ALMS & Grand-Am to Merge, Hooray Options

[carr914]

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/spo...alizing-merger/

Too much division to come to an end - I'm glad to see it before one went under.

I wondered what was happening when I read that the Circuit of the Americas was negotiating for the US FIA Race that typically has been held at Sebring (& Petit). The fact that a P1 Car wasn't even in the picture at the end of todays race in Baltimore tells the story that small fields & competition in Sports Cars had deluted the landscape

T.C.

[carr914]

I optimisticly look for the 2 Groups to work together to get it "Right".

It was good to hear that they look for a Connection to the FIA/ACO and LeMans

The one downside is 2013 and that the fact the TV & Sponsors can't work together to make it happen quicker. 2013 will be a Lame Duck season - if you were a Team Owner, would you invest in equipment that might be eliminated soon. The answer is No and what you will see is decreased fields & corresponding apathy from fans for a Year. I think IndyCar will benefit from this, as their fields have been growing and the racing has been very good.

[Zimms]

I optimisticly look for the 2 Groups to work together to get it "Right".

I agree. I hope they put there heads together and egos aside. This could be fantastic.

The one downside is 2013 and that the fact the TV & Sponsors can't work together to make it happen quicker. 2013 will be a Lame Duck season - if you were a Team Owner, would you invest in equipment that might be eliminated soon. The answer is No and what you will see is decreased fields & corresponding apathy from fans for a Year. I think IndyCar will benefit from this, as their fields have been growing and the racing has been very good.

I think GTE is at least safe. The new 911 GTE is due in 2014 and this is the first year of a big update, so I do not see Falken/FLM/or Miller upgrading to new cars. The vette and viper teams are committed. I don't see Patron/Ed Brown leaving, and BMW has been up in the air because they need a different car. Maybe this kills any chance of seeing RLL in a Z4 GTE. I hope AJR stays, but I guess that depends on his deal with Lotus or their ability to get other sponsorship. I was hoping to see Cooper MacNeil move up to GTE-AM with a GTE Porsche fielded by AJR.

I think CORE was thinking of going to LMP2 next year. I can see that in jeopardy if the new series principals do not lay down some guidelines for 2014. If P2 cars can be used in the new series, I think we would see Dyson and MMR move to P2 and some of the PC cars move up to P2. That would make a nice field...

Like you said, it will all depend on their execution of the new series. Petit in 5ish weeks!