GrandAm series

[Edmonton]

If you really don't like grandam and want to get IMSA back at Daytona and also want to have one sportscar series-as well as make sportscar racing even stronger-this is what you do. Buy a truck load(or more)of shares in ISC-they own grandam.

[gttouring]

i'm short on cash you go ahead...
the grand am and ALMS thing is getting like IRL and CART
at least Grand Am lets Trans Am cars run there

[JAG]

Didn't the Daytona owners say they never wanted another event like 2003, i.e. it was very poor interms of attendance and grid size/quality.

2004 seems like it will be little better.

Whats the betting Daytona will allow ACO/FIA spec cars in 2005, maybe with DPs also being allowed. It could still count for G/A points.

[gttouring]

they should open up the door for 2004- don't be stupid GA
after all they'll shove 70 car there if they have to, even if the fans are all family member of the racers, they'll make a race of it no Paddock? at daytona anything is possible, so along the unuse portions of the track they might set up DP pits, and along one side GT pits, and Prototype pits there....

[cybersdorf]

Originally posted by gttouring
they should open up the door for 2004

But they've only just closed it.

[skycafe]

They seem to be growing now! Announcements about cars being sold, teams moving up or over. What a flury of news from Grand Am over the last week or so.

Much better news then ALMS cars being parked with For Sale signs on them, and (I realize this is off forum) Formula One team cars being locked up temporarily over legal/money issues.

Also, you can run a big filler field at Daytona. I believe one year 80 plus cars started the 24 Hour. There has to be a great deal of pit sharing, on track traffic is horrendous, and some of the dodgy cars start to litter the track verges from lap one on, but you do end up with a track full of action. It may not be Le Mans level of class, but hey, it is much closer for me!

[LouisTheShark]

"ISC-they own grandam"

No they don't. Some of the investors and board members of ISC own Grand Am, but Grand Am is not owned by ISC. Also, the France family and related trusts still own the majority of the stock. Even if you bought all the outstanding shares, you would still not have control.

"Also, you can run a big filler field at Daytona. I believe one year 80 plus cars started the 24 Hour. There has to be a great deal of pit sharing, on track traffic is horrendous, and some of the dodgy cars start to litter the track verges from lap one on, but you do end up with a track full of action. It may not be Le Mans level of class, but hey, it is much closer for me!"

The Daytona 24 hours was always a different event as it was more of pro/am race. Until the last couple of years, they regularly started around 80 cars, ranging from prototypes to club level racers.

"They seem to be growing now! Announcements about cars being sold, teams moving up or over. What a flury of news from Grand Am over the last week or so."

And more to come.

On the other side, this week the rumor is that GM may not continue with the Corvette program as the poor showing at LM did not go over well in the board room. The new proposed ACO GTS rules may also be a factor in this decision. And Olive Garden may pull out of racing after this year.

[JAG]

GM have already announced they'll continue in GTS for at least the next 2-3 years with the C6R.

I would hardly call 2nd and 3rd at LM a poor showing.

Also the Rafanelli DP program is nowhere near complete, and if done does not nescesarily mean they would leave the ALMS. Same for Essex Racing.

Also cars being sold means nothing, especially when there are new regs being announced.

Being in the UK my main concern is FIA GT and the new LMES, but I do have a big interest in the ALMS as well. IF G/A was the only US sportscar series and would have no interest whatsoever in it. ALMS recieves good coverage in the UK, while DPs recieve virtually zero.

The people who would lose out would be US sportscar fans as in Europe the FIA GT and LMES appear to be goeing from stregth to strength.

Also despite this year supposedly being 'difficult for the ALMS if you actually look at the grids they are around 15%-20% up on last year.

[LouisTheShark]

I did not talk about Rafanelli, I talked about Olive Garden.

What GM announces and what GM does are two different things.

[cybersdorf]

Originally posted by LouisTheShark
What GM announces and what GM does are two different things.

Now that's true.