NaroEscape

Not sure if this has been posted already...

http://www.autoweek.com/article/2011...D_AM/110909905

PedroNole

Hmmmm..... Wonder what the Porsche Motorsport guys think about that...

Veloce Raptor

I think YUMMMMMMMM

NaroEscape

My thoughts:

"Um...you guys going to run LMP1? OK, we'll run GT...so there..."

However...it does point out that Grand Am is growing, and unfortunately ALMS is not. Maybe because nobody can actually watch a full race?

ajcjr

This is where a merger would work, alms gt cars are awesome and then use the grand am prototype instead of lmp cars. Sooner or later one organization is going out.

NaroEscape

I would rather see the LMP1 cars than the grand am DP cars. Those are just a kit car POS. LMP1 are right up there with F1 in advanced technology.

My thoughts: merge them, and use the Grand Am GT as a GTC type class. Run LMP, GT(ALMS GT), GTC (Grand Am GT) and sure, throw in the LMPC classes. Huge fields, great racing, one series.

But...that will never happen.

Ritter v4.0

I'd have one (the R8 that is).

Cory M

This is old news but still bad news for ALMS. Ferrari and Audi will bring some exclusivity and "European flair" to the GrandAM GT class. I'd love to be a fly on the wall in the Maranello or Ingolstadt board room when the motorsports managers are explaining why they are losing to Mazdas and Camaros though.

DanR

simple answer - the rules say so (ferrari will be on the other end for a change)

wanna911

Dreaming out loud

Seems like a merger between Grand Am and ALMS could really revive racing in the states, but I'm thinking more along the lines of having all of the cars in different series. LMP, DP, LMPC and a revised GT1 class in one group. ALMS GT and Grand Am GT/expanded GTC cars as a support series to the big race. Crowds would be huge.

One race on Saturday, one on Sunday with a longer season.

ALMS is already a support series for Indy many times, so this could work, though it will not likely ever happen.

MJR911

Anyone know what team(s) were behind getting the car homolgated for Grand-Am GT?

With Ferrari and now Audi in the GT grid (likely) for the 2012 Daytona 24 hour, I would think the field will be deep with GT talent and will attract more European based teams.

I'd look for the three marquee GA events (Daytona, Glen 6-hour and INDY) to have really big fields in '12.

analogmike

Seems like Grand-Am wants REAL CARS to race in GT, and the GT3 European spec looks good to them.

I heard rumors last winter that they don't want tube frame cars anymore, but that's about the opposite of how it looks this year.

Turb-OH Brad

Basically you are calling for GTC to be expanded to other GT3 cars already in international competition. This is quite likely, and has been talked about for a while.

The problem with running ALMS GT cars against Grand Am DP cars is that the GT cars would likely be faster around certain tracks.

Flying Finn

+1

Let's not get any idea of canceling ALMS prototypes in favor of those DPs...

I'd make the classes slightly different than your proposal though, four classes:

-LMP
-LMPC (ditch the DPs or if both classes can be combined, keep both)
-GT1
-GT (Grand-Am GTs, forget GTC since it's all Porsches and since we're dreaming anyway, screw the tube frame cars, only real cars allowed and since this would be so popular, GM & Mazda would actually build them, if not, sorry)

GTgears

This is relevant to my interests. Hopefully APR will be one of the teams that steps up and campaigns one...