American Le Mans Series Gears Up for 1999
30 November 1998
For 1999 the sportscar racing picture appears to be getting a little clearer. The United States Road Racing Championship (USRRC) schedule, other than the 24 Hours of Daytona, has not been released. The other side of the sportscar story, Professional Sportscar Racing (PSR), has released their schedule for the inaugural American Le Mans Series which will conduct the races under the rules and regulations as provided by the Automobile Club de l'Quest (ACO), organizer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The ALM series will conduct 8 races in 1999. The series starts in Sebring, FL on March 20 followed by a race at Road Atlanta on April 18. On June 27 the series turns north to Mosport, Canada. The next two races bring back memories of the former International Motorsports Association (IMSA). Back to back week-ends at Sears Point, CA (July 25) and then head north to Portland, OR on August 1st brings back some traditional dates at both venues. Following the West Coast swing the series has a TBA on the schedule for September 11th or 19th. Two obvious missing holes from the "traditional" schedule would be the dates at Lime Rock and Monterey which are not listed on the schedule. The last two races follow on October 16th for the second Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta and then concludes the year in the streets of San Diego. The date for the San Diego race is yet to be determined. Perhaps the biggest news of the schedule is that for the first time in many years a major network (NBC) will have live coverage of three (Sears Point, Portland and the TBA) races. The other five races will also be covered live but will be broadcast on two cable networks ESPN or CNBC. Two new series will be added as support races for the 1999 ALM season. First, the Women's Global GT Series which will be headed by Lyn St.James as the executive director. The first prototype race car has already been tested on the track at Road Atlanta. The idea behind the series is to meet the ever-growing popularity of sportscar racing among females. The second support series will be a Superstars of Auto Racing Series which will feature past champions from all motorsports. The drivers will compete in identically prepared racecars. The early names being presented for the series are people such as Tom Sneva, Johnny Rutherford, Gordon Johncock and F-1 Champion Sir Jack Brabham. So while the strife within the sportscar arena is still not settled, it is interesting to observe that one series is putting together a marketing package that potential sponsors can understand and embrace with the all-important sponsorship dollars. Throw in live TV on a major network and you have the beginnings of what could be the end of the other series. The one area that both seemed to have found common ground is that GT1, for all intents and purposes, is dead both here in North America and in Europe as well. No doubt that will only elevate the GT2 class as former GT1 teams drop down to GT2. Time will tell. Testing for the 24 Hours of Daytona is only a few weeks away. It will be interesting to watch who shows up. Stay Tuned! David Treffer -- The Auto Channel