put the little slow cars in.

They have to many classes in ALMS for me, lets limit those and see what happens. Maybe one LMPclass and have DP run together with them . Then run the GT in a sameday seperate race

Sounds like a good thing to me, but of course we have to see how the details get sorted out.

f86sabjf wrote: They have to many classes in ALMS for me, lets limit those and see what happens.

Good grief, it is not that complicated. There are only three classes in ALMS: LMP1, LMP2, and "attractive rolling pylon"

I think what has really killed the prestige of Indy car is being just another "spec" series. Go back and watch an Indy race from the 70's or 80's and see what we are missing. I hope that this merger doesn't go that way. I lump LMPC, GTC, and DP into the spec catagory. Of those, only DP might deserve a place at the table.

Argo1 wrote: I think what has really killed the prestige of Indy car is being just another "spec" series. Go back and watch an Indy race from the 70's or 80's and see what we are missing. I hope that this merger doesn't go that way. I lump LMPC, GTC, and DP into the spec catagory. Of those, only DP might deserve a place at the table.

In my eyes, ALMS has already fully embraced the spec formula. I'm looking at the results from today's race right now. Out of the 30 entries, 12 were from one of their two spec classes: 7 in PC (ACO spec prototype class) and 5 in GTC (spec Porsche GT3 Cup). As far as the "open" prototypes, I see just 3 in P2 and 3 in P3.

I think the unification will also help the factories. Right now you have some in Grand-Am, some in ALMS, and few doing both. It will be nice to see everyone in one arena.

Of course, this is all assuming that the news is true.

Mark My words....

Somehow, someway. NASCAR will benefit from this.

NASCAR benefited by funding, and encouraging Tony George in his Indy Car split.

On a related note Tony George got Played by NASCAR. b

For what it's worth, I know of at least one of the top, top NASCAR official who digs road racing.

If Grand Am rules are adopted it will die. Grand Am has very few fans. ALMS has some fans at least. Spec series don't attract fans. Every time it is tried the series starts dieing. Something similar happened with CART and IRL. Look at it now. Nothing.

David S. Wallens wrote: For what it's worth, I know of at least one of the top, top NASCAR official who digs road racing.

UNPOSSIBLE!!!!

Ranger50 wrote:

David S. Wallens wrote: For what it's worth, I know of at least one of the top, top NASCAR official who digs road racing.

UNPOSSIBLE!!!!

Totally true. Unfortunately if I say any more a black SUV will roll up in my driveway, and that would be my last post.

Who gives a E36 M3 if NASCAR ends up owning it. They own the Continental Tire Series and it is by far the best road racing in the US. You guys kill me with the idea that NASCAR is the big bad wolf because they have roundy round cars. Put your big boy pants on and let them play in your sandbox. You would think NASCAR had killed one of your relatives or something.

If you think Dr. Panoz just folded to NASCAR and the idea of sticking with the ACO to keep historic events from running at two of the tracks he owns, you are crazy. Petit and Sebring are getting bigger and bigger, there is no way he just said "Berk this, I am gonna sell it to NASCAR and let the series I built flounder out."

We don't even know the details yet, but I have a feeling the brass in a few of the mentioned organizations have been working on this for years. The FIA President has been to a couple of NASCAR/Grand Am events in recent years.

Anti-stance wrote: You would think NASCAR had killed one of your relatives or something.

They did.

Wow, sorry for your loss.

Oh E36 M3! Next you'll be telling me that LeMons and ChumpCar will be joining forces?

Soon cats and dogs will be friends and the Locosts will be devouring the Tarmac....

colganc wrote: If Grand Am rules are adopted it will die. Grand Am has very few fans. ALMS has some fans at least. Spec series don't attract fans. Every time it is tried the series starts dieing. Something similar happened with CART and IRL. Look at it now. Nothing.

The average fan doesn't give two E36 M3s about whether or not a series is "spec". As much as they may be to you, the cars are NOT the stars. The drivers are the stars.

Take a series like NASCAR or Formula 1. The cars are visually indistinguishable from each other to the casual fan, yet nobody seems to care. People are "Junior" fans or Schumi fans, regardless of what cars they drive. It doesn't matter if they drove a Yugo, people would still be fans of them.

Sorry, but if you had ever been to the Daytona 24, you won't think that Grand Am has few fans. They literally sold out the track last year. It was PACKED!

Not right at all! If you "spec" the cars and make them so that they aren't recognizable, such as Nascar & F1 THEN you'd be right.

The cars are stars in their own right. Series with recognizable cars get a lot more run on Sunday, sell on Monday cred.

The DP cars were havin' trouble so this year the car bodies will have some similarities to the factory cars.

I don't know any person who has all their teeth and doesn't have a jillion dollars in tats who thinks that way, and I live in an area full of both of those.