ALMS at Mosport for the last time

[SurfaceUnits]

http://dlstatic.speedtv.com/imageserve/0gYS4k02qx2tb/575x459.jpg?fit=scale&background=000000

http://photos.speedtv.com/gallery/ALMS%3A_Mosport_Grand_Prix_Photo_Gallery

[Trevor Longman]

I had an absolute blast this weekend. I've been to some good tracks (Watkins Glen, Road America, Lime Rock) but this one blows them all away. From a spectator perspective I've never been to a track with such amazing sight lines and perspectives. The hillside outside of Moss Corner as well as outside of turn 3 are especially outstanding.

In the end I was pulling for the Viper so hard but the LMPC car had to jump in there and ruin the fight. Good race though in most classes besides LMP1. Close to the very end and really enjoyable to watch. I'll be back next year for sure and if anyone cares to join me I would HIGHLY suggest it! :cool:

[opinionated ow]

why is it the last time at mosport?

[Gnam]

ALMS won't be around next year. The race will be part of the merged series USCR. Although, they have not announced a schedule, so Mosport might not be on it.

[Andrew Longman]

ALMS won't be around next year. The race will be part of the merged series USCR. Although, they have not announced a schedule, so Mosport might not be on it.
Could they possibly be so stupid to leave Mosport off the schedule?

Now, does Indy need to be on the schedule? ;)

[Gnam]

Apparently, there is an oval in-field road course in Kansas that has the inside track. :shakehead:

http://www.racer.com/insight-uscrs-2014-schedule-taking-shape/article/303718/

[Andrew Longman]

Per the article:


NASCAR/ISC events that are going to happen:

1: Daytona, Rolex 24
2: Sebring, 12 Hour
3: Watkins Glen
4: Road Atlanta (Petit Le Mans)

NASCAR/ISC event also said to be happening:

5: Kansas

Non-NASCAR/ISC events that are very likely to happen:
6: Long Beach
7: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
8: Detroit
9: IMS road course
10: Road America
11: Circuit of The Americas

Might happen if a 12th race is added, or if other tracks drop out:

12: Baltimore
13: Lime Rock
14: VIR

15: Mid-Ohio
16: Mosport

Kansas? Obviously the epicenter of the Sports Car World. :rolleyes:

Weren't the Run Offs done there because it was the geographical center of the USA and an equal as possible haul for everybody.

Kansas and IMS don't belong on that list. Detroit and Baltimore don't if they don't make more money as an event. At least non of them belong ahead of Mid Ohio and Mosport and Lime Rock.

But of course the real issue is the series doesn't produce enough sponsorship value for more than 10 races and Continential Tire Series is proven to be more popular.

[SteveH]

Canadian Tire Motorsports Park to get United SportsCar Series date (http://blogs.canoe.ca/thedeanofspeed/general/canadian-tire-motorsports-park-to-get-united-sportscar-series-date/)

[Rogue Leader]

Talk about burn, Limerock had both Grand Am and ALMS dates, and now very well may have nothing.

[Gnam]

Canadian Tire Motorsports Park to get United SportsCar Series date (http://blogs.canoe.ca/thedeanofspeed/general/canadian-tire-motorsports-park-to-get-united-sportscar-series-date/)

“It’s one of only four tracks that have had an American Le Mans Series race every year that there has been a series.”

Sports Car Trivia: Name the other three.

[SteveH]

Road Atlanta, Sebring and Laguna Seca?

[mapguy]

Camped in Turn 3 with friends. Great weekend. Even though our tents got blown over Friday. Here are some of my pics.

http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj490/mapguy2/Mosport%202013/_IGP2116_zps5931cf3e.jpg

http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj490/mapguy2/Mosport%202013/_IGP1946_edited-1_zps7098b20f.jpg

http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj490/mapguy2/Mosport%202013/_IGP1810_edited-1_zps6edee0b5.jpg

[opinionated ow]

it would be criminal to race on a street circuit with the new series with the amount of fantastic natural terrain road courses in the USA. Sebring, Lime Rock, Austin, Watkins Glen, Road America, Road Atlanta, Laguna Seca, Sears Point, Mid-Ohio, Portland, Daytona, Mosport, Mont Tremblant, Alabama, VIR, Miller Motorsport Park, IRP road course etc. are all world class layouts. Some might need upgrades to be world class facilities but that's kind of neither here nor there.

[Gnam]

Road Atlanta, Sebring and Laguna Seca?

Correct. But I had to look it up.

[Rus'L]

Apparently, there is an oval in-field road course in Kansas that has the inside track. :shakehead:

http://www.racer.com/insight-uscrs-2014-schedule-taking-shape/article/303718/

Here are my predictions made before the Lime Rock date:

http://www.deepthrottle.com/Essays/13_lrp_day0.shtml

I have a ton of respect for Marshall Pruett, and certainly he has a heck of a lot more inside contacts than I do ... but Kansas? Really? That makes no sense on so many levels. And would be by far the dumbest decision the new USCR could make.

And, he lists Mosport as dead last in the candidate list, when we already know (granted, after he wrote the article, but he did say Mosport wasn't being mentioned by anyone) that Mosport has the contract on their desk, and all they need to do is sign it.

[Rus'L]

Apparently, there is an oval in-field road course in Kansas that has the inside track. :shakehead:

http://www.racer.com/insight-uscrs-2014-schedule-taking-shape/article/303718/

Here's an interesting "follow up" article Pruett wrote on the plea to go to Canada. Interesting, because he placed Mosport last. :D But, his points in this article are completely valid.

http://www.racer.com/opinion-why-uscr-must-go-to-canada/article/304498/

[Gnam]

And, he lists Mosport as dead last in the candidate list, when we already know ... that Mosport has the contract on their desk, and all they need to do is sign it.
I worry that the 25% increase in sanction fees will be a problem. USCR now has a monopoly on the sports cars market, but it remains to be seen if the demand is there. It would be a shame to lose a track because they couldn't afford the added risk.

[Rus'L]

I worry that the 25% increase in sanction fees will be a problem. USCR now has a monopoly on the sports cars market, but it remains to be seen if the demand is there. It would be a shame to lose a track because they couldn't afford the added risk.

Exactly my thoughts. Especially when you factor in how much ALMS tickets cost now. I can't see tracks trying to raise them much more, so where is the additional income going to come from? Hopefully, the sponsors' excitment over the series merging (and I have heard there are many sponsors quite happy with this, and are now willing to either get involved or increase their involvement) will help offset this.

However, there is such a thing as making a product "high end" in the hopes that it creates a cycle of growth, as it becomes the "in" thing to get involved in for manufacturers, sponsors, fans, etc. In fact, using the ALMS ticket costs as an example, they are way higher than Grand Am tickets, yet they usually get more fans to their events, even when a track has both series which makes a perfect comparison. The higher priced series got more fans. True, ALMS is better than Grand Am :D but I wonder how much of that is perception based on price.

This is one of the things that helped CART grow so well when they had a monopoly on open wheel racing. And in an extreme example, is one of the factors in F1's explosive growth over the past 20 years. When you create a perception your product is a must have (i.e., you don't cheapen the product with low prices or massive giveaways or renting tracks, ala IndyCar), it becomes a must have that people are willing to pay for.

[Duroc]

Apparently, there is an oval in-field road course in Kansas that has the inside track. :shakehead:

They've done great at the infield road courses. Let's see.... California Speedway, PIR, Iowa are all gone, they dropped Homestead like a bad habit now they got Sebring, and running around an empty IMS.

:shakehead: