ALMS/LMS cars at Daytona!

[The359]

SRPIIs were also still allowed during 2003, I recall there being a Picchio and B2K/40 when I attened the VIR round in 2003.

[dxk1]

The Daytona Rolex 24 has had many forms over the years. Originally, in the early 1960s it was the Daytona 3h race. A few years later it became the Daytona Continental, a 2000 km race. Later, in 1966 it became a 24 hour race. It was part of the World Sports car championship at that time. Over the years, it was part of IMSA, The USRRC (1998 & 1999) and then became part of the Grand American Road Racing Championship in 2000. The early years (2000-2003) included LM Class cars (or at least very similar to LM cars) in GTS, GT1, SR, SRI and SRII etc. classes. 2003 saw the arrival of the DP and starting in 04, no more LM classes or LM-like classes. I guess there were now enough DPs and GTs so other entrants were no longer needed to fill up the fields.

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by dxk1

The Daytona Rolex 24 has had many forms over the years. Originally, in the early 1960s it was the Daytona 3h race. A few years later it became the Daytona Continental, a 2000 km race. Later, in 1966 it became a 24 hour race. It was part of the World Sports car championship at that time. Over the years, it was part of IMSA, The USRRC (1998 & 1999) and then became part of the Grand American Road Racing Championship in 2000. The early years (2000-2003) included LM Class cars (or at least very similar to LM cars) in GTS, GT1, SR, SRI and SRII etc. classes. 2003 saw the arrival of the DP and starting in 04, no more LM classes or LM-like classes. I guess there were now enough DPs and GTs so other entrants were no longer needed to fill up the fields.

The Daytona Continental ran from 1962-1965 first for three hours then for 2,000k.
It was alway part of the World Sports Car Championship from the start.

As far as I can remember, from 1966 till now, with the eception of the "Gas Crisis" BS, the 24hrs of Daytona only missed one year, and I am not sure of that.

Certain cars and classes were eliminated because the France faminy intended only for its chosen classes to win.
The GT1 cars interupted that scheme so they were eliminated.
The France family, from the get-go used the same controlled type of formula they were phasing into NASCAR from the start with the DP cars.

As controlled as the ACO formula is, it was too uncontrolled for the France family.
If they could eliminate any sports car competition as they have done with stock cars, they would do so in a heart beat, but when Big Bill died, the brains and heart of the organization died with him.
As many magazines of the era stated, when he "resigned" his official title, anyone who thought he was not the sole person with total control had better guess again.
Bob

[Hugewally]

'72 was a 6 hour race...

[Subaru_WRX_STi]

shame that GARRA rules are diffrents from the international FIA/ACO ones, so ALMS and Europeans teams can' run there with their GTs !