It's a matter of acknowledging different regions are at different stages of their sporting development, positioning yourself to be in place when said sports take off, with resultant investment to counter downturns elsewhere.
This is not the European Le Mans Series, it's the World Endurance Championship and needs to reflect that. It's a cheap shot to point at empty grandstands in Bahrain given it's year one of a major investment by the country. I can point to empty grandstand for the last 30 years at classic tracks like Monza. It's the home of Ferrari and Maserati, neither manufacturer has supported the sport beyond a handful of GT cars in the last decade, Italian fans have been sparse in their support and government support is most definately not available. Encourage and support the European Le Mans Series' development, successful races will make a case for possible inclusion in the WEC, they shouldn't be automatic inclusions because they were classics in Stirling Moss' time or even Steve McQeen's.
When the last World Championship ceased in the early 1990's motorsport was on the brink of major change, the series isn't kicking on from where the last one ended, believe it or not there's been a generation between the two and that will be reflected in the calendar. For all the talk of Sebring and PLM being kicked in the balls, neither would be viable beyond 2013 if Grand Am insist on playing to their rules. The feelings for PLM's exclusion in particular justifies series looking to expand in new directions, the race didn't even exist before 1998. Who's to say Sao Paulo won't be a cornerstone of the calendar in years to come and PLM will slip from prominance now Daytona and Watkins Glen return?
Europe has to get back some order, the sportscar racing landscape has been confusing at best. Beyond rounds already in the WEC and the case for a German stop over, which European tracks stand out as criminal omissions?
It's time for teams and fans to support the ELMS and help it fullfill it's potential, I want to see a strong local series, seeing it support the spectacle of the WEC which itself can take the sport into new regions and re-establish Le Mans support in places like Japan.
