ALMS & Grand Am MERGE!

[call_me_andrew]

I think there was enough room in this world for both buisness models, just not both buisnesses.

EXCLUSIVE: ALMS, GRAND-AM Finalizing Merger (http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/sportscar-alms-grand-am-finalizing-merger)

[dataman1]

I'll believe it when I see it. Note the word speculation being used over and over by pundents....they don't know anyting....just like their own voice.

[Jag_Warrior]

Compared to where ALMS was just a few seasons ago, it really has fallen off in popularity and manufacturer involvement rather badly. Sadly, since losing Audi and others, and then moving away from Speed to an almost IRL-like TV package, I've barely kept up with it. And this season, with the recent changes to the DP's, I've probably watched more Grand Am than ALMS - which considering how I felt in the beginning, is very odd.

Anyway, I had some of my most fun moments as a race fan at ALMS races, especially since it dawned just as CART was dying. I introduced some friends to racing through ALMS and I met a lot of really nice people at some ALMS races. Fond memories all around! If this merger happens, I just hope that something better comes out of it. That hasn't really been the case with IndyCar and CCWS, so I hold out hope that ALMS and Grand Am can do it right and actually grow the sport again.

[FIAT1]

Announcement wednesday for merger to take place 2014. I hope they don't dumb down series to much. I had a great time at Road America this year with ALMS.

[call_me_andrew]

Sadly, since losing Audi and others, and then moving away from Speed to an almost IRL-like TV package,

Whoa! I'll have you know that IndyCar has a much better television package, inasmuch as the races are on an actual televison channel, however obscure.

[FIAT1]

Good buy ALMS, last bastion of high tech and development racing in this country. Thanks for the memories. Damn shame.

[jeffconn]

There are 18 tracks that already hold races with one or two of the series. Take 12 to 14 of those tracks and it would make an unbelievable schedule for road racing fans.

Road America
Daytona
Indy
Laguna Seca
Road Atlanta
Watkins Glen
Lime Rock
Long Beach
Sebring
Montreal
Mosport
Belle Isle
Barber
New Jersey
Homestead
VIR
Mid-Ohio
Baltimore

[call_me_andrew]

From SPEED.com:

Part of the merger agreement is for the DeltaWing to be accepted into the new series, granted it meets safety and performance standards, which Panoz said it has already achieved at Le Mans. Whether it races in a separate class for alternative technologies or among the prototype entries is to-be-determined.

I didn't think this could get any more surreal, but there it goes!

[F1boat]

good decision, I think that in this climate it is hard for rival series to exist.

[wedge]

good decision, I think that in this climate it is hard for rival series to exist.

It's too simplistic to say that.

Considering that IMS/ALMS wants to keep its ACO ties what's going to happen with the prototypes? DPs are cheaper to run but don't satisfy the purists though they recently have been modernised.

What happens if P1 manufacturer wants to return?

What's going to happen with 2014 Sebring 12hrs?

Are there pessimists dreading ISC taking over Sebring and Road Atlanta?

[FormerFF]

One thing that Grand Am needs to give up on is the dumbing down of their highest level of prototype so that it can be successfully driven by a talented gentleman racer. Face up to it, it's a pro series, it should require pro level driver talent.

While I'm not entirely thrilled with this, I think it's a reasonable response to reality. I don't think that auto racing in general is likely to be a growth industry, and in the U. S., sportscar racing has always been a niche market. There have been so many corporate mergers over the last 20 years that promotional spending on automotive products, and for that matter many consumer goods, is at a low level. Look at how few companies control the vast majority of the beer market in North America, three control almost 80% and the rest, with the exception of Yuengling, are small. If you look at the statistics on teen and young drivers in this country, the trend is for teens to get their licenses later and for young adults to drive less. And, increasingly, younger drivers have no idea what's going on mechanically. I seldom see a slammed car anymore, whereas 10 years ago I'd see one almost daily.

As far as Road Atlanta and Sebring go, I have confidence that ISC will take good care of them. After all, they do manage racetracks, it's not like they're land developers.

[FormerFF]

Another thought: I'm sure we all would have preferred that the ALMS series was fully populated with strong fields in all the classes, but the reality of the situation is that's what's good for the 24 Heures du Mans is not really workable in the North American market. I'd rather have a healthy, somewhat lower tech circuit than a sickly WEC level one.

Besides, racing wouldn't be racing if it didn't break our hearts once in a while.

[dataman1]

It's too simplistic to say that.

Are there pessimists dreading ISC taking over Sebring and Road Atlanta?

I was under the impression that an entirely new corporation has been formed that reports to a board of directors, that yes is leaning towards the France family, but yet is seperate from ISC. They also reported that there were common goals such as keeping IMSA (Bill France was a founder because of his love for sports cars) which comes with a seat at AUCCUS and has the ACO & FIA connections. Too early to say what happens to anything be it cars, tracks, schedule, etc..

[call_me_andrew]

They have a class structure now.

Grand-Am/ALMS announce 2014-'15 unified series rules - Racer.com (http://www.racer.com/grand-amalms-announce-2014-15-unified-series-rules/article/274806/)

What the heck is GX?

[Rollo]

What the heck is GX?

An "experimental" production based class. Expect hybrids, diesels, gas turbines, electrics...

Mazda have already announced that they're running a 6 with a 2L turbodiesel, which sounds... less fun than it sounds.

[Rollo]

And just to prove that I knew about things before they were officially annouced:

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/mazda6-skyactiv-d-race-car-detroit.jpg
Mazda6 Skyactiv-D Racecar ready to bring diesel to Grand-Am (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/15/mazda6-skyactiv-d-racecar-diesels-its-way-into-detroit/)
Three of these new diesel-powered Mazda6 racers will take to the track in the Grand-Am GX class of the upcoming 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 26, with five drivers on each team. The car you see above, number 70, is sponsored by Mazda's longtime motorsports partner, SpeedSource.

Let me just say, that I have friends, who know stuff ;)

[gerkebi]

United SportsCar Racing. Mmmm...I guess that's OK. Poor Scott Atherton though, saying he was a big fan of Indycar and that he hopes they share a weekend. The Frances HATE Indycar. Guess he didn't get the memo.

[gerkebi]

From the SpeedTV website:

The Future of North American sports car racing now has a name, as executives from GRAND-AM and the American Le Mans Series unveiled the United SportsCar Racing series, set to debut at the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona next year.

A culmination of a four-month project that involved New York-based SME Branding as well as fan input to develop the series’ new name, logo and branding, ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton and his GRAND-AM counterpart, Ed Bennett, made the historic announcement Thursday at Sebring International Raceway ahead of this weekend’s ALMS season-opener.

“The new name says it all,” said GRAND-AM President and CEO Bennett. “In only six months since we announced the merger, GRAND-AM and the ALMS have taken huge strides to become one organization that will redefine sports car racing in North America. United SportsCar Racing reflects the fundamental spirit of how we are working together toward a common goal.”

Two other major components were announced Thursday, including news that the IMSA brand will live on, having been retained as the name of the sanctioning body. IMSA, which was co-founded in 1969 by John Bishop and the late Bill France Sr., will also organize the various support series under the two current championship’s umbrellas.

Also revealed were the class names for USCR, designated as Prototype (P), for the current Daytona Prototype, P2 and DeltaWing cars; Prototype Challenge (PC), retaining its same name from the ALMS; GT Le Mans (GTLM), consisting of the ACO-homologated GT cars currently competing in the ALMS; GT Daytona (GTD) for GRAND-AM GT and ALMS GTC-spec entries; and GX, the new-for-2013 category in the Rolex Series.

Additionally, the name of the holding company for the series and its unified assets will now be known as Grand American Holdings, LLC. GRAND-AM Road Racing had been under NASCAR Holdings, LLC since its formal acquisition of the series in 2008.

The series’ logo, depicting a helmet-like design encompasses a combination road course and oval, symbolic of two championship’s roots. SME Senior Partner Ed O’Hara said the objective of the name and logo was to be “modern, aspirational, authentic, unique and obviously, exciting.”

And as a further nod to its fan base, the selection of the United SportsCar Racing name was derived from a submission by Louis Satterlee in the “Name The Future” fan contest, which was used in conjunction with SME Branding to determine the series’ identity.

“When it came to the branding of our newly merged entities, we felt we had one chance to get it right – and now we believe we have done just that,” Atherton said.

“We began the branding process by listening to everyone – manufacturers, corporate partners, drivers, teams, tracks – and of course, the fans. The input was invaluable and helped lead us to today’s milestone announcement.”

One of the biggest omissions is the lack of sponsorship in the series name. With contracts yet to be finalized, further announcements are expected to be forthcoming regarding presenting sponsors for the championship, set to debut in just under nine months. Currently, Tequila Patron serves as the presenting sponsor of the ALMS, with Rolex as the title sponsor in GRAND-AM's top sports car series.

[FormerFF]

It's a name, I suppose it's as good as any. I'm glad to see that IMSA is the surviving sanctioning body, the name has some history behind it, GARRA did not.

Of more interest to me is how they're going to get the DPs to go five seconds faster to keep up with the P2 cars. Also, long term, they need to ditch the tube frame cars and just use GT3 rules for the lesser GT class.

[wedge]

The name sounds like an equal rights movement!

Can't they go back to calling it an IMSA racing series again?

[Jag_Warrior]

IMSA would have worked just fine...

[gerkebi]

IMSA would have worked just fine...

You know, I thought the same thing. In fact, as I was watching the press conference they unveiled the new IMSA logo and I thought, "Yeah, that makes sense." Then they kept going and unveiled the new United logo. The name may make sense right now but will lose relevance over the years.

[call_me_andrew]

I think the name will hold up since the intials start with U.S.