Gt1 Alms 2007

[Funks]

How is Corvette racing against no one good news?
I would rather see them do the LMS or FIA GT.

VAG and GM should be ashamed. They would rather run exhibitions than race.

ALMS should have just two classes. LMP(2) and GT(2)

Racing against nobody isn't good...

News of them entering is good though - because there ought to be a slim chance that it'll attract other people to the class.

I live in hope but I shall not hold my breath.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Why should GM be ashamed? They have kept the class alive. When a team spends what GM has keeping the Pratt and Miller boys in the series, it is ALMS and the organizers and LeMans that should reexamine their stewardship of the sport. Why is a class that is designed for manufacturers to show their prowess getting so little interest?

[tannat]

Why is a class that is designed for manufacturers to show their prowess getting so little interest?

The class is getting interest elsewhere (LMES, FIA GT)...

I fear it's our country that's not getting the interest. No one wants to race in the US...

[trumperZ06]

Hhmmmm... we have Porsche supplying TWO teams this year in ALMS, and Honda will support THREE new teams competing against Porsche in LMP2. Radical's here too.

With Honda's entry... Toyota may be the next manufacturer to jump into ALMS...

Now if the Vipers & Aston Martins return to GT1... along with Ferrari, we could have some additional excitement.

[Mark in Oshawa]

The class is getting interest elsewhere (LMES, FIA GT)...

I fear it's our country that's not getting the interest. No one wants to race in the US...

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.

[Bob Riebe]

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.

GARRA is similar to the IRL for exposure.
IRL has Indy; GARRA has Daytona.
Beyond that few know,or care about either.

Now GARRA has become a bit of a semi-pro version of the SCCA national in the lower classes, and Daytona is kinda like the SCCA run-offs, only for money.
It is a giant club event where the boys club, gets to play for money.

Difference between the two.
The Indy 500, still gets a fair amount of press; the Daytona race, on a good year here, now is down to a paragraph.

GARRA offers major league teams, not connected to the France boys, nothing, and Chevy made a public statement that they want nothing to do with tube frame pretend cars.

The IMSA is hurting?
Hell yes. As long as they dick around with the ACO version of spec. racing, it will go nowhere fast.
GARRA, a giant for money club race, nothing more.
Bob