ALMS 2005 Schedule -- What Do You Want To See??

[Tim Northcutt]

I know that the ALMS will not announce their 2005 Season until Friday, September 24th at Petit Le Mans....

And I'm sure that I'm going to be happy with what they announce...they are doing things right when it comes to races, venues and such....Mr. Atherton is a man of vision....and I like where ALMS is going in the future...

But now that the ACO has moved "Test Days" to June, just two weeks before the Race, this opens up a lot of possibilities for the ALMS to schedule events after Sebring and before Test Days....about 10 weeks worth of time to do it.....


Let's have some fun with our "Wish Lists" for events we would like to see happen in that 10-week period....

My Guesses:

At least one event is going to happen...we've heard rumors of adding a date for next year to make 10 races, and Mr. Atherton certainly wants an event after Sebring in the spring....

But how about two races????

Maybe even Three??? (that's stretching it, but 10 weeks is a lot of time)

My "Wish List":

Three events:

1. A race in Southern California in early April...possibly Long Beach with OWRS????

This doesn't excite me, because I don't want to see a street parade, and the experiences that ALMS had with the former CART in the past would make this a long shot...

but LBGP draws good crowds, and maybe we win over some new fans to ALMS at those venues??? I think it is worth considering...for a little bit anyway, before saying "no thanks"

I don't see this happening....but I've been wrong before

2. Barber Motorsports Park the third or last week in April....Great venue with shorter straights than I would prefer for these cars, but overall the course, the terrain changes, the setting, and the facilities are top notch there....

3. The Long Course at VIR the first or second week in May...an ideal track for anyone doing Pre-Le Mans Test Days work, and VIR is a venue I would LOVE to see on the ALMS schedule...whether it would be in the Spring or even on a Labor Day weekend (now there is an idea!!!)


Reality Check for Tim:

Barber Mostorsports Park in Mid-Late April is my guess....

and IF a second race would come about, it would be in early-mid May...
But I don't know if it will happen...

But I want to know what you think....don't be afraid to push the envelope on this one!!!!

Your Thoughts????

[BSchneiderFan]

If I had to pick ten races, I'd go for (not necessarily in this order):

Sebring 12 Hours
Laguna Seca
Sears Point
Mid-Ohio
Elkhart Lake
Watkins Glen
Mosport Park
Mexico City
Lime Rock Park
Petit Le Mans

There may be some practical problems, but that would be a good calendar for me.

[luke]

Sebring 12 hours
St.Petersburg
Long beach
Mid-ohio
Lime-rock
Sears Point
Portland
Mosport Park
Road America
Mexico city
Laguna seca
Road Atlanta 10 hours

[GT-Eins]

As I stated in a thread before a reduced schedule with some longer races may fit the current situation better...

but if the series gets up momentum and get more participants in 2005 10 will be ok.
VIR would be a great addition
I´d like to see Montreal added to the list - as JV with CART

[luke]

Yes add Montreal to the list and take out Long beach.

[paul-collins]

Sadly, you won't see any longer races this year - at least as far as I know.

Another (remote) possibility is that ALMS might team up with IRL for St Pete April 1-3. St Pete is a very decent street course.

I've also heard that Gerald Forsythe is not any longer involved with Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez - is this true?

[Tim Northcutt]

Keep in mind, guys, some realities that already exist:

1. The window of opportunity that has "opened up" here is in April and early May....at least that is the context in which I have begun this thread....

Montreal and Watkins Glen aren't going to work in April or early May...

Now the ALMS also has a desire to "create bridges" within their schedule that will make it easier for teams to get...as an example...from the East Coast to the West Coast...or from the far north to the south...by scheduling venues "in between" those events that are en route to that other coast or region....

Example:

I believe Lime Rock is locked into July 4 weekend...at least I read that on another thread....I assume it is true since no one corrected it...

Sears Point was two weeks later this year on July 18...

Mid-Ohio was the last weekend in June this year...but next year would be just 6 days after Le Mans if the schedule stays the same as it was in 2004...

A logical shift would be to run Lime Rock July 4 weekend, followed by Mid-Ohio the following weekend (July 11 or 12?) and then travel to Sears Point....

I suggested VIR as a Labor Day event because teams could go from Road America to Virginia, and then to Petit....

Another possible "bridge' Might be a race in Calgary following Portland, then go from Calgary to Mosport...or to Road America next year...Calgary has been a rumor on the Champ Car forums, BTW...as an event surrounding the "Stampedes"

This kind of travel is more logical than to "hopscotch" the country.....and the ALMS is keenly aware of this and wants to address it...

I want you to think about these "bridges" as well, but...

If you would, Please consider "Spring" venues where:

- the weather is likely to be good, and WARM
- the region or market is a new one, or a needed one, that should help broaden the fan base and the national appeal of the ALMS

That's where the "window" is open right now....between Sebring and the June "Test Days"....a window 10-weeks wide

remember, we've been reading recently that the ALMS REALLY wanted this "Test Day" switch to June so that they could look at racing events they could schedule after Sebring and before the "Test Days"...

Mr. Atherton hinted that they want a "Post-Sebring and Before Test Days" race in the "Atherton Interview" thread that started over a week ago...

BTW...I'd love to have the ALMS at The Glen, and at Montreal as well....

But the are more of a possible "Bridge" that would include Montreal after Road America or Mosport (switch those two in the schedule?), followed by Watkins Glen, as the bridge to get to Road Atlanta for Petit....

Provided, of course, that Petit will be in late September again with Laguna as the final race...like it is this year...

Thanks!

[PRODRIVEALLSTAR]

I would like to see more and longer races. This is what i would choose.

*=endurance race

*sebring*
miami (if it's in better condition)
road america
long beach
laguna seca
sears point
barber motorsports park
*mexico city*
mid ohio
lime rock park
mosport
watkins glen
portland
vir
*road atlanta*

[paul-collins]

Wisconsin in the spring?

...also, you've got Laguna, Sears Point and LB all together. That's not great marketing, especially for Sears and Laguna, which are both close to San Francisco.

[Tim Northcutt]

I was writing "War and Peace" when the last two post were made, but you hit the nail on the head, Paul...

also, remember that many of these venues have other races already under contract...

and the ALMS may have multi-year agreements for specific weekends or dates with many or all of these venues already in place....

[Tim Northcutt]

Concerning St. Pete:

Running in the Tampa Bay area two weeks after Sebring may not be a good option....

Miami and St. Pete are two distinct markets that are at least 4-5 hours apart travel-wise....

that's why the IRL can run Homestead in Late Feb. and St. Pete in early April...they won't canibalize their audiences for both events...

Sebring is less than 90 miles away from Tampa and St. Pete....and many race fans travel from Tampa to Sebring for the 12 Hours...I did when I lived there

Thus they would be two events that are too close to each other (both geographically and on the calendar)....

[RCSKULLY]

VIR considering the course is less than an hour from me and I have not even been to ONE road course in my entire life. Also seems to be a big enough course and really looks like an ALMS type course. Very long too, though a lot of work would need to be done to it.

[therealdeal]

Id like to see MIAMI... different course obviously, maybe run the old biscayne bay park circuit..?

[skycafe]

What happened to the San Diego IMSA course? Is that still there under the busses and taxis and such? Adding an event in Southern California would seem to be a good idea, even if a street circuit (no other options at all in that part of California).

[Tim Northcutt]

Although I did include a Southern California event in my "Wish List," I would be open to any course that is different than the current track at Long Beach...

I'm just not very fond of that circuit...

and to be honest, the only two street venues I have enjoyed in recent years in any form of motorsports are St. Pete and Surfer's Paradise...

The rest stink....

Mr. Atherton also noted in the "Interview" thread that a street race would have to make business sense for them to do it...

Personally, I hope they stick to the "purpose built road course facilities".....I like the racing action on them much better than I do the street tracks...

But that brings us back to Southern California...a region where the ALMS would like to race....

and there are no purpose-built road courses there that can handle these cars....

Willow Springs and Buttonwillow are not suited to ALMS-type racing....at least that is what everyone who "should know" or "does know" in the racing business has told me...

So if they go to S. Cal., I guess a street race would be the only real option...

[cybersdorf]

How about a race in Libya? Revive the old Tripoli Grand Prix, that sort of thing.

[Tim Northcutt]

Travel costs would be too high for teams to afford...