RusH
02-18-08, 12:43 AM
No, not if this response I got from someone connected to the ALMS is true. Official forums, BTW.
For the American Le Mans Series, some might see it as a mixed blessing. I was working on an editorial looking at how the three – IRL, CCWS, and ALMS – series we cover did in the past year. IRL was getting a C+, CCWS a D, and ALMS a B+, the latter mostly on the strength of the new strategy sharing weekends with the open wheel series, and the green initiative’s ability to attract manufacturers to the ALMS grids. At least some of that was because the two open wheel series were leaving center stage wide open. That will now end, of course, but those shared weekends become even more valuable, don’t they?
Does the American Le Mans Series now really become the support series in those shared weekends? It may. In some cases it never was anything else – Long Beach, for instance. In others it held its own, or better, as a partner – Mid-Ohio and Road America. Mostly the weekend show will just get bigger and better, and the ALMS just has to make sure it’s as good – or better – a show as its open wheel partner. It demonstrated in 2007 it can do that.
With Houston, there’s no mention in the rumored agreement of continuing on the open wheel calendar. I’ve been told that Houston will carry on with ALMS as headliner if it has to. Good if possible. Road America certainly should be able to support a sports car-only weekend – we’ve always believed that. Looking beyond 2008, the great track really needs to be back on a combined open wheel schedule. In the meantime, the increased – and positive – exposure in 2007 should contribute to a successful 2008 race. In fact, taking that a bit further, we hope that the 2009 schedule is a carefully considered melding of the best of the two. Not every IRL date needs saving. Not so many CCWS dates need be abandoned.
For the American Le Mans Series, some might see it as a mixed blessing. I was working on an editorial looking at how the three – IRL, CCWS, and ALMS – series we cover did in the past year. IRL was getting a C+, CCWS a D, and ALMS a B+, the latter mostly on the strength of the new strategy sharing weekends with the open wheel series, and the green initiative’s ability to attract manufacturers to the ALMS grids. At least some of that was because the two open wheel series were leaving center stage wide open. That will now end, of course, but those shared weekends become even more valuable, don’t they?
Does the American Le Mans Series now really become the support series in those shared weekends? It may. In some cases it never was anything else – Long Beach, for instance. In others it held its own, or better, as a partner – Mid-Ohio and Road America. Mostly the weekend show will just get bigger and better, and the ALMS just has to make sure it’s as good – or better – a show as its open wheel partner. It demonstrated in 2007 it can do that.
With Houston, there’s no mention in the rumored agreement of continuing on the open wheel calendar. I’ve been told that Houston will carry on with ALMS as headliner if it has to. Good if possible. Road America certainly should be able to support a sports car-only weekend – we’ve always believed that. Looking beyond 2008, the great track really needs to be back on a combined open wheel schedule. In the meantime, the increased – and positive – exposure in 2007 should contribute to a successful 2008 race. In fact, taking that a bit further, we hope that the 2009 schedule is a carefully considered melding of the best of the two. Not every IRL date needs saving. Not so many CCWS dates need be abandoned.