NASCAR to purchase Grand-Am

[FIRE]

NASCAR to purchase Grand-Am

DAYTONA BEACH -- NASCAR Holdings today announced an agreement to acquire the Grand-American Road Racing Association.

The future move will allow for resource sharing between Grand-Am and NASCAR while both organizations continue to operate independently.

NASCAR Holdings is the legal operating entity that includes the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing and many of its subsidiaries.

Grand-Am, one of the world’s most competitive road racing organizations, and NASCAR, the No. 1 spectator sport in the U.S., will combine marketing and communications efforts to include brand management, research, marketing and public relations.

Grand-Am consists of six racing series, including the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series, which has millions of loyal fans.

"This combination of resources will benefit Grand-Am and NASCAR, their competitors and fans, as the two companies work together to enhance the two sports," said Jim France, NASCAR vice chairman and Grand-Am founder.

The two racing brands will continue to independently sanction and officiate race events for their own series and there will be no change in management. Roger Edmondson will continue to serve as president of Grand-Am.

...

Source: http://www.news-journalonline.com/Ne...ND01090408.htm

I am curious what this brings. Will they move to a tubeframe-silhouette-only series (so no longer Porsches)?


And for the GrandAm bashers: stay out of this topic!

[Justin Moran]

Maybe NASCAR are worried about their future and want to diversify in order to survive?

I dont know! Just a thought.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Source: http://www.news-journalonline.com/Ne...ND01090408.htm

I am curious what this brings. Will they move to a tubeframe-silhouette-only series (so no longer Porsches)?

And for the GrandAm bashers: stay out of this topic!

I don't think they will eliminate the Porsches in GT, after all they still make up about half of the field and with somewhat stagnant, and at times shrinking DP-grids (the big shrink was from 2006 to 2007) the series really needs a full GT-class in order to have a reasonable number of cars on the grid.

[The359]

I think they're simply going to shift some things around. The Grand-Am Moto-ST Series is already being shifted to AMA next year, I assume NASCAR wants to bring Rolex over and leave Grand-Am with KONI, Ferrari Challenge, Mustang Challenge?

[AU N EGL]

Marketing would be my bet

Grand AM is great racing and great for racers. But spectators numbers are low.

ALMS gets HUGE spectator numbers, NASCAR gets BIGGER THEN HUGE spectator numbers. But Grand AM is just so so.

IIRC Nascar Holdings previously owned a majority of Grand AM anyway.

[The359]

Yes, slap a NASCAR sticker on it to get fans, put some NASCAR stars in the cars occassionally, and leave them alone otherwise.

I do know however that Grand-Am is looking to run more rovals, such as Kansas, so I assume they'll look to start sharing more weekends with NASCAR beyond just Daytona.

[Subaru_WRX_STi]

I thought Grand American is already part of the Nascar holding

[johntt]

Originally Posted by The359

I do know however that Grand-Am is looking to run more rovals, such as Kansas, so I assume they'll look to start sharing more weekends with NASCAR beyond just Daytona.

Thats what I suspect will happen, more rovals.

[Dutton]

I too had thought NASCAR already had Grand-Am. Perhaps just Rolex? Ah, well, whatever, now there is no doubt.

Rovals...hmmm; hopefully they won't go overly nuts with them, given, IMO, they are the worst form of non-oval track. This would be an easy way to combine more weekends, though. Rovals...hmmm...

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Marketing would be my bet

You would figure so. This will certainly come ahead of racing considerations, at least. We just must hope that their cost-benefit and marketing analysese causes them to do things that will improve the racing scenario, howeverso coincidental this may be.

[dxk1]

I also thought that NASCAR owned a controlling interest in GARRA. So how does this change things? GARRA already runs on NASCAR-owned tracks don't they?

DK

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by FIRE

I am curious what this brings. Will they move to a tubeframe-silhouette-only series (so no longer Porsches)?

Grand Am have been telling some people that they would be moving to tubeframe-silhouettes for some time. Specifically, people within Porsche have been told, and Porsche have responded that they would exit should it happen. I guess we'll see whether Grand-Am moves forward with this anyway.

There have been suggestions, by some, for some time that this would become the NASCAR Road Racing Series.
http://murphythebear.com/blog/index....he-mucky-duck/

Many of the people who have owned Grand Am shares, were also involved with NASCAR, mutual ownership, along with some minority shareholders.

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Many of the people who have owned Grand Am shares, were also involved with NASCAR, mutual ownership, along with some minority shareholders.

Exit strategy. move too ALMS.


I wonder since the Big 3 are putting a little squeeze on NASCAR, that NASCAR is squeezing back?

[Jonerz]

@ AU N EGL: So when NASCAR doesn't pull through on any of the "suggestions" the big three will wind up in Grand-Am which will, at that point, be a near exact replica of Trans-Am...?

Chris

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by Jonerz

@ AU N EGL: So when NASCAR doesn't pull through on any of the "suggestions" the big three will wind up in Grand-Am which will, at that point, be a near exact replica of Trans-Am...?

Chris

Good Question Chris.

The Big Three want the cars raced to look more like the cars sold. eliminate the carberators, and go to fuel injection, PLUS E85 as a fuel.

Grand AM Has

Pontiac, which no one is sure how well that is for marketing. Pontiac tends to be more of a Drag racers car, not a sports car. However, Pontiac does proved lots of good support for its Pontiac branded vehicals

Ford does have there Miller Mustang Challenge, which does help Ford sell more Mustangs.

Dodge is not involved in Grand AM.

[fieldodreams79]

please put mustangs, cameros and challengers in one of the series and call it TransAm or don't call it trans am....someone needs to do this with the "thowback" cars, and maybe the big 3 and NASCAR can make it happen. *not holding my breath*

however, i don't see this changing the GA much. maybe more of the aforementioned "rovals"; because "sportscar" really belong on banked tracks with two right turns and a chicane or two.

[cptkablamo]

I think they will definitely sure up the DP class and try to grow it, maybe at the expense of the GT category, there will be more weekends with NASCAR associated series, and as for the rest, I don't know...

[The359]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Grand AM Has

Pontiac, which no one is sure how well that is for marketing. Pontiac tends to be more of a Drag racers car, not a sports car. However, Pontiac does proved lots of good support for its Pontiac branded vehicals

Ford does have there Miller Mustang Challenge, which does help Ford sell more Mustangs.

Dodge is not involved in Grand AM.

Pontiac runs in both classes, so they have the biggest support of the three. Ford supplies the most teams in DP, but they have no marketing involved in it. Dodge has never been involved, and I doubt they will simply because they lack the money.

I think this might benefit Rolex, but I'm not sure what they'll do about KONI. I also wonder what the Ferrari Challenge thinks about being related to NASCAR...

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Dodge is not involved in Grand AM.

Yet. Black Forest, who ran the Mustangs in GT are really fed up by the lack of support from Ford for their prep 2 cars (Ford would rather see their manracer in GT) and are rumored to switch to Chargers during the offseason.

[AU N EGL]

We see some many Mustang GTs coming from Grand Am over to race in NASA.

Lots of Koni teams are fed up with the poor TV coverage ( but what you expect). However, the races are Longer then SCCA or NASA races so that is what keeps the Koni Challenge going. Decent Length races.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by cptkablamo

.... there will be more weekends with NASCAR associated series...

...and run circle tracks or thru the infield past the campers?

dodge and toyota have money tied with NASCAR. you will SOME more involvement of both, some way with GA...about the only "real" sudden change i expect, if any.

[Jonerz]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Yet. Black Forest, who ran the Mustangs in GT are really fed up by the lack of support from Ford for their prep 2 cars (Ford would rather see their manracer in GT) and are rumored to switch to Chargers during the offseason.

So they'd take off the Mustang stickers and put on Charger (Challenger?) stickers. Do they really think Cerberus who wouldn't help the ALMS GT2 program would help the Grand-Am GT program? If funding is there problem why not take off the Mustang stickers and put on Pontiac stickers?

Chris

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Jonerz

So they'd take off the Mustang stickers and put on Charger (Challenger?) stickers. Do they really think Cerberus who wouldn't help the ALMS GT2 program would help the Grand-Am GT program? If funding is there problem why not take off the Mustang stickers and put on Pontiac stickers?

Chris

Quote Blackforest driver Tom Nastasi: "This time we're not gonna go it alone".
That's all I know.
I don't think Dodge will have to invest big-time into the project, a little technical support on the engine side would probably be enough. As I understand it, Ford were really uncooperative and made life really hard for the BF-guys.

And you're right, I meant the Challenger.
As for not going Pontiac: The Pontiacs are built by P&M, so they can't slap a Pontiac-shell on their Crawford-running gear.

[The359]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

...and run circle tracks or thru the infield past the campers?

They run the road course at Daytona a few days before the Coca-Cola 400, I'm sure they can manage that at other circuits. Grand-Am already announced intentions to run the to-be-built infield road course at Kansas in the next few years.

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

...and run circle tracks or thru the infield past the campers?

That was a great episode of Top Gear

dodge and toyota have money tied with NASCAR. you will SOME more involvement of both, some way with GA...about the only "real" sudden change i expect, if any.

Dodge has no money for any racing these days.

NASCAR may wind up being a Spec Toyota Camry race series

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

NASCAR may wind up being a Spec Toyota Camry race series

GM won't be leaving anytime soon IMHO. Despite everything, they have a much larger percentage of market share, with NASCAR fans, than they do in the general marketplace. I believe I read it was in the 40-49% range, though the exact figure escapes me.