USRRC Releases Initial Five Races of 1998 Schedule; Additional Venues to be Announced
22 December 1997
For Immediate Release ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—The United States Road Racing Championship has released the initial five venues of its inaugural 1998 Can-Am and GT Championship season, including the Rolex 24 at Daytona, two six-hour races and two sprint events. The 1998 USRRC schedule begins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, January 29-February 1, followed by a six-hour race at the Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex, in Homestead, Fla. (date TBD), competing as part of the NTB Trans-Am Series weekend. The USRRC will also join the NTB Trans-Am Series on two additional weekends, June 14-16 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio, and June 27-28, at the Sprint PCS Grand Prix of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, Minn. The fifth confirmed 1998 venue for the USRRC will be a six-hour contest at Watkins Glen International, August 21-23, in Watkins Glen, N.Y. "While we had wanted to release our initial schedule at an earlier date, we felt compelled to wait until we could announce venues with which we had firm agreements," said Alan Wilson, USRRC Operations Consultant. In addition to the five initial races, negotiations with several other venues are continuing and the complete schedule will be announced as soon as agreements are finalized. The entire 1998 USRRC schedule is anticipated to include 10 venues. Each of the five announced USRRC weekends will be sanctioned exclusively by the USRRC/SCCA Pro Racing. The Can-Am and GT series will compete together, but for separate series and class victories, at the 24-hour and six-hour races. The sprint-race weekends will feature separate contests for the Can-Am and GT series. "Our goal for this inaugural USRRC season has always been to stage a mix of sprint races, six-hour and 24-hour endurance races on the finest North American road racing circuits," said Wilson. "Our initial five venues successfully begin this balance, and the additional to-be-announced races will complete the package, offering fans across the country the opportunity to watch the Can-Am and GT cars in a variety of race formats." 1998 USRRC Schedule - Initial Five Venues Date Venue Jan. 31 - Feb. 1 Rolex 24 at Daytona, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla. TBD The Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex, Homestead, Fla. June 14-16 The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio June 27-28 The Sprint PCS Grand Prix of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn. August 21-23 Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, N.Y.