ALMS should be divided into seperate races.....

[Geva racing]

The American Le Mans grids are to small for individual classes. Becuse of the "overtaking backmarkers" situation GTS and GT teams don't want to get involved with the ALMS.

I also think there is a maximum grid rule in place which prevents larger class grids from forming.

I think Don Panoz should get two seperate championships both with 4 hour racing. How can the ALMS keep up with entries when BMW, Audi, Lola, Reynard, Panoz and at some races Caddilac want to enter more cars + the LMP 675 class is growing also.

In GTS things want to grow but a lack of slots is holding things back. Chrysler, Chevrolet, Panoz, Porsche and perhaps cars like the Lotus and the TVR (for european races)
are also looking to enter in substantial numbers + GT class is getting attraction from a lot of manufacturers and the Normal core of cars : Porsche, BMW and Panoz are looking to enter.

with greater class grids the spectacle would be more so.

the problem with Don Panoz is: he wants to mimic Le mans but you can't do that on a championship basis.

[Heeltoe6]

No way. Endurance racing has always been about different classes. All the way back through IMSA. Grand am split thier prototype and gt field at LRP and trois-riviers with extremely poor(boring) results. Seeing the speed differentials, goinbg through traffic, and the overtaking is one of the most challenging aspect of endurance racing, without three different classes on the track, there are less battles and it loses its edge

[Neil C]

I think HT6 is right. In long races driving around a continuous loop (circuit) gets repetitive for all involved. The addition of other classes provides a random factor, a moving chicane, that makes each lap different from the last.

[marcus]

we have had the same situation here in Australia with our GTP series..it was really bad with ferrari's,Vipers and Porsche's all battling for the lead trying to get past a very slow Suzuki swift or something like that..it was very scary and how there wasnt any really big accidents I will never know.

2000 has seen it move into 2 seperate classes..the Nations cup for the big supercars such as Ferrari, Porsche,Viper and even Lamborghini..and GTP for the slower but still very quick cars such as Falcons and Commodores and Mitzubishi lancers and the like..so far it has been a huge sucess..allthough the nations cup class could do with a few more cars it is working well..it has also given the guys in the smaller capacity cars some much needed TV exposure as they have their own race with Tv coverage instead of only being seen when the big cars flash past them like last year.

so it has worked well over here but will it work in the ALMS ???
I have no idea..but i guess they should look at it and see what they can do ..also our V8 supercar series now is a 2 part series ..one for the professionals and then 1 for the privateers who then earn points in their own series and gain entries to special events with the professionals..this could also be another posibility.

[marcus]

I have just finished reading an article in a magazine and it stated that Dick babour wants 30 sec penalties for the prototype cars who hit the Gt cars.
he claims his cars have been hit 6 times in the last 6 races and the last time it cost his team the race at Texas.
another team owner Rohan Skea has stated the same thing adding he has purchased bull bars from his homeland of Australia to be fitted to his car and is going after anyone who hits him again..(that should make for some interesting TV)
the prototype drivers have also had their say ..
JJ Lehto claims "Some of them drive in the middle of the road and dont leave space on the left or right of them and basically give us (prototype drivers) no option but to hit them"
his team mate Jorg Muller says the same thing "some stay on their line and know what to do but others just weave all over the place when they see you coming ..it needs to be sorted out during the drivers briefings"

I dont know if this was the reason behind the starting of this topic or not but there does seem to be a problem which does need to be sorted before someone gets hurt..the speed difference is way to much but all classes need to sit down and get things together to say what each party must do.

but seperating them will give the opportunity for each class to d more runners so it seems it has it plus side and its negative side

[Heeltoe6]

Also, don't forget, a gt driver taking out the #78 Audi at Mosport in a spectactularily bonhead move.

[Geva racing]

Nobody should replicate Le Mans like Panoz did.