http://www.alms.com/articles/imsa-tire-str...zed-2014-season

Sorry, this is a couple weeks old, but since no one else has brought it up yet, I figured I would. So the worst fears of many have been realized - NASCAR and it's spec mindset has made it's way solidly into the new USCR series next year. Every class but the GTE cars will have to run on spec Continental Tires next year. Not Michelins, not Dunlops. Continentals. I guess money talks, but this is . Hey, it'll be an easy way to make sure the DPs are still competitive with the P2 cars. If the P2 cars have to run on bicycle tires and they give the big fat slicks to the DPs, surely the France family can remain happy with their investment staying at the front of the field.

The GT Le Mans (GTLM) category will be open to multiple tire manufacturers.

In 2011, the global company became the official tire of GRAND-AM as well as exclusive tire supplier to both the CTSCC and Rolex Series.

Also carrying over to United SportsCar Racing from the ALMS is the open tire specification for what will be the GTLM class.

Plans for additional tire manufacturers to compete in the manufacturer-based class will be announced as relationships are finalized.

The LMP 900s are not affected. Follow the ACO and watch the US series for laughs…

While I too am a bit dissapointed with the conti tire spec, I think we will all be a bit surprised with the quality of racing and 'innovation' next year.

And I too, have been VERY skeptical and VERY critical of the entire 'merger'. But....

Steve Focazio is head of Grand Am marketing, and a good friend of mine. More importantly, he is a HUGE sports car fan and has ZERO interest in Nascar - even though that's really where his check comes from. He did a presentation at the Road America race last weekend that, if even half of it is true, is very encouraging. I've spoken at length to him privately about all this, and I've come away with the following:

- There are NO plans to dumb down USCR to a spec type series like Nascar. According to Brian France, "we already have that, no need to make another spec type series"
- Brian (and Bill) France are HUGE sports car fans, which is why they bought all this to begin with. Nascar is where they make money, sports car racing is their passion.
- Many of the technical resources in USCR are coming over from ALMS, not Grand Am, including all the people responsible for competition, rules, and vehicle specs. This is a good thing!
- What they've found is, the LMP2 cars are faster in the corners, the DP cars are faster on the straights. In order to have good racing, there needs to be more balance so they are working with the manufacturers and teams to figure out how to balance that out a bit. But they DO NOT plan to dumb down the LMP2 cars, the plan is to give more downforce to the DP cars and maybe up the power allowable for the LMP2 cars.
- they are in discussions with top manufacturers to bring back LMP1 around 2016 or so...all depends on if anyone really wants to run it. The reason they decided against it is that there was not a lot of teams that really wanted to run the class - Audi, Peugeot, etc said no.
- All races will be broadcast live on the new Fox Sports 1 or Fox Sports 2, with some on regular Fox networks throughout the year.

A lot will change through the first couple years, so it should be interesting. I, for one, and happy we'll have one series to follow so the marketing and visibility for sports car racing in America will be more focused instead of fractured like it's been for years.

Again, I was very skeptical and very critical of the information that was coming out, but after talking to Steve, hearing his presentation and fielding the multitude of questions he got, I am much happier. Time will tell...

Look, I like to try to be an optimist too, as much as this whole thing brings my pessimist side out. And I too, know a couple folks that are closer to the "inside." But choosing a spec tire for prototype classes is rooted in one thing and one thing only: money.

It goes against the grain of prototype racing in general. The idea is to allow teams to, within reason, develop a car using their own formula and innovate. You want to put Craptinental Tires on the Slowlex GT cars? Go right ahead. But forcing the P2 cars, none of which who have ever run on them, to move to a spec compound eliminates one of the areas which really drew manufacturers into the series.

The idea is also to still keep the P2 cars around so they still have the option to go over in June to Le Mans, if they are able/invited. In that case, what is the team supposed to do? Take their Continental Tires with them to Le Mans? Switch to Michelins after running all season on Continentals?

George
I don't disagree with you at all on the spec tire thing. But...even F1, the highest form of racing inovation went to a spec tire....

If anything, I would have thought the Prototypes would have been open to tires, and the GT cars would have been spec.

Yes, its about money. but like it or not, without money, there is no racing. Racing is expensive - someone has to pay for it. And again, like it or not, us Sports Car racing guys are in the minority when it comes to fan viewership here in the US.

I don't think they plan on doing anything on the LMP2 Cars (they do need to be Enclosed next year) except the Tires as these cars are still eligible for LeMans & the WEC. They are considering more power & Traction Control for the DPs. If they essentially running in the same USCR Class they have to equalize them. Tires, HP, Traction Control are all in the equation.





They would open themselves up to running other Tires, but the Downside would be very limited Testing.

I don't have a Problem with Continental being a Spec Tire for a few years. Money makes this Racing Merry-Go-Round moving and Conti is trying to get a return on investment. No one has been complaining about the Tires in Grand-Am, the ALMS PC class is already running them, so the only class that is changing is the LMP2s and any cars coming from the GTC class.

I was keeping track of the Cars on Track last weekend at Road America as both Series were running there - I think you could easliy reach 50 Cars at most races, with 65 - 70 at Daytona & Sebring

No LMP1 - so take away 2 Cars. Will Dyson & Muscle Milk play in a Smaller class?
LMP2, Delta Wings, & DPs = 20+ Cars
LMPC = 6-10 Cars
GTLeMans = 15 Cars
GTDaytona = 20 Cars

At one time that balance came from competition (with money behind it). Now it is enforced - and in most sports that are televised this is the case. Don't want them to flip the channel if they think they know who will win. I suggest if one car is better in the twists and the others are better in the straights, then the fix is in the race courses they run on.

I like sports cars, but lately at the news stands I am buying hot rod magazines. At least they show someone actually welding or wrenching or painting. And they also cater to those with no money.

I was at RA last weekend. The PC guys seem to all like the Conti's, and to be honest, our top class is going to be a hoge poge until 2016. I am excited about a combined series because they left the GTLMs alone, and they are looking to bring the DPs out of the '80s. My pessimism has been changing to optimism with the last few announcements about how the organization will be structured.

I love the ALMS, but last weeks Prototype race was essentially this: plan for MM's Honda to win, a race for the Dyson or DW to blow up (To my surprise they both lasted and did reasonably well). and then watch the Level vs ESM battle, or Honda vs Honda, vs Honda vs Honda, wait, this sounds like a spec series.

The Grand Am race had tight racing and not a lot of banging into each other in both classes. I do miss hearing he higher revving cars, but the P2 Hondas should add that next year. The DPs look a lot better than they did, and I am excited to see what they do to speed them up. (6 seconds slower than the P2s on a course with a lot of straights).

My biggest hope is that they streamline the yellows, and the next generation of DP is a contender in LMP1 category. I always hated how GA would dumb down anything that competed with the DPs, like the immediate reduction of fuel capacity to the GT Porsches after they beat the DPs ion 2003. If that starts up again, I'll start following the WEC a lot more.

5-6 months until Daytona. Then we get a real idea of what to expect.

You've got me thinking of going to Sebring now...

The Conti race was a lot of fun when it was green flag racing. I can only imagine what Trans Am was like in the late '60's an early '70's.

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