Big News for Grand-Am

Turbo II · 09-05-2008, 10:46 PM

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 4, 2008) - NASCAR Holdings, the operating entity that includes the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, announced today the plans to acquire Grand-Am, North America's premier road racing series.

The sports car sanctioning body will work closely with NASCAR in the new relationship which brings together two of the biggest auto racing entities in the country.

While both organizations will continue to operate independently, resources such as communications, marketing, research and public relations will be shared. One example of the benefits of the relationship is Grand-Am having a presence on the NASCAR media site at www.nascarmedia.com.

"This combination of resources will benefit Grand-Am and NASCAR, their competitors and fans as the two companies work together to enhance the two sports," said Jim France, Grand-Am founder and Vice Chairman of NASCAR.

Founded in 1999, Grand-Am operates several racing divisions headlined by the premier Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16. The 15-event schedule, which is anchored by the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, includes two divisions - the Daytona Prototypes and GT class.

"I think this is great news," said Wayne Taylor, owner of the 2005 championship winning No. 10 SunTrust Racing team and two-time winner of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. "All of the teams have been waiting for this for a long time. Finally, we can now move to the next level."

Since its inception, Grand-Am has helped stabilize the American sports car scene. Its rise has included a rebirth of the successful Rolex 24 event, which has seen tremendous growth since coming under the Grand-Am umbrella in 2000. A variety of drivers from other racing disciplines, including NASCAR stars such as Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kyle Petty, Bobby Labonte, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon, have helped in the growth of Grand-Am's popularity. Prominent NASCAR team owners Chip Ganassi and Richard Childress also field Grand-Am operations.

blwnrtr93 · 09-06-2008, 06:43 AM

I'm not entirely sure this is a good thing.

bwaits · 09-06-2008, 06:58 AM

"North America's premier road racing series."

Yea.....whatever.....

-billy

alnielsen · 09-06-2008, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blwnrtr93

I'm not entirely sure this is a good thing.

I would agree. What works to create "compelling" racing on an oval won't translate well to a road course.

j_tso · 09-08-2008, 03:15 AM

20B stock cars!!

SPICcnmFD · 09-08-2008, 06:48 AM

All this means is that they will be more of a spec car then they already are and we will have a caution every 5 or so laps because the will have to sweep the grass off the track. Or even better we will just give them 10-20 laps just to see how the car feels then we will have a caution so everyone can come in and fix whatever is wrong with the handling because we couldn't do it in the previous 6 days of practice we had prior to the race.

blwnrtr93 · 09-08-2008, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alnielsen

I would agree. What works to create "compelling" racing on an oval won't translate well to a road course.

Agreed. The only NASCAR events that I watch are the "road course" events and usually only to laugh at how well the guys drive in a more sporting event. Those right-hand turns give the drivers fits.

I8U · 09-09-2008, 09:27 PM

You all are missing the point...NASCAR does not want to change the series. It's more for a marketing standpoint. NASCAR does want to make this just another spec class, they want to get Grand-Am's name out there...seriously though it would be nice to see Grand-Am races talked about on my local news channel, along side NASCAR. Now I haven't been with Grand-Am for very long but a little change can go a long way.

***Herblenny*** · 09-11-2008, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPICcnmFD

All this means is that they will be more of a spec car then they already are and we will have a caution every 5 or so laps because the will have to sweep the grass off the track. Or even better we will just give them 10-20 laps just to see how the car feels then we will have a caution so everyone can come in and fix whatever is wrong with the handling because we couldn't do it in the previous 6 days of practice we had prior to the race.

LOL! I agree

NeuroSpeed · 09-13-2008, 11:31 PM

My take?

Two thumbs up.

The France family already had a large stake in Grand-Am, as did a few other big NASCAR names. I don't think the changes will be as doomsday-ish as some of you guys think. If they manage to get more T.V. time for the series (especially Koni as Rolex already has live showings for many races) sponsorship will be MUCH more attractive to various companies. Especially national companies that don't necessarily have the disposable income to be the major sponsor on a Cup car.

I see more and more cars at HPDE's and club racing every time I go. The sport is growing at an incredible rate, even despite the less-than-optimum economy. I wouldn't discount the minds at NASCAR so much to think that they don't see this. My bet is not much changes for a few years besides TV time.

-- Adam

PortedRotorTuner · 10-25-2008, 06:03 PM

I traveled as a crew member for one of these teams. I don't think you'll
see any changes either. And it could help with t.v. time. Which we all can
watch more of the racing that we like instead of only having oval racing
on all the time. Maybe even get more coverage of these races on Speed
channel, and maybe not Nascar all the time.

RXtreme8 · 10-29-2008, 10:21 PM

If anyone wants to see these guys close up...

I've been working with Rotary4Life for an event up your alley. They are hosting an event December 6th at Racers Edge Motorsports in Deland, FL (just out side of Daytona). Racers Edge runs a tube framed, 3-rotor, carbon fiber bodied car in the Rolex GT class right along side of Speedsource. They are giving us a full tour of the shop, tech insight on suspension and performance settings. Diagnostic information and FOOD. If you're interested.... post up on the thread below!!

http://www.rotarycarclub.com/showthread.php?t=4934

09-05-2008, 10:46 PM	#1
Turbo II Zoom Freaking Zoom Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: NC iTrader: (0) Posts: 324 Rep Power: 17	Big News for Grand-Am DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 4, 2008) - NASCAR Holdings, the operating entity that includes the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, announced today the plans to acquire Grand-Am, North America's premier road racing series. The sports car sanctioning body will work closely with NASCAR in the new relationship which brings together two of the biggest auto racing entities in the country. While both organizations will continue to operate independently, resources such as communications, marketing, research and public relations will be shared. One example of the benefits of the relationship is Grand-Am having a presence on the NASCAR media site at www.nascarmedia.com. "This combination of resources will benefit Grand-Am and NASCAR, their competitors and fans as the two companies work together to enhance the two sports," said Jim France, Grand-Am founder and Vice Chairman of NASCAR. Founded in 1999, Grand-Am operates several racing divisions headlined by the premier Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16. The 15-event schedule, which is anchored by the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, includes two divisions - the Daytona Prototypes and GT class. "I think this is great news," said Wayne Taylor, owner of the 2005 championship winning No. 10 SunTrust Racing team and two-time winner of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. "All of the teams have been waiting for this for a long time. Finally, we can now move to the next level." Since its inception, Grand-Am has helped stabilize the American sports car scene. Its rise has included a rebirth of the successful Rolex 24 event, which has seen tremendous growth since coming under the Grand-Am umbrella in 2000. A variety of drivers from other racing disciplines, including NASCAR stars such as Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kyle Petty, Bobby Labonte, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon, have helped in the growth of Grand-Am's popularity. Prominent NASCAR team owners Chip Ganassi and Richard Childress also field Grand-Am operations. __________________ 1988 RX-7 Convertible 1991 RX-7 Turbo 2004 RX-8 GT 1985 RX-7 GSL - Sold

09-06-2008, 06:43 AM	#2
blwnrtr93 Rotary Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: AL iTrader: (1) Posts: 379 Rep Power: 17	I'm not entirely sure this is a good thing. __________________ 1993 BB RX-7 2005 Black Mazda 6i 1991 Primer Celica GT 1968 Camo Chevy P/U Garfinkle's Airpump Idler Pulley: Keep the stock contact patch on your water pump w/o running Airpump!

09-06-2008, 06:58 AM	#3
bwaits Talk - Action = Nothing Join Date: Feb 2008 iTrader: (3) Posts: 166 Rep Power: 17	"North America's premier road racing series." Yea.....whatever..... -billy __________________

09-08-2008, 06:48 AM	#6
SPICcnmFD Rotary Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: B'ham, AL iTrader: (0) Posts: 329 Rep Power: 17	All this means is that they will be more of a spec car then they already are and we will have a caution every 5 or so laps because the will have to sweep the grass off the track. Or even better we will just give them 10-20 laps just to see how the car feels then we will have a caution so everyone can come in and fix whatever is wrong with the handling because we couldn't do it in the previous 6 days of practice we had prior to the race. __________________ 1993 Rx-7 SM2 #11 At the local AutoX: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VOSQkkSLQs Speed for Sale shootout 2007: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiqlyAkGmpg A few laps at Barbers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_h5q...x=0&playnext=1

09-09-2008, 09:27 PM	#8
I8U KONI Challenge Crew Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Goldsboro, NC iTrader: (0) Posts: 126 Rep Power: 17	You all are missing the point...NASCAR does not want to change the series. It's more for a marketing standpoint. NASCAR does want to make this just another spec class, they want to get Grand-Am's name out there...seriously though it would be nice to see Grand-Am races talked about on my local news channel, along side NASCAR. Now I haven't been with Grand-Am for very long but a little change can go a long way. __________________ 04 TiGray RX8 MT, LS2 coil setup, 3" midpipe, HKS Hi-power 3" exhaust, TEIN S-Techs, Hotchkis Adj F/R sways, K&N Typhoon V2, Steel braided brake lines, Redline drivetrain fluids, ATE Super Blue brake fluid, Cobalt XR2/GTS brake combo, MB Motorpsorts Weapons 18x9 +45 offset, 275/35's I Support the KONI Sports Car Challenge!

09-08-2008, 03:15 AM	#5
j_tso Rotary Fan in Training Join Date: Mar 2008 iTrader: (0) Posts: 65 Rep Power: 17	20B stock cars!!

09-13-2008, 11:31 PM	#10
NeuroSpeed SuperDuper Awesome Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Roanoke, VA iTrader: (0) Posts: 19 Rep Power: 0	My take? Two thumbs up. The France family already had a large stake in Grand-Am, as did a few other big NASCAR names. I don't think the changes will be as doomsday-ish as some of you guys think. If they manage to get more T.V. time for the series (especially Koni as Rolex already has live showings for many races) sponsorship will be MUCH more attractive to various companies. Especially national companies that don't necessarily have the disposable income to be the major sponsor on a Cup car. I see more and more cars at HPDE's and club racing every time I go. The sport is growing at an incredible rate, even despite the less-than-optimum economy. I wouldn't discount the minds at NASCAR so much to think that they don't see this. My bet is not much changes for a few years besides TV time. -- Adam __________________ Roar Racing Koni Challenge NASA (SE/MA)

10-25-2008, 06:03 PM	#11
PortedRotorTuner レーサー Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Columbus, Ohio iTrader: (0) Posts: 190 Rep Power: 17	I traveled as a crew member for one of these teams. I don't think you'll see any changes either. And it could help with t.v. time. Which we all can watch more of the racing that we like instead of only having oval racing on all the time. Maybe even get more coverage of these races on Speed channel, and maybe not Nascar all the time. __________________ Thank God For Pistons! How else would we brake! NASA Great Lakes Region TTD #53 Rx7

10-29-2008, 10:21 PM	#12
RXtreme8 The Newbie Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: St Pete, FL iTrader: (0) Posts: 16 Rep Power: 0	Racers Edge Open House Dec 6, 2008 If anyone wants to see these guys close up... I've been working with Rotary4Life for an event up your alley. They are hosting an event December 6th at Racers Edge Motorsports in Deland, FL (just out side of Daytona). Racers Edge runs a tube framed, 3-rotor, carbon fiber bodied car in the Rolex GT class right along side of Speedsource. They are giving us a full tour of the shop, tech insight on suspension and performance settings. Diagnostic information and FOOD. If you're interested.... post up on the thread below!! http://www.rotarycarclub.com/showthread.php?t=4934