ALMS Events

[Edmonton]

Here are some ideas for events that the ALMS could do
Bring Back the 1000km race at BrandsHatch
Kyalami 9hours

[Karl Kling]

Great idea indeed! And how about the Monza 1000km.

[Edmonton]

Another idea I have is to turn the Spa 24hours in a full ACO rules race for both prototype and GT type cars.

[kdr]

now you're talking...although gt fans will disagree

[Burd]

The ALMS doesn't exactly have a strong track record when going overseas, and I *strongly* disagree with making any changes to the current format of the Spa 24 Hrs.

[Chevyguy]

I'm thinkin about more repeats. Six hours at Laguna Seca, that would be the bomb. I just wish they could get something going before Le Mans, I'm actually looking forward to the next GA race, I'm so starved for sportscars. At least there's still Winston Cup every weekend. Hmmm...yee frickin' haw. OK, then.

[danhx]

We'll see how the repeat thing works when they do the double at Road Atlanta. I know i'll be at both, but how many others don't mind le deja vu?

[Tim Northcutt]

Instead of repeats, how about using tracks that aren't on the schedule...

Mid-Ohio disappeared...good race course and an excellent place to watch a race....VIR would be 2nd on my list...I would have done that instead of Road Atlanta to replace DC for obvious geogrpahic reasons compared to the race that was cancelled that weekend...

I'm sure that others could name more places to run...I don't think "twice over" will sell enough tickets the second time around...

[Fab]

Don't forget that the main problem for teams is $... to travel overseas is almost impossible for european teams, except the biggest ones... no RFH, Pescarolo, Courage in ALMS, just for a money question. If it wasn't, the problems could have been solve for a long time...

I'd like to see an 'all stars' Spa 24 hours, but both GT fans and Ratel are against it. Let's forget it...

[Edmonton]

I'd like to see an 'all stars' Spa 24 hours, but both GT fans and Ratel are against it. Let's forget it... [/B][/QUOTE]

The howabout a seperate 24 hour race that runs under ACO rules?

[danhx]

Grand Am has VIR right now, and the two series don't overlap on any tracks don't seem to likely to want to share the same tracks.

[Tim Northcutt]

Does that same group that owns Watkins Glen also own VIR?

I thought there might be a foot in the door since one the other "Panoz-run" racing series was going to VIR in autumn (September or early October???)

The one place I would like to see ALMS run is the Cleveland Airport where CART races every July...

Wide-open track...well-attended...fast racing with lots of different racing lines to pass....I went two summers ago...a double header with CART as a try (not like the street-flop last season) would be good racing to watch...

[Edmonton]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
Does that same group that owns Watkins Glen also own VIR?[

No ,ISC owns wakins and VIR os privatley owned by a couple.

[Liz]

Watkins Glen doesn't meet FIA standards and since it is now designated a Historical Site, it can't be altered. So that's out.

I'm hoping Washington will come back on the schedule next year once the war is over.

[Tim Northcutt]

I didn't know that Watkins Glen was on the national register, Liz, but I may have started confusion when I asked about the ownership for VIR...

I'd have rather had the Washington DC change go the VIR for geographic and fan reasons...Watkins Glen wasn't part of my thinking on that...

sorry for the confusion

[blueflagger]

What about Heartland Park at Topeka? I'm quite certain the new owner, Ray Irwin (a GT-1 driver), would be amenable. Watching the old IMSA races there was great as that track is set up for good viewing.

[Tim Northcutt]

I've heard ood things about the facility, but it doesn't fit into the ALMS Marketing Plan...

Their plan is for races on the natural road courses adn, when the population base warrants it, try to run street chourses...

Kansas City is the only fairly large metropolitan area fairly close to Topeka (about 80 miles way) and with a population base of about 1.5 million, it is not the size market ALMS is looking to put new events into....

If one wants to look at markets (without harping yet again on Cleveland), take a look at Tampa/St. Pete, and race on the course that CART used to open this season...

For a "street course," the layout actually had some room to race and some decent straghtaways to complemnt the chicanes they devised...

That Metro area also is at least twice as large (if not more) that Kansas City...

an old IMSA race in the 1980s was run in Tampa on the Florida fairgrounds, and the attendance was fairly decent...

[brightline]

The Tampa/St. Pete area is one of the top 15 markets in the USA, but it is a street course, meaning city streets, meaning closing roads. So unless the ALMS races with CART next season don't plan on it. Also, technically Sebring is the same TV/fan market so you'd never see races in the same month, in the same market for ALMS.

[brightline]

Originally posted by brightline
The Tampa/St. Pete area is one of the top 15 markets in the USA, but it is a street course, meaning city streets, meaning closing roads. So unless the ALMS races with CART next season don't plan on a second ST. Pete race. Also, technically Sebring is the same TV/fan market so you'd never see races in the same month and in the same market for ALMS.

[brightline]

sorry meant to hit edit and hit quote by mistake. oops.

[Tim Northcutt]

To Brightline:

I was thinking more of a Miami replacement....

I was not very impressed with that race last year, and they had lots of issues to sort out just to make it happen....

BTW...I lived in Tampa in the 1980s...do they ever set up that road course out there at the Florida fairgrounds that was run on varous access roads, etc???

It wasn't that bad of a circuit....wouldn't have to close city streets for that one....

Or.. (look out...here comes a Cecil B De Mille...)

If ALMS is insistent on actual streets, how about Tampa streets with a circuit that would use Bayshore Blvd, maybe some of the wider streets on Davis Island, some of Hyde Park or the downtown, and maybe even the Crosstown Expressway from Bay-To-Bay back up to the Platt Street exit to complete the circuit???

At least it would have a couple of nice, long straights, plus some room where people could do some passing...

Wouldn't be that many streets to close, and Tampa is always looking for reasons to party and have out-of-towners spend money...

Kinda like "Gasparilla on Wheels" in the fall...

[veeten]

Ahhh... I was wondering if anyone remembered Tamiami Park. It was quite interesting watching the 962s vs the Chevy-Intrepids. Absolute fun.

[jslone]

Let me see if I can put this as delicately as possible;
BRING BACK THE WASHINGTON DC RACE.Veeten and a couple of others will attest(sp?) to what an awesome race it was and that there is a 10 year agreement.Also I can hop on the metro and be right there instead of a 3 hour tour just to get to a race event either at VIR or Summit point or others.

[Tim Northcutt]

I'd like to see DC come back, too...but the noise issue, and the difficulty in resolving it with the opposition will make that more difficult to accomplish...

VIR might be a 3 hour tour, but how far do you live from Atlanta???

I'll bet VIR is closer, and it is not a "double dip" into the same market within four months like Atlanta is....

[danhx]

Originally posted by jslone
Let me see if I can put this as delicately as possible;
BRING BACK THE WASHINGTON DC RACE.Veeten and a couple of others will attest(sp?) to what an awesome race it was and that there is a 10 year agreement.

I want nothing more than to see them back in D.C., and you're right, that was an INCREDIBLE race. I probably had the best "seat" in the house for that one since me and a friend worked there as makeshift security folk...we were actually supposed to be course marshalls but all the spots were filled by the time we got there on Saturday morning so we got an easy job since nobody, except for three or four photographers, even tried to come back there. We were stationed at the turn 2 hairpin so i could see the exit of turn 1 all the way down to the second hairpin. I could have reached out and slapped Kristensen as he was trying to hold off Magnussen...So yes i want that race back very badly so that i can go up there again and see if it can repeat the wonderful spectacle.