Super Weekends in ’13: ALMS with GRAND-AM at Road America
The ALMS’ complete 2013 race schedule will be announced in the near future.
Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wis., will see the ALMS race Sunday, Aug. 11, with GRAND-AM competing the previous day. Although the recently merged ALMS and GRAND-AM organization will not compete as a unified series until the 2014 season, the 2013 shared weekend at Road America represents what ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton called “an opportunity to create a truly special event where fans will experience the scope of North America’s premier sports car racing on two consecutive days at one iconic venue."
“This Road America event with GRAND-AM will be a super endurance weekend and will provide sports car racing fans an advance look at what will be the best of the best when our two series become one in 2014," he added.
Likewise, Atherton said he envisions the Texas event as another super endurance weekend with separate, long-distance races for the ALMS championship on Saturday, Sept. 21, and the WEC the next day.
“Even though the event is not fully confirmed, we are working in close cooperation with WEC leadership and with the CoTA promoters to create a thrilling experience for fans of sports car racing at a spectacular new circuit," Atherton said. “Our proposal includes IMSA and ALMS providing services such as safety, timing and scoring, and TV production for the WEC race. Our intention is to make the best and most efficient use of our resources in support of one fantastic, world championship-caliber motorsports weekend, which will serve as a marquee prelude to the ALMS’ premier season finale at Petit Le Mans."
Atherton also revealed that the WEC’s 2013 calendar reflects an agreement that no WEC event will be scheduled 30 days before or after the 2013 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida – the opening round of the ALMS championship.