-
Home
- TV Shows
- TV Schedule
- NASCAR
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
Le Mans / ALMS
DAGYS: It’s Time For GT3 In America
With the European Le Mans Series now embracing GT3 machinery, could its American counterpart be next?
The sight of Mercedes-Benz SLS AMGs and BMW Z4s in the American Le Mans Series could be just around the corner, if the ALMS adopts GT3 cars to its grid for 2013. (Photo: Arno Murith /SRO)
Friday’s news that the European Le Mans Series would adopt GT3 cars to its grid with immediate effect perhaps came as no complete surprise, given the championship’s dwindling car count, which forced the cancellation of next month’s round in Zolder, Belgium.
But the dramatic move by ELMS promoter Patrick Peter and the ACO, which will likely result in a brace of Audi R8 LMS, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and McLaren MP4-12Cs on the grid at Donington Park in July, may end up sending a ripple across the pond that could finally kick start the proper integration of GT3 cars in North America.
The concept of the GT3 platform, a success on no fewer than four continents since its launch in 2006, has been a highly debated topic in the U.S. racing community for years. While attempts to launch a standalone American championship, run by GT3 brainchild Stephane Ratel, never got off the ground, the interest level for the new breed of customer GT machinery in the States has risen, enough so to catch the eye of GRAND-AM.
What the NASCAR-owned road racing series has failed to do, however, has been to fully embrace the platform and instead allow modified versions of popular models, such as the Audi R8 LMS and Ferrari F458 Italia GT3, into its highly competitive Rolex GT category. There’s also talk of new GT3-based cars from BMW and Aston Martin joining GRAND-AM as early as next year.
But with significant modifications required, including an entirely new, thicker roll cage in the case of some GT3 cars to meet GRAND-AM’s safety and competition standards, along with those cars being de-tuned and mixed in with the series’ existing tube-framed machinery, many prospective teams and car owners have shied away from GRAND-AM’s adoptive formula.
Instead, they’ve gone to the American Le Mans Series, hoping to sway the rules makers to allow less-restricted GT3 machinery into their show. Audi’s efforts to bring its R8 LMS into the highly competitive GT ranks has been the most visible and documented, although other manufacturers, including BMW, have been in talks with IMSA to have a modified Z4 GT3 replace its aging M3 GT for next year.
While both manufacturers are believed to have run into some hiccups in the ALMS GT homologation of the cars, primarily dealing with engines, one has to question why the ALMS can’t fully embrace GT3 as-is?
The future of the ALMS GTC category, currently restricted to Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars only, has not yet been decided, with 2012 marking the third full season of its initial three-year minimum commitment. It leaves one to wonder if the ALMS could follow in its European counterpart’s footsteps and open-up GTC to GT3 machinery in 2013?
One could argue that both series are faced with very different situations. While the ELMS struggles to reach a minimum of 20 cars across its five categories, the ALMS is booming, fresh off a capacity field at Long Beach and up to 38 cars expected for next month’s round at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
But with nearly half of its grid consisting of spec-machinery (either Oreca FLM09s for PC or the Porsche Carrera Cup car), it could be time to make the plunge and fully embrace the diverse GT3 formula, in its own category, without any major compromises.
But the dramatic move by ELMS promoter Patrick Peter and the ACO, which will likely result in a brace of Audi R8 LMS, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and McLaren MP4-12Cs on the grid at Donington Park in July, may end up sending a ripple across the pond that could finally kick start the proper integration of GT3 cars in North America.
The concept of the GT3 platform, a success on no fewer than four continents since its launch in 2006, has been a highly debated topic in the U.S. racing community for years. While attempts to launch a standalone American championship, run by GT3 brainchild Stephane Ratel, never got off the ground, the interest level for the new breed of customer GT machinery in the States has risen, enough so to catch the eye of GRAND-AM.
What the NASCAR-owned road racing series has failed to do, however, has been to fully embrace the platform and instead allow modified versions of popular models, such as the Audi R8 LMS and Ferrari F458 Italia GT3, into its highly competitive Rolex GT category. There’s also talk of new GT3-based cars from BMW and Aston Martin joining GRAND-AM as early as next year.
But with significant modifications required, including an entirely new, thicker roll cage in the case of some GT3 cars to meet GRAND-AM’s safety and competition standards, along with those cars being de-tuned and mixed in with the series’ existing tube-framed machinery, many prospective teams and car owners have shied away from GRAND-AM’s adoptive formula.
Instead, they’ve gone to the American Le Mans Series, hoping to sway the rules makers to allow less-restricted GT3 machinery into their show. Audi’s efforts to bring its R8 LMS into the highly competitive GT ranks has been the most visible and documented, although other manufacturers, including BMW, have been in talks with IMSA to have a modified Z4 GT3 replace its aging M3 GT for next year.
While both manufacturers are believed to have run into some hiccups in the ALMS GT homologation of the cars, primarily dealing with engines, one has to question why the ALMS can’t fully embrace GT3 as-is?
The future of the ALMS GTC category, currently restricted to Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars only, has not yet been decided, with 2012 marking the third full season of its initial three-year minimum commitment. It leaves one to wonder if the ALMS could follow in its European counterpart’s footsteps and open-up GTC to GT3 machinery in 2013?
One could argue that both series are faced with very different situations. While the ELMS struggles to reach a minimum of 20 cars across its five categories, the ALMS is booming, fresh off a capacity field at Long Beach and up to 38 cars expected for next month’s round at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
But with nearly half of its grid consisting of spec-machinery (either Oreca FLM09s for PC or the Porsche Carrera Cup car), it could be time to make the plunge and fully embrace the diverse GT3 formula, in its own category, without any major compromises.
ALMS Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
LATEST HEADLINES: AUTO-RACING
-
VIDEO: Dyson Tech Talk - Tires 101
The art of going fast: what kind of feedback does a driver want from… -
VIDEO: Indy 500 History Lessons, Helio Castroneves
Team Penske's Helio Castroneves talks about the first time he watched… -
VIDEO: SPEEDing Through Hinchtown, Episode 2
Andretti Autosport IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe utilizes the… -
LE MANS: Driver Lineups For LM24 Finalized
Seats at Delta-ADR, Morand Racing, JMW Motorsport and others confirmed… -
PHOTOS: V8 Supercars COTA Gallery
UPDATED: View more than 150 photos from Austin as V8 Supercars Austin… -
GT: Black Falcon Mercedes Wins Rain-Soaked Nurburgring 24
Sean Edwards, Bernd Schneider, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Nicki Thiim… -
DAGYS: A Bright Future For V8 Supercars In America
John Dagys reflects back on the successful inaugural Austin 400 and… - More News
