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GRAND-AM
GRAND-AM: ALMS Merger Made Official
John Dagys breaks down today's merger announcement and the preliminary details of the unified American sports car series...
History was made Wednesday morning at Daytona International Speedway when officials from GRAND-AM Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series announced a landmark merger that will see the two American sports car racing series under one championship beginning in 2014.
First revealed in a SPEED.com exclusive last weekend in Baltimore, the long-awaited unification had been more than six months in the making, involving GRAND-AM founder Jim France, ALMS founder Don Panoz and the series' two respective President and CEOs, Ed Bennett and Scott Atherton.
READ: Drivers, Teams, Manufacturers Weigh In On Merger
READ: Board of Directors Speak on Merger
It involves the merging the assets the Panoz Motor Sports Group, which includes ALMS/IMSA, Road Atlanta and the lease of Sebring International Raceway, into a new entity with GRAND-AM.
No name has been given for the unified series, nor confirmation of an exact class structure for 2014. However, a number of ALMS and GRAND-AM cars were on display at the announcement, including a Corvette Daytona Prototype, SRT Viper GTS-R and Corvette C6.R ALMS cars, as well as Dempsey Racing's P2-class Lola B12/80 Judd.
Atherton alluded to the likely inclusion of the ALMS GT category, while France confirmed the class structure will feature a mix of existing ALMS and GRAND-AM cars.
"Our vision is that we'll see a combination of those cars and our teams, both series, competing together for the championship," France said. "It will be a very compelling championship and I believe it will truly have some global recognition."
Both championships will continue to run individually next year, with the 52nd annual Rolex 24 at Daytona in January 2014 serving as the first official unified race.
Jim France will serve as Chairman of the new series, with Panoz acting as Vice Chairman. Bennett, Atherton, NASCAR Vice Chair/Executive Vice President Lesa France Kennedy and NASCAR Vice President/Deputy General Counsel Karen Leetzow will also be on the board of directors.
The Series' President and CEO has yet to be announced but is believed to be Atherton. An announcement is expected to come before the end of the year.
"I think sports car racing has distinct possibilities and I definitely feel like we are going to improve present conditions," France said. "There's no doubt in my mind that the answer lies with the two groups who are combining forces starting today. This is a great day professionally and personally for me. I've been a sports car racing fan my entire life."
First revealed in a SPEED.com exclusive last weekend in Baltimore, the long-awaited unification had been more than six months in the making, involving GRAND-AM founder Jim France, ALMS founder Don Panoz and the series' two respective President and CEOs, Ed Bennett and Scott Atherton.
READ: Drivers, Teams, Manufacturers Weigh In On Merger
READ: Board of Directors Speak on Merger
It involves the merging the assets the Panoz Motor Sports Group, which includes ALMS/IMSA, Road Atlanta and the lease of Sebring International Raceway, into a new entity with GRAND-AM.
No name has been given for the unified series, nor confirmation of an exact class structure for 2014. However, a number of ALMS and GRAND-AM cars were on display at the announcement, including a Corvette Daytona Prototype, SRT Viper GTS-R and Corvette C6.R ALMS cars, as well as Dempsey Racing's P2-class Lola B12/80 Judd.
Atherton alluded to the likely inclusion of the ALMS GT category, while France confirmed the class structure will feature a mix of existing ALMS and GRAND-AM cars.
"Our vision is that we'll see a combination of those cars and our teams, both series, competing together for the championship," France said. "It will be a very compelling championship and I believe it will truly have some global recognition."
Both championships will continue to run individually next year, with the 52nd annual Rolex 24 at Daytona in January 2014 serving as the first official unified race.
Jim France will serve as Chairman of the new series, with Panoz acting as Vice Chairman. Bennett, Atherton, NASCAR Vice Chair/Executive Vice President Lesa France Kennedy and NASCAR Vice President/Deputy General Counsel Karen Leetzow will also be on the board of directors.
The Series' President and CEO has yet to be announced but is believed to be Atherton. An announcement is expected to come before the end of the year.
"I think sports car racing has distinct possibilities and I definitely feel like we are going to improve present conditions," France said. "There's no doubt in my mind that the answer lies with the two groups who are combining forces starting today. This is a great day professionally and personally for me. I've been a sports car racing fan my entire life."
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