The ALMS/GARRC battle takes nasty public turn

[KC]

A group of investors has sought and received permission from the city of Miami to hold a street race for the American LeMans Series. The city of Homestead, Florida along with France (NASCAR) family owned International Speedway Corporation has filed an injunction to block the event from going forward citing it would do irreparable damage to the city owned Homstead-Miami Speedway, the city of Homestead, and the surrounding area. The emnity between Don Panoz and the France family stems from a power struggle to determine who will control sports car racing in America. The ALMS uses the ACO-LeMans regulations while the Grand American Road Racing series uses a privateer backed series and does not agree with or allow factory backed efforts.

Both series have run negative public adverts against the opposing side and the battle is starting to become personal. Unfortunately for sportscar fans both sides are right in some ways. Factory teams cannot be trusted to consistently support a series, and most fans do not care to watch unknown and uncelebrated privateer teams race. This legal and personal battle will only bring both sides of the equation to ruin if it continues.

[Heeltoe6]

What ISC is trying to pull is joke, they should hauled into court for violating anti-trust laws

[Liz]

Apparently this is personal between Bill France and his NASCAR people against Don Panoz and his "dadblamed furriners" for control of sports car racing in the USA.

One of the most specious "reasons" I have heard the France people put out for their opposition to the ALMS race is that "the fans will become confused" between the IRL race at Homestead and the ALMS race in Miami.

The people of Homestead are Air Force. They have been out of town now and then and they are capable of telling the difference between an LMP-900, a Corvette, a Porsche, and an open-wheel Indy car. And they know the difference between Homestead and Miami. Not to mention the difference between a street and a stadium.

If someone calls himself a fan and can't tell the difference between an open wheel car racing in an oval stadium and a sports car racing on a downtown street, he needs to get into something a little less confusing.

Like hopscotch.

[meatballeyes]

... there may be more to it than that.

homestead speedway is owned by the city of homestead, and run by isc (nascar). very recently it has come to light that the city of homestead has been seriously mismanaged and is in dire financial straits. the feds may even have to take over! (yikes)

so...

the city of homestead frowns on any lost opportunity to generate revenue from an event at their track. the city of homestead MAY be behind the isc whining.

otoh, nobody would show up to a sportscar race at a "roval" like homestead anyway. so, no race in homestead might be a blessing in disguise for the city of homestead.

hope that helps

[Liz]

Wasn't that why Champ Cars left Homestead? Because nobody showed up?

Thanks for the extra info too. Panoz will prevail.

[meatballeyes]

... the place was packed when we went to homestead in 1998. of course, a lot of those tickets were purchased by marlboro and mailed in advance to their favorite smokers.

we fell in love with le mans, so we havent been back since. (sebring instead )

im not sure if you all have heard, but the miami city council has voted unanimously to have an alms street race in downtown miami next year. some rumors suggest that an alms/cart doubleheader is a possibilty, but thats mostly speculation.

kipling hugh taylor

[Liz]

I'd go to that one. (A friend of my cousin who owns a Porsche GT team says 'that will give the phrase drive by shooting a whole new meaning.)