GRAND-AM: Over $1 Million On Tap In 2012 Bonus Program

UPDATE A reader writes, Dear AR1.com, Where is this $1 million in bonus prize money (in addition to the regular prize money) coming from? It certainly can't be from ticket sales, hardly anyone attends Grand-Am races. It can't be from TV revenue. The ratings are so small on Speed TV what sponsor would pay for that? So I want to know, is the France family going to prop up the Grand-Am Series with voodoo economics until they kill off ALMS, much like the Hulman George family used voodoo economics to prop up the IRL until CART failed? Inquiring minds want to know. Mordichai Rosen, LA, California

11/18/11 The top Rolex Sports Car Series teams will be competing for more than one million dollars in additional bonus money in 2012 through a new season-long initiative announced today by GRAND-AM Road Racing.

The new program will be open to the top 10 teams that compete in every event in both the Daytona Prototype and GT classes. The year-end payout is expected to be well in excess of one million dollars, in addition to all other per-race prize money and contingency awards.

"This new program is a great way to offer a year-end bonus that will have a positive impact on a team's annual budget, and an additional method of recognizing the teams that compete with us consistently," said GRAND-AM President Tom Bledsoe. "A nice side benefit of this new plan will be a battle for teams and drivers to finish in the top 10."

The top-10 finishers in Daytona Prototype and GT will share equally in their post-season payout per class.

The 2012 season opens with the 50th anniversary running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 28-29. Prior to the Rolex 24, the Rolex Series has two tests scheduled at Daytona International Speedway: Dec. 6-7 and the Roar Before the Rolex 24 on Jan. 6-8.