-
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
IN THE COCKPIT: Jan Magnussen, Baltimore
Let’s just get our Baltimore discussion out of the way. We are looking forward to VIR... Just kidding...
Jan Magnussen navigating through the concrete canyons and makeshift chicanes of Baltimore. (Photo: Jan Magnussen Racing)
Let’s just get our Baltimore discussion out of the way. We are looking forward to VIR.
Just kidding.
Actually not really. It seems like the No. 3 Corvette has operated under a racing black cloud for the last few races. We get a great, race-winning capable car and then something happens. In this case it was the first turn, first lap pileup in Baltimore – we thought we got away pretty clean, but we ended up with a puncture.
With only two hours and the limited passing areas that a street course provides, there’s not much you can do with strategy, so we got stuck in the back. We still finished on the lead lap, which is a true testament to the excellent Corvette Racing crew and my co-driver Antonio (Garcia), but…we cannot wait to get to Danville, Virginia.
But that’s not the big news, is it.
Within the last couple of days the ALMS and GRAND-AM announced that they were merging into a new sports car series in 2014. Talk about big news!
I originally heard about it in the Baltimore paddock rumor mill. We were all questioning whether it was going to really happen, and no one knew what was going on. But now we know and I must say if this merger comes together in the right way, this new series will be nothing short of fantastic.
But it’s not going to be easy. I’ve driven in both series and the biggest issues as you can imagine is from the technical side. The classes, the rules and of course the cars. Both groups have such different philosophies, especially with the ALMS having such close ties to the ACO and Le Mans.
Right now, the ALMS GT series provides some of the greatest racing that’s been seen at any point in the history of GT racing. I’d hate to see that go by the wayside as I think we have great parity with all the cars in the class, and I think that those who are in charge of putting this series together know that. It’s going to be quite a job they have ahead of them to figure all of this out by Daytona in January 2014!
The other important thing for me and the guys at Corvette Racing is to have the opportunity to race and develop a car in the US and then be able to take that same machinery to Le Mans each year and be in contention for the win. That is first and foremost in my mind.
I listened to the press conference and was encouraged to hear that everyone is committed to bringing together the best of both series. Besides the cars, some of the best elements will be the events and tracks. They mentioned a 12-race season. I’d be happy with a 16 or 20 race season! There are just so many cool events in great places. To think that in one season we can drive in events at Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta and Indianapolis, as well as all the street races with their great atmosphere, would be fantastic - for the drivers, teams and fans.
I also want to extend thanks to Don Panoz. Without his ideas and hard work, the ALMS would never have existed. To think it started with a small racing operation and the desire for a big race at Road Atlanta, and to develop into a strong world-class racing series, he deserves the credit. Even through the tough times, especially the economic downturn over the past couple of years, he and his staff have kept the series alive, even getting better every year.
So thank you Don. Your vision of a U.S. racing series with a strong connection to Le Mans was a success, and I hope that this new series holds onto that idea, because for the 2014 season I look forward to winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Sebring 12 Hours, Indianapolis and the 24 Hours of Le Mans!
See you at VIR.
Jan
A winner in all 12 previous seasons of the American Le Mans Series, Jan Magnussen, a four-time class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, drives the No. 3 Corvette Racing C6.R in the ALMS GT category with Antonio Garcia. For more information, visit www.janmagnussen.com.
Just kidding.
Actually not really. It seems like the No. 3 Corvette has operated under a racing black cloud for the last few races. We get a great, race-winning capable car and then something happens. In this case it was the first turn, first lap pileup in Baltimore – we thought we got away pretty clean, but we ended up with a puncture.
With only two hours and the limited passing areas that a street course provides, there’s not much you can do with strategy, so we got stuck in the back. We still finished on the lead lap, which is a true testament to the excellent Corvette Racing crew and my co-driver Antonio (Garcia), but…we cannot wait to get to Danville, Virginia.
But that’s not the big news, is it.
Within the last couple of days the ALMS and GRAND-AM announced that they were merging into a new sports car series in 2014. Talk about big news!
I originally heard about it in the Baltimore paddock rumor mill. We were all questioning whether it was going to really happen, and no one knew what was going on. But now we know and I must say if this merger comes together in the right way, this new series will be nothing short of fantastic.
But it’s not going to be easy. I’ve driven in both series and the biggest issues as you can imagine is from the technical side. The classes, the rules and of course the cars. Both groups have such different philosophies, especially with the ALMS having such close ties to the ACO and Le Mans.
Right now, the ALMS GT series provides some of the greatest racing that’s been seen at any point in the history of GT racing. I’d hate to see that go by the wayside as I think we have great parity with all the cars in the class, and I think that those who are in charge of putting this series together know that. It’s going to be quite a job they have ahead of them to figure all of this out by Daytona in January 2014!
The other important thing for me and the guys at Corvette Racing is to have the opportunity to race and develop a car in the US and then be able to take that same machinery to Le Mans each year and be in contention for the win. That is first and foremost in my mind.
I listened to the press conference and was encouraged to hear that everyone is committed to bringing together the best of both series. Besides the cars, some of the best elements will be the events and tracks. They mentioned a 12-race season. I’d be happy with a 16 or 20 race season! There are just so many cool events in great places. To think that in one season we can drive in events at Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta and Indianapolis, as well as all the street races with their great atmosphere, would be fantastic - for the drivers, teams and fans.
I also want to extend thanks to Don Panoz. Without his ideas and hard work, the ALMS would never have existed. To think it started with a small racing operation and the desire for a big race at Road Atlanta, and to develop into a strong world-class racing series, he deserves the credit. Even through the tough times, especially the economic downturn over the past couple of years, he and his staff have kept the series alive, even getting better every year.
So thank you Don. Your vision of a U.S. racing series with a strong connection to Le Mans was a success, and I hope that this new series holds onto that idea, because for the 2014 season I look forward to winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Sebring 12 Hours, Indianapolis and the 24 Hours of Le Mans!
See you at VIR.
Jan
A winner in all 12 previous seasons of the American Le Mans Series, Jan Magnussen, a four-time class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, drives the No. 3 Corvette Racing C6.R in the ALMS GT category with Antonio Garcia. For more information, visit www.janmagnussen.com.
ALMS Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
LATEST HEADLINES: AUTO-RACING
-
INDYCAR: 49ers Coach Jim Harbaugh To Pace The Indy 500
Jim Harbaugh, head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, will drive the… -
MILLER: Dinner With Legends
It’s become an annual event and, as my pal and longtime Indy… -
VIDEO: Dyson Tech Talk - Tires 101
The art of going fast: what kind of feedback does a driver want from… -
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… - More News
