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American LeMans
ALMS: 10 Questions With Scott Atherton
Series President & CEO discusses 2011 schedule and launch of Intercontinental Le Mans Cup
John Dagys  |  Posted August 25, 2010   Chicago, IL
American Le Mans Series President and CEO Scott Atherton unveiled the 2011 schedule last weekend at Road America. (John Dagys)
The American Le Mans Series unveiled its 2011 schedule last weekend at Road America. Featuring 10 races, the sportscar championship makes returns to eight of the nine venues on this year’s calendar, plus two new stops at venues that have yet to be determined or announced.

With some questions over the new schedule, plus with the launch of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton provides answers and insight into some of the hottest topics in the paddock. It’s all a part of the latest installment of ’10 Questions.’

DAGYS: What was the reason behind releasing the 2011 schedule this early in the year?

ATHERTON: In my 11 years, this would have to qualify as the earliest ever that we’ve been able to release the schedule. It’s always been held for a Petit Le Mans ‘State of the Series’ announcement. For a number of reasons, we made a decision some time ago to announce next year’s schedule [earlier]. The ability for teams, sponsors, manufacturers, corporate partners, everybody that we consider to be a stakeholder in the American Le Mans Series, the sooner the better.
Eight of the nine venues return for 2011, with two yet-to-be determined/announced races. (John Dagys)

DAGYS: With the ACO bringing back its Le Mans Test Day, anticipated to be held sometime in May, it’s effectively created an even larger hole in the ALMS schedule for the traditional Le Mans break. Are you at all concerned with the 11-week gap between rounds two and three?

ATHERTON: For us, it’s really challenging because we obviously want to continue being directly affiliated with Le Mans. If you’re going to be the American Le Mans Series and allow your top teams compete at Le Mans, and we always have many that attend the 24 Hours, then you have to make provisions on the calendar to make that happen.

Is it fair that the teams are not competing at Le Mans are literally forced to stand down during that period? That’s a tough question to answer. It is a question of fairness, but it’s the realities of being directly linked to that event.

DAGYS: Are there any possible options being looked at to help fill the gap for teams not going to Le Mans?

ATHERTON: We are pursuing some creative options of what we could do during that time. We’ve heard from many... We could be having a couple open official test days that would keep those teams actively involved and development of the cars current. That’s one option. One of the drivers suggested we have a special invitation ‘winner take all’ race that involves a substantial purse and is driven by social media.

I’m not saying I’m here announcing anything in that regard. I am saying that we have an open-minded approach to a creative solution that doesn’t force us to literally be dark during that important time of year.

DAGYS: It’s been rumored that the Le Mans Test Day may become optional, or at least mandatory for one car representing each manufacturer. If that does come to fruition, could an additional ALMS race be slotted in the schedule?

ATHERTON: There’s obviously many unanswered questions. First and foremost, what’s the date? Once the [Test Day] date is sorted, what will the details be? That would help if it was optional. I’d never say never. We’ve done it once before in that we brought the teams back from Le Mans and ran at Sears Point. We learned our lesson with that one. It was very difficult and very expensive. Nobody liked it.
With low attendance, the ALMS has dropped Miller Motorsports Park, with an eye of it possibly returning in the future. (John Dagys)

To say that if the manufacturers could have a representative car at the Le Mans Test, which would enable them to have a representative car here or even to have a second set of cars... If that was case, we’d look long and hard at it.

We have some options that we could slot an additional event in that time. But the clock is ticking. You wouldn’t want to wait too much longer than right now to say that’s what we’re going to do. Right now we have no indication from the ACO of what they’re plans are.

DAGYS: With the Labor Day Weekend 2011 race set to be announced on Sept. 1, when do you anticipate the TBD date on July 3, 2011 to be finalized?

ATHERTON: Within the month and maybe sooner. We had every hope and expectation that we would have all of these details sorted. There was a bit of an unforeseen complication emerge that gave us cause to pause. It doesn’t put it jeopardy, but we’re being very cautious to announce something that’s not ready for public consumption.

What we don’t want to do is announce one schedule and fulfill another. I’ve lived through that back in the early years. We’re doing our due diligence and making sure that before we make a public detailed announcement that it’s locked and loaded.

DAGYS: The 2011 schedule features returns to all of the venues on this year’s calendar except one - Miller Motorsports Park. What was the particular reason to drop that round?

ATHERTON: I think everybody has been frustrated by the results primarily of the spectator counts not achieving anyone’s expectations there. What makes it more difficult for us is that it’s such a wonderful venue. It’s a purpose-built facility that’s ideal for our type of racing... Right now we’re taking a one-year hiatus with a ‘let’s see where things go in the future’ approach.

DAGYS: The 2010 season has seen a rise in car counts, averaging 34 entries at each race. Much of that is due to the success of the LMPC and GTC categories. Are you aware of any of those teams looking at moving up to LMP or GT next year?

ATHERTON: We’re aware of at least one and potentially two LMPC teams which are laying the groundwork to evolve into a full ACO-spec LMP program. That’s what we’ve expected and what we’ve wanted. I think there’s also at least one GTC program that is not looking to go GT racing, but looking at going LMPC racing.
With Oreca's new upgrade kit, making the jump from LMPC to LMP2 would be quite a cost-effective option for existing LMPC teams. (John Dagys)

DAGYS: The Petit Le Mans sees the debut of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup on U.S. soil. With the international championship set to also expand to include the Twelve Hours of Sebring for next year, do you see it as a positive development for the Series?

ATHERTON: Yes, for sure. When you look at the grid, you’ll be impressed with the caliber and quantity of world class entries competing at Petit Le Mans this year. It’s safe to assume a very similar lineup will be on the grid at Sebring. We’re expecting that the Petit Le Mans entry will start with a five. [At least 50 entries]. At a time when some would say more established forms of the sport are not achieving record car counts, that’s something for obvious reasons we’re proud of.

DAGYS: With Drayson Racing the only ALMS team fully committed to the three-round ILMC this year, and Jaguar RSR expected to take part in the end-of-year round in Zhuhai, China, are you at all disappointed by the lack of ALMS teams taking part in the ILMC? 


ATHERTON: It’s a very expensive undertaking. There is some assistance coming from the ACO. We certainly encouraged all of our teams, making all of the information available and reaching out on multiple occasions to make sure they were familiar with all of the details surrounding what the package was.

It would be nice to have more rather than less, but selfishly, we want their attention to remain focused here as well. We don’t want the success of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup to come at the expense of the American Le Mans Series.

DAGYS: Do you feel the future of the ILMC hinges on manufacturer involvement, not only in LMP1 but also in GT?

ATHERTON: I believe that’s what it’s going to be, at least initially. I think that’s ideally what the ACO wanted to see. And not just factory teams but also top level independents. Drayson certainly is an excellent example of that. I think you’ll see more examples from Europe because European race teams are much more accustomed to global travel and don’t hesitate to pack up and go. It’s the mentality there. International travel doesn’t present as big of a challenge as it may for an American-based team.


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