Grand-Am race fixed? No.
As to the response you posted from Grand-Am I can only say while I was born at night, it was not last night.
A quick visit to the Grand-Am web site stats page has some very interesting information compiled by Grand-Am. The 'Grand-Am Rolex Series Team Performance Index' lists the teams based on 'Performance' in descending order. The #01 Chip Ganassi Racing LEXUS is listed as the best performing Team year to date this season! Of the top ten teams in the performance index four are Lexus powered while four are Pontiac powered despite the fact that there are more teams powered by Pontiac engines than Lexus engines! Lexus and Pontiac dominate, therefore it appears Grand-Am should have been looking harder at helping the Porsche, Ford and BMW teams than the Lexus teams. The #01 CGR Lexus has handily beaten the #75 Krohn Pontiac all season, shouldn't the Krohn Pontiac receive some last minute help?
As for dynos having no favorites 'most' engineers will confirm that static dyno test results, even on in floor dynos, are not always replicated on the race track due to a complex set of variables otherwise F1 test teams would rely on bench racing rather than being forced to go to the track to prove, or disprove, what the dynos, windtunnels, and computers spit out.
If, as Grand-Am claims, 'The Lexus engine has run at a disadvantage in horsepower and torque all season' why on earth wouldn't the sanctioning body have implemented this horsepower and torque 'recipe' mid-season where everyone could see what the advantage would be and things could be remedied if it was too big of a step? If it's an equalization formula they are trying to attain then it is hard to argue they already had it with only three points separating the top three teams going into the last race.
It is obvious to me, and many others I assure you, that the horsepower and performance enhancements granted Lexus teams were implemented to help a specific team beat an independent minnow team that has been punching well over its weight to the irritation of the big players and powers within Grand-Am.
How much of a coincidence is it that Grand-Am gives out a last race horsepower increase and Ganassi's driver, Scott Pruett, is now scheduled to appear on Wind Tunnel the night following the conclusion of the Championship [Editor's Note: Wrong, Pruett will appear on Wind Tunnel this Sunday, not next] despite Alex Gurney and John Fogarty's record breaking season and having been named as two of the best sports car drivers in the world? Like I said, I was born at night, just not last night. Nicholas Bennett
09/07/07 Grand-Am threw a curve ball into the ultratight Daytona Prototype title battle, giving one of the championship aspirants a break ahead of the series finale at Miller Motorsports Park on Sept. 15.
The 5.0-liter Lexus engine, which powers the Chip Ganassi Racing Riley driven by Scott Pruett-who is one point off the championship lead-will use a new cam-shaft. Grand-Am officials believe the Toyota Racing Development-built powerplant lags behind the Pontiac V8 used by the two other teams fighting for the title, Gainsco/Bob Stallings and SunTrust Racing.
Ganassi managing director Mike Hull welcomed the news. He was unable to put a figure on the horsepower increase the cam will provide, but he rubbished suggestions from GM that it could be as much as 25 hp. GM road-racing boss Steve Wesoloski, not surprisingly, came out against the move by Grand-Am. "I don't think we've been pulling away on the straights. It has taken Gainsco seven victories to pull a one-point advantage. That shows how close it has been, so why change it now?" AutoWeek
09/07/07 This rumor is downgraded to 'false' and we apologize to the Grand-Am for not checking the facts with them first. Facts as presented to us by the Grand-Am:
Fact: We dyno test engines when they are presented, without regard to the time of year, point standings, media favorites, sponsorship programs, etc. The Lexus engine has run at a disadvantage in horsepower and torque all season. This is straight from the dyno and most people agree that the dyno has no favorites.
Fact: TRD has presented an engine that produces horsepower and torque that is virtually identical to that produced by the Pontiac. Not more. Nearly identical.
Fact: Grand-Am has approved that engine recipe and those teams fielding cars with the Lexus/TRD engine are now free to take advantage of being equal to the Pontiacs.
Fact: There is no talk in the paddock as we have not held a race since the approval was granted. If there is talk in the paddock next week, I hope it will be of a more informed and adult manner than you imply.
Fact: There is no reason to await a series announcement. Simply checking our web site would have produced this information as early as August 31st.
09/07/07 Also, the Wayne Taylor team is 3rd just 3 points behind in the championship with Pontiac power and they too will lose out if Lexus gets more HP.
09/06/07 The word in the Grand-Am paddock for the season finale at Miller Motorsport Park in Utah is that the Grand-Am series (read that the France family) have decided to fix the outcome of the race and hand the championship to the Chip Ganassi team. The Gainsco team has won eight straight poles and taken many race wins and now lead the Scott Pruett led Chip Ganassi Lexus team by one point. Now comes word that the series is going to grant the Lexus teams more HP ahead of this weekend's season finale so that the Scott Pruett car can win the championship. We await the official series announcement on more HP for the Lexus teams.