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Grand Am
GRAND-AM: Series Turns Ten: 2001 Season
Enjoy the second in a series celebrating the first 10 years of GRAND-AM, leading up to the sanctioning body's 10th anniversary at the 2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Grand-Am Communications  | http://www.grand-am.com  |  Posted November 24, 2009   Daytona Beach, FL
Grand-Am made national headlines at the 2001 Rolex 24 with the pairing of Dale Sr. and Dale Jr. in the #3 Corvette. (LAT)
Enjoy the second in a series celebrating the first 10 years of GRAND-AM, leading up to the sanctioning body's 10th anniversary at the 2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona.

The Rolex Series expanded to 11 events in 2001, running twin features at Lime Rock Park on Memorial Day. The Six Hours of Watkins Glen was moved from the season finale in September to its present date in June, while a second stop at the historic circuit was added to WGI's August NASCAR weekend. The second Daytona date was moved from July to November, serving as the season finale.

Once again, GRAND-AM had five classes. The lead SportsRacing Prototype class was renamed SRP, joined by SRP II, GTS, GT and AGT. A new point system stressed individual drivers, so that teammates could not share a championship.

James Weaver repeated in SRP, edging Dyson Racing teammate Butch Leitzinger by 12 points. They won six events, ending the year with three consecutive victories after winning at Homestead and sweeping the Lime Rock races. Didier Theys won two races with Mauro Baldi for Doran Racing and placed third in the standings. Jon Field won a pair of races with Oliver Gavin and finished fourth.
Legendary sportscar entrants Dyson Racing claimed SRP honors as James Weaver edged teammate Butch Leitzinger to the driver's title. (LAT)

Andy Lally finished all but one race on the podium and captured SRP II honors for Mike Johnson's Archangel Motorsport Services. He won three races, including the Rolex 24. Chris Bingham took GTS honors in the Park Place Saleen, winning seven races with Ron Johnson. Darren Law won the GT title for G&W Motorsport, while Craig Conway and Doug Goad won seven races to share the AGT championship for Flis Motorsports Team X-1R, the present Spirit of Daytona.

The biggest surprise of the year was turned in at Watkins Glen International, when NASCAR drivers Kyle Petty and John Andretti combined to win the GT division in the August Bully Hill Vineyards 250 for Orbit Racing in a Porsche.

Once again, the lead SRP class failed to come through in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Butch Leitzinger held a 23-lap lead in the Dyson Racing Riley & Scott Ford with three hours remaining, when he suddenly pulled to a stop in the infield, victim of engine failure. The Dyson No. 16 was posted as the leader for the next hour, until the GTS class Corvette of Ron Fellows completed enough laps to officially take the lead.

The Corvette went on to win in a very popular victory. Joining Fellows, Chris Kneifel, Franck Freon and Johnny O'Connell were teammates Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelly Collins and Andy Pilgrim, who finished fourth overall and second in class - but dominated the headlines before, during and after the event. "Welcome to the 24 Hours of Earnhardt," Ken Willis wrote in the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

While the SRP class went on to score overall victories in the remaining 10 races, the car count slipped from 15 in the Rolex 24 to nine in the second race at Homestead, and was down to six for two of the final three races. GRAND-AM officials began to design a new lead class of cars, one that would be unveiled on the eve of the 2002 Rolex 24.
Grand-Am fans were treated to an odd sight at the Rolex 24: Allan McNish and David Brabham piloting a Risi Ferrari F333! (LAT)

GRAND-AM added a second series in 2001. When the Motorola Cup - which traced its roots to the IMSA Firestone Firehawk Endurance Championship that began in 1985 - was discontinued on the eve of the season, GRAND-AM reacted quickly and added the Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series.

Competition was held in four classes. Doug Goad won the Super Grand Sport (SGS) championship, Sylvain Tremblay prevailed in Grand Sport (GS), Bob Endicott in Sport Touring (ST) and Will Nonnamaker in Compact 2000. Tremblay and David Haskell led SpeedSource to seven victories in the bright yellow Mears Motorcoach-sponsored Porsche 911s.





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