Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa
People want to road race in the US. European teams however who want to compete at the top level have no choices in sports car racing..
In the USA, I think the Grand Am series is taking away a lot of sportscar teams that would have been in IMSA/ALMS all along. Lets face it, it is cheaper, and if you cant afford to get factory support to run ALMS, you can get some money to put a manufacturers motor in a Grand Am car, and away you go. What is more, the series is now starting to gain notierity as a definate driver's destination, with a lot of ex Indy and Champ Car drivers, so the level of racing is rising.
It is too simple to say GT-1 is dying merely because no manufacturer wants to race in the US. I think, for the money you spend in Grand AM, or in Prototypes, you can get more exposure and/or chances of success. Beating the Pratt and Miller Vettes and the Aston's has been a VERY tough game, and I just think that factory support would be needed to compete. Most American car makers cant be bothered.....and the European or Japanese makes are doing it elsewhere.