Could Porsche entry kill ALMS?
"If you look at ALMS and the new Porsche LMP2 car . . . I think it’s the biggest threat to their existence. And there’s a view into the difference in these two companies (Grand-Am and ALMS).
"They believe – and I’m not saying they are wrong – the Porsche LMP2 is the great white hope, the car that’s going to change the course that ALMS has been on. They’ve either been stagnant or had a little dip (in entries) the past two years.
"We believe the introduction of that new car, with the factory budget, is going to have a chilling effect. There’s two ways to look at it. There’s going to be spectators that get in their cars and go to the races because they want to see this new car. So there’ll be a positive effect in that sense. But if they wind up with 19-car fields instead of 25-car fields, because of it, that’s gonna make some people who came and watched this time not want to come and watch next time. So it all balances out. But I believe it’s a mistake . . .
"Let me suggest that Porsche doesn’t care about the LMP2 class. What happens anytime you hang your hat on the manufacturers is that somebody in a boardroom decides that racing will help them sell cars. And once they’ve accomplished that goal, they’re done with it. Whatever they leave behind, whether it’s no privateers or a series in shambles, it’s not their concern." Roger Edmondson, Grand-Am President