ALMS and GRAND-AM finalizing merger

[Swarley]

After years of rumors, American Le Mans Series and GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series are set to join forces...

SPEED.com has confirmed through multiple sources involved with the negotiations that the American Le Mans Series and the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series will announce an agreement that will see the two series race under a single banner, likely beginning in 2014.

Full details on the merger are still unclear, and offers extended to both series for comment were declined, but it’s believed GRAND-AM will serve as the sanctioning body for the new-look championship, which could feature a mix of existing classes from both the ALMS and Rolex Series.

The announcement is expected to come on Wednesday in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Speaking with ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton in the Baltimore paddock, the longtime head of the series denied such an agreement being in place, while a GRAND-AM Road Racing spokesman declined comment.

SPEED.com's sources, including a number of manufacturers, representatives and participants, have revealed that both sides are coming together. News of this developing story first emerged two weeks ago, building to a head this weekend in Baltimore.

Founded by pharmaceutical giant and entrepreneur Don Panoz in 1999, the ALMS brought the cars and technical regulations of the 24 Hours of Le Mans to North America, becoming the first full-season championship to embrace the rules set forth by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.

Initially a mirror-image to the twice-around-the-clock French endurance classic, the series has diversified in recent years by opening its class structure to more affordable machinery, including the addition of Prototype and GT Challenge categories.

Its marquee event, the 12 Hours of Sebring, maintained its international presence, while the Petit Le Mans, the 1,000-mile/10-hour Road Atlanta enduro formed by Panoz in 1998, grew to become a mainstay on the global scene as well.

The ALMS has traditionally strived on manufacturer support, namely from Audi, Chevrolet, Porsche, BMW and Ferrari over its 14-year history and has seen recent growth in its production-based GT category, which currently sees six automakers represented.

However, its prototype categories have struggled to reach acceptable numbers following Audi’s withdrawal from P1 competition in 2009 and the end of Porsche and Acura’s factory programs. As a result, both P1 and the recently relaunched cost-capped P2 categories have almost exclusively featured customer entries.

Having signed a new one-year licensing contract with the ACO late last year, it’s understood the ALMS had renewed its agreement with the Le Mans organizers for one additional year in June.

Established one year after the ALMS in 1999, GRAND-AM grew out of the roots laid by the U.S. Road Racing Championship (USRRC) and featured the Rolex 24 at Daytona as its premier race and annual season kickoff.

While having a strong influence from the onset, GRAND-AM was acquired by NASCAR Holdings in 2008 and has operated under the leadership of executive vice president Jim France through its 13-year history.

The series has typically embraced privateers through its two categories, although receiving support from manufacturers such as Chevrolet, Ford and BMW in the premier Daytona Prototype ranks. No fewer than a half-dozen automakers are represented in GT, with a third category, GX, is scheduled to be added next year for experimental machinery.

Despite having been rival series since the onset, there has been a significant crossover between manufacturers, with Chevrolet supporting programs in both DP and ALMS GT, along with Ferrari, Mazda, Porsche and other marques and drivers that participate in both championships.

Like the ALMS, GRAND-AM’s prototype component has seen a recent drop-off of entries, but has typically strived, notably with the introduction of new GT3-based cars adapted to Rolex Series’ GT category.

SPEED.com will have more on this developing story as it breaks.

I was pretty damn pumped about this news until I read that GRAND-AM would be the sanctioning body and not ALMS. The ALMS rules are much more in-line with the European rules, which allows teams from both to compete in each others events (12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Petit Le Mans). GRAND-AM tries to be a lot more cost-effective with their Prototypes, which leads to them being completely different and not in-line with the other series' rules. As long as GRAND-AM doesn't fuck around with the ALMS car rules too much, this could be a great thing. I'm completely in love with the idea of ALMS cars competing in the 24 Hours of Daytona.

I'm interested to see how the categories would break down. B/c as it is right now, ALMS as LMP1, LMP2, LMPC, GT and GTC, while GRAND-AM has DP and GT, and they will introduce a new bottom level category next year in GX. My thinking is that ALMS will consolidate all of the LMP categories into one Le Mans Prototype category, and then the GTC class will move into the GT class from GRAND-AM to make up a GT2 category.

Swarley's Proposed Categories:
P1 - (Le Mans Prototypes)
P2 - (Daytona Prototypes)
GT1 - (ALMS GT category cars)
GT2 - (Grand-Am GT category cars and ALMS GTC category cars)

**You may even have to split up the open cockpit LMP cars the Daytona Prototypes into P2 and P3.

Like I said, I'm a little weary of Grand-Am being the sanctioning body of this merger due to their current car regulations. However, if they don't mess with the current ALMS categories much at all, this could be a fantastic merger. Seeing everyone racing at the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, etc. would be amazing.

 

[Swarley]

John Dagys, the guy who broke the news about the potential merger, is doing a live chat right now answering questions. I'll post the most important ones as the chat goes along.

 

[Swarley]

Q: Realistically what do you see the class structure being?

A: I can see 4 to 5 classes, with two prototype divisions and the rest GT. I'm fairly sure DP will stay, P1 will probably be gone or merged with something else. Some kind of Pro-Am P2/PC class would seem logical.

For GT, getting rid of ALMS GT would not make much sense, in my opinion.. And adding a GT3 component as a Pro/Am class would solve a lot of issues as well.

These are just my educated guesses. I have not heard anything definitive.



Q: John, what are the chances we see the inclusion of the ALMS GTE class in this series?

A: I hope we see it, because it's the hottest racing out there at the moment. If it's not included, then you could see a lot of upset manufacturers.



Q: Will the new american sportscar championship maintain contract w/ 24 hours of le mans and will sebring still be a round of WEC?

A: Sebring was never going to be a round of the WEC for 2012. It will likely be at Austin next year.

I am not sure about the ACO affiliation. I guess that will depend a lot on the class structure.



Q: IF (and that is a big word) LMP2/C cars were kept, do you think they will be allowed to keep current performance levels - or would DPs be kept as definate overall winners

A: I would hope to see DPs sped up and P2/PC cars remain in current spec, so they could easily race at LM24 and Euro teams could come over and do the big US races. But that is far from being certain.



Q: John, do you think the WEC will be a stand-alone event at Austin, or will ALMS/Grand-Am also run on the same weekend? Either way, a little awkward?

A: I believe the negotiations for next year were around a double header WEC/ALMS event. Separate races.



Q: Evening, I guess I missed a few of these lately. Interesting bombshell. I hope it works out and like you I think it would be great to see ALMS GT(E) retained. I wonder if it might end up like the IndyCar merger? That was more of a takeover by (former) IRL, but the combined series eventually ended up like CART anyway with different owners. Maybe this'll go similarly?

A: We will see. I was fairly convinced of such a thing occurring but received some encouraging developments today. Nothing publishable yet, but we may know more tomorrow.



Q: Was this really out of the blue or was it a long discussion process throughout the season

A: It's been in discussion for quite a while. I've known about it for at least 2 weeks. So that means it has probably been 2 months of negotiations, at least.



Q: So with a merger in 2014... 2013 cold see some ALMS/ GrandAm joint weekends at some races?

A: Not sure. That would make sense to do it that way, but let's wait and see


More Q&A in a few minutes......

 

[Swarley]

Q: Is there any chance to see WEC at Daytona or Watkins Glen?

A: All depends if there is any ACO component in this unified series, I guess.



Q: will the official statement Wed. include many (I hope all) the details we're eagerly waiting for, or do you anticipate a blanket statement just to make things on record?

A: I am expecting to hear some kind of details of the merger and not just a statement.



Q: What are your own thoughts on where the twelve hours of Sebring goes from here? I can't see Grand Am sanctioning a race in their own backyard that has become a bigger spectacle than their alleged crown jewel.

A: I think with the merger, the Rolex 24 should actually become the more important race. No disrespect to Sebring, of course. Both are great races.



Q: I am concerned about what the manufacturers in ALMS are going to do. Nascar is not friendly to factory teams of any type. It will be interesting to see what the Factory GT teams in ALMS do. I would expect BMW is gone. I am also concerned about Honda, Nissan, etc.

A: Give it some time. BMW, for instance, has been quite happy with GRAND-AM activation over the years. They felt like they were getting good bang for $$ in GA.



Q: What will happen to the technical diversity the ALMS currentyl enjoys? Will NASCAR/Grand-AM allow multiple tire manufacturers, power trains, fuels? I'd hate to see race winng teams like this weekend's Falken Tire be turned away.

A: We can hope for technical innovation to be embraced in the unified series.



Q: Will we see less factory envolvement in the merged series?

A: depends on class structure, I'd guess.

 

[Swarley]

A lot of ALMS fans were concerned that Grand-Am (which is NASCAR owned), would completely do away with the Le Mans Prototypes so that their precious Daytona Prototypes could still be top dog (DPs are barely faster than the GT class in ALMS). However, it sounds like they will at least keep around the LMP2 or LMPC class. Which does take away the awesome innovation and technology that LMP1 classes bring to the sport of sports car racing, but it at least keeps those types of cars around, but in a more money friendly capacity. Apparently the GT class in Grand-Am is completely redoing their specification rules and will be more in line with the GT class of ALMS, which means that GTC from ALMS is likely done come '14. It also sounds like they will split GT into two classes, GT-Pro, and GT-Am, which is what they have in the ELMS and WEC (GT-Am can only have one professional gold level driver, and must use a car that is at least one year old). It'll be interesting to see who sticks around. I know Corvette Racing is big on competing at Le Mans, so if something happens here to where these cars don't get auto bids to that race, we could see Corvette Racing jump to the European Le Mans Series or the World Endurance Championships. It's really going to be interesting to see what they say on Wednesday.

My thoughts are that they need to speed up the DPs a smidge, and then keep the P2 class (so that those guys can still go compete at Le Mans). Don't tough the GT class from ALMS. That category gives some of the best racing around, period. I'm wondering what Grand-Am is going to do with this GX category they plan on introducing next season. Who knows if that will actually be here under the merger or not. As long as they don't completely fuck up the classes and they bring over some of the more famous races (12 Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta), and then bring over a street course or two, I'll be happy. It would really be a shame if they messed with some of these ALMS class rules so that these teams can't go over to France every summer and compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I can't wait to see my Flying Lizard boys out at the 24 Hours of Daytona in their regular GTE Porsche instead of that dumbed down GT3 Porsche.


Btw, is anybody else a fan of sports car racing? Anybody else watch American Le Mans or Grand-Am or anything like that? Some really incredible and fun racing. And there's nothing like setting aside an entire day to watch one of the endurance races.

 

[Swarley]

10am EST press conference at Daytona to announce merger

One of the biggest developments in American sports car racing will be made official tomorrow, when executives from GRAND-AM and the American Le Mans Series are expected to announce the merger of the two championships.

The press conference, to be held at the Daytona 500 Club inside Daytona International Speedway, is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET.

In addition to NASCAR Vice Chairman/Executive Vice President Jim France and GRAND-AM President and CEO Ed Bennett, it's expected that ALMS founder Don Panoz and Series President and CEO Scott Atherton will also be in attendance for the history making event.

SPEED.com will carry live coverage of the press conference, with further reports and analysis to come following tomorrow's news.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/arti...s-conference-set-for-wedesday-morning/?4598gh

 

[Swarley]

Some leaked merger details...


** The Panoz Motor Sports Group (ALMS) has been sold to GRAND-AM/NASCAR Holdings LLC, reportedly in the eight-figure range, and includes the sale of Road Atlanta and long-term lease of Sebring International Raceway. The assets are reportedly part of a new entity that places it under the NASCAR umbrella.

** GRAND-AM co-founder and NASCAR Vice Chairman/Executive Vice President Jim France is expected to serve as the Chairman of the unified series, with ALMS founder Don Panoz reportedly as Vice Chairman. ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton could serve on the board of directors.

** Both series are expected to operate separately in 2013 without any major changes, other than the ownership, with the official merger tabbed for 2014. Current television and commercial contracts appear to have prevented a merger for as early as next year.

** Exact details of the class structure is not expected to be announced tomorrow. However, it’s believed both the current Daytona Prototype and Rolex Series GT categories will be included, along with the highly competitive ALMS GT class. P2 could also feature, although possibly equalized with a potentially faster DP class.

** There appears to be a desire to continue a relationship with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, although the current agreement with the ALMS expires in 2013. Many questions still surround this potential arrangement, especially as it could relate to the class structure and international link.