France family moves closer to IMS as they prepare for future buyout
A preliminary test of nine Grand Am Series cars — five Daytona Prototypes and four GT machines — is scheduled Sept. 3.
"We don't have a race in mind for them, but we're trying to collect as much data as we can regarding cars on the road course," said Jeff Belskus, who last month replaced Tony George as chief executive officer of IMS Corp., the parent company of the Speedway and the Indy Racing League. "It is our centennial (celebration). Let's see what unfolds."
Belskus said using the Indy cars for a road course weekend has been discussed but is not under serious consideration. "Like you, we have brainstormed about some good ideas for using the road course," he said. "My biggest concern for something like (that) is its potential effect on the (Indianapolis) 500." Indy Star
[Editor's Note: Scary to think that the new leadership at IMS would give higher consideration to a Grand-Am race that typically draws few fans over a 2nd IndyCar race at the Indy Speedway. From Day 1 the France family has held two Cup races per year at their premier facility – Daytona – and that never took away from the top race the Daytona 500. An IndyCar race on the road course at Indy would draw over 100,000 on race day. That folks is a lot of race fans and would make it the 2nd most popular race on the IndyCar calendar. The IRL is trying to promote a 50/50 split of ovals and road courses, so to run one race on the oval at Indy and a 2nd on the road course in September, makes perfect sense. But a Grand-Am race? 
Perhaps the eventual takeover of the Speedway by the France family is closer than we think.]
08/13/09 Grand-Am Road Racing, owned by the NASCAR France Family, announced today it will sanction a test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, Sept. 3, featuring nine cars from its Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16.
The Daytona Prototype teams scheduled to test include defending series champion No. 01 TELMEX Lexus Riley, No. 99 GAINSCO Pontiac Riley, No. 10 SunTrust Ford Dallara, No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley and the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Racing Porsche Coyote. 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice is scheduled to co-pilot the No. 90.
The GT class teams expected to test include the No. 87 Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche GT3, No. 07 Drinkin' Mate Pontiac GXP.R, No. 57 BryanMark Financial Pontiac GXP.R and No. 70 SpeedSource Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8.
"We are very excited to have this opportunity to see the performance of our sports cars at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway," said Grand-Am President Roger Edmondson. "I look forward to the overall reaction from our participants, fans and media, and determining the future possibility of our series competing at this iconic facility."
Fans and media are welcome to attend the test to see the teams testing on the F1 and MOTO-GP track configurations. The test will be used to gauge the level of interest of holding a sports car event at the facility among the fans, teams and media.
With NASCAR already entrenched at the Brickyard, the test is seen as another step for the Frances to get closer to Mari Hulman and Tony George's sisters who kicked him out of IMS, as they prepare their strategy for an eventual financial offer to the family in coming years, an offer that they probably won't be able to refuse.