Thread: Road Racing News---for the good!!!!!

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Here's one for the (very few) sports car racing fans left in the country, the American LeMans series and the Rolex Sports Car Series announced today on Speed that they are working out the details of a merger of the two organizations!!!! Both seem to be suffering from low car counts and low attendance at events. Merger could be complete in total as soon as 2014 at Daytona 24 hr. race!!!! Good news for the fans, competitors, and sponsors, it's been ridiculous the last few years watching these two organizations compete against each other for being THE sports car and endurance racing organization. IMO this merger is going to do everyone a bunch of good, and we'll again be able to have the big car counts and have all the best teams in one organization. As a fan, we no longer have to decide which organization to support and events to attend!

Really looking forward to the first summer of the merger, going to be worth going to events again as you'll be able to see all the good teams and drivers there competing! It will also put a lot of American made sports cars, Camaro's and Mustangs especially, competing in sports car events and endurance racing.... Maybe a step closer to some team getting their stuff together and going back to LeMans and accomplish some of the things that Carroll Shelby and Ford did back in the 60's!!!!! Would be great to see Camaro's, Corvettes, and Mustangs competing for an International Sports Car Championship again, and whoopin' all them Europeans on their own turf!!!!!!

I saw this tonight Speed Chanel I believe, I must agree I like the idea of these two groups racing against each other again. Definitely has a Sebring feel to it, as you say Dave "see Camaro's, Corvettes, and Mustangs competing for an International Sports Car Championship again, and whoopin' all them Europeans on their own turf!". That will be the bomb ...

I remember Phil Hill Chaparral chevy power, Pedro Rodriguez & Ferrari, the 62,3,4 vetts, Birdcage Maserati, Jaguar Es. That was BC, before Camaro's, hard to think there were days like that

Yes sir this was a good decision, looking forward to 2014...........

Is this Grand Am Racing, Dave? Kansas Speedway added a new road course as part of their resurfacing work, and will have a Grand Am Race in 2013, I understand?

Yup, the Rolex Series is Grand Am racing... Not sure if the merger will be done by then, but my research indicates that starting with the 2013 season teams and drivers should be able to compete in each other's events without any serious penalties. Hope so, will double the car count and spectators at many of the smaller events!!

An article in the KC Star this morning says that Grand Am, founded by Jim France of the NASCAR France family; and American Le Mans, founded by Don Panoz have issued a joint press release at Daytona that their new, combined series will start with the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2014. Apparently both groups already had their 2013 schedules set, including commitments to their traditional venues, precluding merging events next season. A new name has not been selected for the combined organization, but it sounds like teams, owners and fans of both groups are excited! Here's a layout pic of the new infield track at the Kansas Speedway, showing the new road course and how it blends into the tri-oval. Should be interesting to see it in action!!

ks speedway layout.gif

Nice track, thanks for the pic, Roger! I was hoping that some of the 2013 events would merge, guess that was just another rumor... Oh well, guess I'll have to wait!

WOW! I just now noticed that the new track layout shows a whole new section of fan grandstands!! That section at the left, the Bobby Allison Grandstand on turns one & two, will be brand new and will provide a great view for the road racing! Cool deal!!

Do they have a schedule out yet for the road course??? Looks like a fun run should they have any 'open track' days!!!!

Sure would be a great place to have a CHR get together someday!!!!!!!!

[QUOTE=Dave Severson;473358]Do they have a schedule out yet for the road course??? Looks like a fun run should they have any 'open track' days!!!!

Sure would be a great place to have a CHR get together someday!!!!!!!![/QUOTE]

I agree! Wonder if we could pull it together???

We talked about it one other time, nothing ever became of it though... Would take a lot of advance planning to be able to get enough folks there to make it fun!!!!!!

I agree, but it would be a very cool time! At face value I'd be in for it.

Yeah, it would be a blast, and Kansas is pretty much the middle of the country.... Maybe start some sort of thread or something, ask Bill if he could make it a sticky, see how many people would actually be interested......