LMP1-LMP2-LMP3 (DP)- GT2 Pro&Am - GT3 (GT in Grand Am)

That can work I think

GrandAm GT isn't GT3.

DP should be thrown out and they should join LMP2 (costs less than DP) and also LMP1 for the big teams.

GT should split into GT2 (GT Pro/Am I guess) and also GT3 (That GrandAm can upgrade to).

Basically 4 classes that are known around the world.

well IMSA GTC is not ACO GTC. The IMSA has the Carrera Cup Cars in it, the ACO the GT3 Cars... Don't know if the Grand Am GT might be more even to the Carrera Cup cars then to GT3. if so not much will change in this respect.

Is LMP2 really less expensive then DP? looking at the cars that's hard to believe...

Starworks did report that it costs less (they field LMP2 as well as DP).

Also, another article: http://www.dailysportscar.com/ ... E98-DCF5-8331F9E648DA6CDA

lmp2 winning in ALMS and Porsche GT3 RSR on 4 th :o

I think that merge will creat quite an interesting championship in the US need something like that in Europe aswell...

24hrs of Daytona + 12 hours of Sebring + Petit Le Mans = waahoo !

LMP regs of course offer something valuable which is a road to Le Mans, but GA/Nascar ditching their own rules completely would sound odd...

Will be interesting what will happen to Sebring and Road Atlanta since IIRC Panoz Group ("=ALMS") owns them. We know Don Panoz licks ACO's ass.

btw LMPC class might disapear so maybe DP will be another class but I think both DP teams and LMP teams wants to race for the overall win. Btw 2014 is the year of new ACO regulations...I think Riley was interested by LMP2 class a year ago.

Considering DP costs around the same (Starworks said however their LMP2 program is much cheaper than their DP program), it wouldn't be that bad for them to switch over directly into LMP2. DP honestly doesn't have much place in a category as they are only 1 second faster than GTE at Mid Ohio (3 seconds slower than LMPC).

And if you think that is just for a small course, well.

Road America:
LMP1 1:50
LMP2 1:54
LMPC 1:57
DP 2:02
GTE 2:04
GAGT 2:12

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com ... ks-embarks-on-wec-effort/

Quote from deggis :

We know Don Panoz licks ACO's ass.

We also know he's poor as hell. His Nicotine patch royalties are running low, he's in desperate need of funds. And that piece of shit that was the Abruzzi didn't help matters.

Word is he's possibly selling Road Atlanta for real estate development.

But i thought DP's were slower than LMGT cars?

http://www.autoextremist.com/fumes1/

Quote :

In fact Grand-Am is buying the ALMS lock, stock and barrel in a straight-up cash deal (I know the number but I'm choosing not to reveal it now), including Road Atlanta and Sebring International Raceway, the two road racing facilities the ALMS owns.

https://twitter.com/mulsannescorner

http://www.ten-tenths.com/foru ... 3128980&postcount=224

http://www.youtube.com/watch?f ... &v=v7eE7OGDVAU#t=399s




Official news Wednesday, I hope it doesn't follow these rumors.

I guess i can agree on the dismissal of the P1 class cars. It should be...

Rename the P2 cars to P1, slash P1 and the GTC classes, add DP so they are now P2, either take out completely the GT's in Grand Am or add a GT3 class. A even better approach could be bring in the FIA-GT teams for the Triple-Crown races.

So now we have...

P1 = Old P2
P2 = DP
GT-Pro = GT3
GT-Am = Rolex GT

You also killed LMPC and GTE by doing that. Another problem with using GT3 is that it is nearly just as fast as DP. If it has no connection to the ACO then the classes will just be away from any other GT class on the planet, which is a reason GrandAm doesn't have more cars competing as it is.

GT3 are rubbish, pro drivers had those as these are not really racing cars. GT3 are made for gentlemen not for drivers.

tbh you can't imagine one of the biggest race in the world (Le Mans) and its series to be run with cars that has no technical regulations exept having roll cages and fire extinguisher.

In fact GT3 class is a big joke to suit gentleman and make them feeling fast and racing any cars they want. This isn't really the spirit of Le Mans as even AM class is really professionnal (teams and drivers).

For example, Porsche GT3R has Porsche RSR's wishbones and Porsche GT3 Cup engine with RSR airbox. It has aswell some body parts from RSR but it is really far from an RSR in term of running it for a team.

Btw I wouldn't understand why people wants to kill a class where so many factories are officially involved...

AF Corse = Michelotto = Ferrari
Felbermayr + Flying Lizard + IMSA Performance + Manthey = Porsche

I think the only error made with this class was to make WEC and ELMS separate championship. Last year ELMS races took place at the same time as ILMC and GTE grid was awesome ! Some teams were also racing in both championship like Felbermayr and are not doing that this year because of that (budget was cheaper when 50% of the season took place at the same time with the same car).

I hope Grand AM will not export their rubbish DP to be top ALMS prototyp and keep the ACO spirit. I think it would definitely be better for endurance if every top endu series share the same regulations (at least same basis).

I'm still dreaming to see some american teams in Le Mans like Dyson, Penske even some GT team like BMW RLL.

Press conference going on: http://www.grand-am.com

EDIT: Ended, announcement here: http://www.alms.com/articles/w ... -future-sports-car-racing

Summary of rumors (before this conference): http://auto-racing.speedtv.com ... -alms-unification-emerge/

Of course tech regs and classes yet to be finalized...

Basically nothing new at this point ^^

Article on the official annoncement today: http://www.nascar.com/news/120 ... -series-merger/index.html

Quote :

"Wow, historic and exciting -- that's what I was thinking," said Pruett, who drives for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. "This is really going to put road racing on a new level. [In] my life in road racing there has always been so much change. This is the next step, the security for the future."

Quote :

"For motorsports in general, a healthy sports-car series is vital and this is the best opportunity in a long time for that,'' said (Mike) Helton, who is a longtime sports-car fan and regular attendee of the Rolex 24 at Daytona each February. "The future will define what today's all about."

This is why I'm excited by this announcment more than anything

I think you might be a bit too easily pleased.

No real information came from that as Morgan said. The class regulations, ACO involvement, and track selection will play the main roles in my decision of good or bad move. Obviously a centralized series instead of two different series is always a good thing, but I never considered them rivals because GrandAm had two completely different classes than any other series on this planet.

Endurance-info said it will be something like LMP2-DP-GTE-GTC

Looks more like replacing LMPC (not valid after 2013) by DP and extending GTC class with other GT3 "American".

Would be a shame not to see any LMP1 class. Daytona 24h+Sebring 12h+Petit Le Mans could have interest some big american factories and have them back at Le Mans !

Anyway it looks like ACO is part of the deal and that most of the field would be eligible for Le Mans (so GTE and LMP2 should be right).

Retaining LMP2 since it's at least healthy in ALMS right now seems much more likely than retaining LMP1, but as the top class... might be hard to sell it as the top class next to the DPs. For sure they'll rename it at least.

ACO connection could mean only GTE. GTE certainly can't be dropped because it's looking very good right now (or at least will be until ALMS destroys it by introcing GT Am, starting next year).

LMP2 is really strong atm (contrary to LMP1, where no chassis builder is left), and don't forget we have at least one manufacturer entering it, Mazda (with a whole car or at least their Skyactive turbodiesel engine).

I guess the Dyson team could be turned into a semi-works team.

Mazda's chassis builder is the same one that will soon no longer be left in P1...

I read that DP would have a boost in speed. I'm not sure if that is just to put them away from GTE (honestly are only 2 seconds faster), or to catapult it into LMP2 (which is highly unlikely).

Just a bunch of speculation I guess, the series themselves probably aren't even sure yet.

It'll be interesting to see how the Grand-am guys take on Lemans. No doubt teams like Krohn and experienced drivers like Pruett and others will have no problem, but LeMans is a whole different monster from Daytona.

Many american teams struggle a lot at Le Mans because european way of racing is totally different and even regulation are really different between ALMS and ELMS/LM. European teams have the same trouble when going to ALMS.

The problem of Dyson is that Lola is pretty sick atm.

I don't think introducing GTE AM class will creat problems tbh. In europe/WEC there are more customers for it than GTE PRO. Teams have to find the budget for PRO cars. In GTE AM, amateur drivers are paying for it and as there is a possibility to race at Le Mans, GTE cars and teams are really attractive to them and there is many gentlemen drivers for it.

It is basically the same in America with for example Seth Neiman or Bret Curtis. I think that some gentlemen don't want to race GTE in ALMS because the level in GT is so high that they can't win a race even achieve a podium. With GTE AM they will be able to do so and that will most probably attract them. Furthermore cars are cheaper as they were already used (IMSA Performance's chassis is from 2009, Prospeed was from 2009 aswell, and Flying still have some old chassis).