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American LeMans
ALMS: Atherton Pleased With Baltimore Revival
American Le Mans Series President and CEO looking forward to return of Baltimore Grand Prix, which will be organized by new race promoters...
John Dagys  |  Posted February 15, 2012   Chicago, IL
The highly popular Baltimore Grand Prix has been given a new lease on life for 2012. (Photo: John Dagys)
While questions surrounded the future of the Baltimore Grand Prix, Wednesday's news that city officials have named a new race promoter for 2012 not only comes as a welcome development for the IZOD IndyCar Series but also the American Le Mans Series, which shared the bill for the event's inaugural running last year.

Baltimore Mayor Stephane-Rawlings Blake selected Downforce Racing, a group consisting of Felix Dawson, Daniel Reck and Dale Dillon, the latter who had served as head of operations for previous street races in St. Petersburg and Toronto, as organizers of the Labor Day weekend event in a new five-year contract.

For ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton, the revival of the Baltimore GP, which proved to be on the of series' most successful events of 2011, a return to Baltimore's Inner Harbor will likely be another highlight of this year's season.

“We’re very pleased with the new partnership between the City of Baltimore and Downforce Racing confirming the continuation of the Baltimore Grand Prix," Atherton said. "The group is very qualified from both an operational and a financial perspective, making it a wise choice for the growth of this great event.

"The new agreement is in the best interests for all parties and sets a course for the long-term success of the race. We look forward to working with Downforce Racing, the Mayor’s Office and all involved to build on the success of the inaugural event.

“There’s no question this news will be extremely well received by all ALMS teams, sponsors - and especially our fans. As was witnessed in 2011, the greater Baltimore/Washington area is full of ALMS enthusiasts and this year’s event will no doubt attract even more.”

More than 100,000 fans turned out for the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix last year, which saw Olympic Gold Medal-winning swimmer Michael Phelps serve as Grand Marshal for the two-hour ALMS race.

This year's running, scheduled for Sept. 1, is set to be Round 8 of the ten-round championship, which will conclude with the 15th annual Petit Le Mans in mid-October.

John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
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