Enjoy the LMES in Europe...

[tblincoe]

because the ALMS is going to hell in the US... the racers group leaving the ALMS is a huge blow to the series in my opinion, and a sign that something drastic needs to be done soon or we risk losing teams like Dyson, Champion, etc. etc.

[eddsc]

Are you sure he has left the ALMS?
Patrick Flanagan is the key name, and he's driving with Buckler at Fontana this weekend... so no decision yet?
MC

[SALEEN S7R]

Do u always have to be so happy? Aston Martin should be on the grid next year, and a 2nd ACEMCO Saleen, and Krohn Barbour will be back, just not with a Murciealgo. Miracle will have a 2nd Courage too next year, and arent Intersport looking at the new LMP 2 lola? Things are looking pretty good for 2005.

[GT1]

I'm not sure how you define pretty good, but 05 looks a little better than 04, but considering how bad 04 was, thats not hard.

It was a mixture of things that the ALMS could have done differently. Cancelling races every year put little faith in potenial sponsors, potenial compeititors, and fans.

Having Audis, or even one Audi, guarented that you had no real chance of winning. Only Dyson and his exploding MGs and the works Panoz have won on occasion.

GTS this year was terrible. Every race was a walk over for Corvette. A couple Lambos looked good getting lapped for a while, then we went back to a five year old Viper and a Saleen.

I would love, REALLY LOVE, to see ALMS suceed. I am a tremendous fan. I just dont' see it happening.

[19dodge]

you wont see many more cars in the alms next year. it will be about the same as this year.

we will see 2 Barbour cars, 1 new miracle courage, and maybe a 2nd saleen for part of the season, but that will probably be it. and if we loose racer's group, and a few other teams, we would be back at that 24-26 car grid..

[SALEEN S7R]

I think we will also see a Aston Martin programme in the ALMS. LMP 2 should also see another Courage C65 - I forget who was mentioned but there was another team mentioned other than Miracle, we could have 3 C65's next season, and Im sure Ive heard stories before about the new Lola LMP 2 going to Intersport.

I think we can expect to see regular 30 car grids for 2005, possibly more at selected rounds. Sebring is looking in very good shape anyway, Aston martin are confirmed, and Maserati will probably be there too to show the ACO commitment. Also Creation have said they want to look at doing a ALMS campagign too, now that they arent going GT racing anymore.

[JAG]

I can't believe how downbeat US based ALMS fans are. There are a number of significant new entries coming, particulalrly in 2006 from Aston Martin, Maserati and Audi.

Grand-Am is currently booming, but it is a totally different product to the ALMS. The two can survive side by side.

Just look to Europe at how quickly fortunes can change. In 2003 the FIA SCC was attracting 10-12 regular entries at best, due to LMP1/2 reg uncertainty and a lackluster championship. This year the new LMES attracted fantastic entries with many new teams entering the prototype ranks. This trend is set to continue into 2005!


I have to say I am dissapointed that the ALMS, seemingly, cannot attract at least a couple more LMP1 entries. The Zyteks are avaialable for a reasonable price so why hasn't an ALMS team picked one up. JOTA have run one on a tight budget and had some decent results!

Is NASCAR so dominant in the US that topline road racing is now a thing of the past over there?

[BSchneiderFan]

At the moment Maserati won't be there, as the ACO has not homologated the MC12.

[Nordic]

I think we will also see a Aston Martin programme in the ALMS

Do you really see Aston/Prodrive getting a car ready to race in time for the start of next year?

It has already been said elsewhere that the 05 is a testing the water year and the car will be run direct by Prodrive before a few customer cars are released in 06.

The car will only appear in a few selected races, not a full series.

[JAG]

Originally posted by BSchneiderFan
At the moment Maserati won't be there, as the ACO has not homologated the MC12.

But it will in 2006, as will the Aston Martin and more than likely Audi.

The entry list will look a little different then!

[Nordic]

I have to say I am dissapointed that the ALMS, seemingly, cannot attract at least a couple more LMP1 entries. The Zyteks are avaialable for a reasonable price so why hasn't an ALMS team picked one up. JOTA have run one on a tight budget and had some decent results!

Fancy giving it a shot yourself? everyone has to start somewhere, maybe we could go halves.

[Nordic]

ebay GT2

Maybe an LMP1 may be a big step, maybe we should start here. ebays great, will look behind the sofa tonite

[19dodge]

Aston Martin WILL NOT be in the full ALMS next year. read my lips!!! they will be with a private team in 2006 in alms. Prodrive MAY run a few alms races in 2005. that is they MAY... more details will come out next week.

I believe the Maseratis will be on the grid in sebring, since i think thats what the ACO wants them to do (so the ACO can determine the performance of their cars, and decide weather or not to let them into the rest of the ACO backed races).

there will not be a 3rd Courage in alms. the only other team that was considering buying one was Bucknum, but now, they have shut down their LMP2 efforts and will concentrate on star mazda.

[tblincoe]

ALMS and GARRA obviously can't live side-by-side because GARRA has taken away teams like Doran, PTG, and now TRG. 2005 will be a rough year for car count, although Sebring should be amazing with a TON of new cars and entries from Europe. like a new Lola LMP2, the Prodrive Aston Martin DB9s, the Maserati MC12, the Corvette C6-R, etc.

[vwpilot]

I think it will be much like this year was. AM will not be here full time next year. We will likely see them for Sebring and that is all for the season. Maybe Petit or Laguna to end the season, but I would not count on anything more than Sebring.

The second Courage for Miracle will be driven by Bucknam drivers, so we dont gain any new cars in P2, just a different car. The only hope would be if Willman, the reported money behind Bucknam, decides he still wants to drive and puts together his own team. We'll see.

Intersport may run some new cars, but it wont add to the grid. What I would like to see from them is a couple of the new Lolas and outfit one for P1 and one for P2, like they are running now. Then with them being the new rules package they will have a whole year up on anyone else coming in '06 with new P1 cars.

Maybe we'll see Creation for a few races next year, but I doubt they will be around mid season while the LMES is going on. Maybe beginning and end like this year.

At this point I have heard nothing for sure about the Maserati or the second Acemco car, so I wont hold my breath on either. We also dont know what Barbour will be running. Hopefully something in GTS to help that class out, but if its GT, oh well.

Lastly, I dont think that if Buckler leaves the ALMS its all that big a deal. Sure he has been a staple in the series and provided two more cars on the grid, but what did he really do this year? His cars were basically grid fillers in a class that already has the best racing and biggest entries of the series. Losing to mid pag GT cars is not nearly as bad as if Champion decided to leave, or Intersport or GM. Its unfortunate, but I dont think that most people will really notice.

That being said though, we dont know if he is leaving or not. Hopefully he will not and he will get back to the level he was a few years ago. But we dont know for sure as of yet.

In my eyes, I dont see it being a worse year than it was this year. I dont se it being a big improvement though either. Hopefully I'm wrong in that respect, but I think that we will be at least as good off as thie season was. What will really be the measuring stick is what happens by middle to end of next year in the way of announcements for '06. That will be the real telling point. If nothing big happens for then, the ALMS will truly be in trouble.

[JAG]

Originally posted by tblincoe
ALMS and GARRA obviously can't live side-by-side because GARRA has taken away teams like Doran, PTG, and now TRG. 2005 will be a rough year for car count, although Sebring should be amazing with a TON of new cars and entries from Europe. like a new Lola LMP2, the Prodrive Aston Martin DB9s, the Maserati MC12, the Corvette C6-R, etc.

I don't think there are many crossovers between the series. There is no doubt that PTG would be in the ALMS if the M3 GTR V8 was homologated, and hopefully will be back when/if the new V8 M3/M4 hits the tracks.

Being realistic, by 2006 we can expect works backed AM and Maserati GTS teams and works backed Audis in LMP1. You would hope by 2006 the new Lola etc. will have shown their true potential and will be picked up by a couple of teams.

GARRA is going through a boom period at the moment but as happened in BPR GT and now FIA GT, within a year or two the lesser teams will drop out.

[JAG]

Just read that TRG could run in the LMES next year.

Anyone else think it would be viable to combine 3 or so ALMS events with the LMES for a 'world' Championship/Series in 2006.

If a world series could be structured to limit the amount of travelling, i.e 2 or 3 races in a row in the US, could it be viable.

[JAG]

2006?

Sebring
? (Another US event)
Spa
Nurburgring
Le Mans (Non Championship)
Silverstone
Monza
PLM
Laguna

[tblincoe]

i would love to see:

12 Hours of Sebring
1000km of Road America
1000km of Spa
1000km of Nurburgring
24 Hours of Le Mans
1000km of Silverstone
1000km of Monza
Petit Le Mans
1000km of Laguna Seca
1000km of Suzuka

[richmini99]

ALMS and GARRA obviously can't live side-by-side because GARRA has taken away teams like Doran, PTG, and now TRG.

Grand Am has taken nothing fom the ALMS. Doran, and TRG have run in Grand Am for years on a consistant basis. When was the last time Doran ran a full ALMS season? Remember, Dyson and Intersport used to run full-time in Grand Am before they moved to the ALMS.

[tblincoe]

of course GARRA is taking away potential sponsors, drivers, and teams from the ALMS. new teams are going to GARRA because its cheaper than the ALMS thats obvious...

[richmini99]

you make it sound as if these drivers and potential sponsors are a birthright of the ALMS or something.

[tblincoe]

no, what im saying is that GARRA is obviously drawing potential sponsors, drivers, and teams from the ALMS... in no way did i suggest they were the ALMS's birthright.

[richmini99]

but when you said:

ALMS and GARRA obviously can't live side-by-side because GARRA has taken away teams like Doran, PTG, and now TRG.

...you seemed to paint Grand Am the villian. I guess that's why I mistook your comments about sponsors and drivers. My mistake.

[tblincoe]

its ok, i definitely think that the ALMS is mostly to blame for many of their problems.