2007 American LeMans Series

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2007 American LeMans Series

Post by mlittle » Sat Sep 30, 2006 11:21 pm

Even though the 2006 ALMS season isn't quite over.......yet, series officials have released their 2007 schedule and it's an impressive schedule; a 12-event schedule with a]5 events prior to the 24 Hours of LeMans and b]5 events running on ChampCar/IRL weekends(St. Pete, Long Beach, Houston, Road America and Detroit/Belle Isle). Here are some quotes from American LeMans Series president Dr. Scott Atherton(quote 1) and ALMS Chief Operating Officer Tim Mayer(quote 2).......
Each year brings new and exciting opportunities and world-class venues to the American LeMans Series. In addition to returning to the best road racing venues in North America, our competitors and corporate partners will have the ability to reach new, critical major markets and race fans that will only help grow our sport and series. One of the hallmarks of a successful, viable organization is continued growth and reach and after saying last year that the 2006 schedule was the strongest in our history, we have raised the bar in a big way for the premium brand of motorsport in North America; everybody wins with our schedule.
We are truly excited about not only our new venues and expanded lineup, but also the balance and logistical flow of our 2007 schedule. Each year it is gratifying to see new venues and promoters reach out to us because they understand the value that the American Le Mans Series brings to their market and fans. This was evidenced last year at Houston and Salt Lake City. It is a great growth opportunity for our series to not only race at the historic and traditional road courses of Sebring, Road America, Mid-Ohio, Mosport, Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca but also to take our exciting brand and series to new venues like St. Petersburg, Long Beach and Detroit. It creates so many opportunities for our manufacturers, teams and partners.
Here is the 2007 American LeMans Series schedule.................
12 March 2007--55th annual Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, Sebring International Raceway
31 March 2007--St. Petersburg, Fla.
14 April 2007--Long Beach, Ca.
21 April 2007--Houston, Tx.
19 May 2007--Larry H. Miller Grand Prix, Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah
7 July 2007--New England Grand Prix, Lime Rock Park, Ct.
21 July 2007--Mid Ohio Sports Car Course, Mansfield, Ohio
11 August 2007--Generac 500, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisc.
26 August 2007--Mosport International Raceway, Bowmanville, Ont.
1 Sept. 2007--Belle Isle Street Circuit, Detroit, Mich.
6 Oct. 2007--Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta, Braselton, Ga.
20 Oct. 2007--Monterey Sports Car Championships, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Ca.

note.....not all events have main sponsors as of 29 Sept. 2006....
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Rahal-Letterman Racing to field GT2 entry in 2007.....

Post by mlittle » Sat Oct 21, 2006 3:44 pm

The already hard-fought GT2 class in the American LeMans Series is getting a little bigger, as current IRL IndyCar Series team Rahal-Letterman Racing announced Thursday plans to field a Porsche 911 GT3(RSR) in the GT2 category for 2007. Here are some quotes from the principals involved..........

Bobby Rahal, Co-Owner, Rahal-Letterman Racing:
I have made no secret in recent years that I wanted to begin a sports car program for Rahal Letterman Racing. I trace my racing roots back to sports cars and my time on the historic tracks like Sebring, Elkhart Lake, Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca. A passion for road racing and sports cars is a foundation of our team; the opportunity to diversify our business model at RLR and to do so with the addition of an ALMS program is an outstanding opportunity. I don't think it is an anomaly that more IndyCar teams are looking at an addition of an ALMS team. There is a certain synergy that strengthens our organization on and off the track.
Dr. Scott Atherton, President, American Le Mans Series:
The Rahal Letterman name and team are synonymous with top line racing success. There is no doubt that it will bring the higest level of performance and competition to the American Le Mans Series competitive ranks and the GT2 ranks. Bobby's success as both a driver and team owner has allowed him to become one of the icons of motorsports industry. We cannot wait to see the new Rahal Letterman GT2 entry at the 2007 season opener--the 55th annual Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring.
Uwe Brettel, President, Porsche Motorsports North America:
As a driver, Bobby Rahal has had a winning tradition with Porsche, racing to victory in some of America's most prestigious sportscar races behind the wheel of our cars. Now as a Porsche team owner, we expect his success with the brand to continue. We are pleased Rahal Letterman will be part of our 911 GT3 RSR customer program in 2007 and anticipate the team will enhance the already highly competitive GT2 ranks in the American Le Mans Series.
Rahal-Letterman Racing will be the 4th IRL IndyCar Series team to field entries in the American LeMans Series, following Penske Racing(LMP-2), Aguri-Fernandez Racing(LMP-2) and Andretti-Green Racing(LMP-2).
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Acura teams take to Kettle Moraine for tests..........

Post by mlittle » Tue Oct 31, 2006 8:23 pm

note: Kettle Moraine is a reference for Road America....
Absolutely impressive.
Those words from Highcroft Racing driver/owner Duncan Dayton said volumes about the new Courage/Acura LMP-2 entry he steered around the 4+ mile Road America circuit, but those words could've easily described all three new Acura-powered teams(Highcroft, Andretti-Green and Fernandez Racing) as they spent last Wednesday and Thursday getting to speed with their new steeds.

Dayton:
We took delivery straight from Europe the Saturday before we left for Petit Le Mans. We got the engine a couple of days later (from HPD) and installed it at (our) shop. For being straight out of the box, the car was immediately responsive to feedback.
All three teams tested at Road America with assistance from Honda Performance Development, Michelin and both Lola and Courage; all three teams are expected to test later on in the year and at the January "Wheels Down Winter Test" at Sebring in Jan. 2007.
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Herta to spearhead AGR's sportscar effort......

Post by mlittle » Wed Nov 01, 2006 10:00 am

Several major announcements are set for the currently running SEMA(Specialty Equipment Marketing Association) market show in Las Vegas, Nevada, and one of them involves the new Andretti-Green Racing LMP-2 sportscar prototype effort for 2007.

*Here is a picture of their LMP-2 Acura-powered Courage sportscar prototype.

At least part of their driver lineup for 2007 was also revealed, as AGR driver Bryan Herta confirmed to the media that his IndyCar days are over and that he will spearhead the team's American LeMans Series effort.....
I'm really looking forward to continuing my relationship with XM Satellite Radio and also the opportunity to spearhead Andretti-Green's entrance into the American Le Mans Series. I look back at my 13 years as an IndyCar driver and have a lot of great memories. Now it is on to the next chapter of my career and I'm very excited to drive an world-class Acura-Courage sponsored by XM.
Note....Herta for the past two years has driven with XM Satellite Radio sponsorship in the IndyCar Series.
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Re: Herta to spearhead AGR's sportscar effort......

Post by GhoGho » Thu Nov 02, 2006 12:33 am

mlittle wrote:Several major announcements are set for the currently running SEMA(Specialty Equipment Marketing Association) market show in Las Vegas, Nevada, and one of them involves the new Andretti-Green Racing LMP-2 sportscar prototype effort for 2007.

*Here is a picture of their LMP-2 Acura-powered Courage sportscar prototype.

At least part of their driver lineup for 2007 was also revealed, as AGR driver Bryan Herta confirmed to the media that his IndyCar days are over and that he will spearhead the team's American LeMans Series effort.....
I'm really looking forward to continuing my relationship with XM Satellite Radio and also the opportunity to spearhead Andretti-Green's entrance into the American Le Mans Series. I look back at my 13 years as an IndyCar driver and have a lot of great memories. Now it is on to the next chapter of my career and I'm very excited to drive an world-class Acura-Courage sponsored by XM.
Note....Herta for the past two years has driven with XM Satellite Radio sponsorship in the IndyCar Series.
Those wheel arches look like a pair on armadillos :lol: :lol:
I'm in shape

Round is a shape...........


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2007 ALMS Schedule(updated)........

Post by mlittle » Sat Nov 25, 2006 2:50 pm

Officials from the American Le Mans Series announced earlier today the television package for the series in 2007.......

Rd. 1, 14-17 March 2007}55th annual Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, Sebring International Raceway, Sebring, Fla.(start time, 10:45 am 17 March[12 hrs]/Speed Channel)

Rd. 2, 30-31 March 2007}Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Fla. street circuit(start time, 5:00 pm[3 hrs] 31 March/Speed Channel)

Rd. 3, 13-14 April 2007}Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Long Beach, Ca. street circuit(start time 7:50 pm[1 hr, 40 min] 14 April/tape delayed, Speed Channel 15 April @ 8 pm)

Rd. 4, 20-21 April 2007}Lone Star Grand Prix of Houston, Reliant Park Street Circuit, Houston, Tx.(start time 6:00 pm[2 hrs, 45 min] 21 April/tape delayed, CBS Sports 29 April @ 1 pm)

Rd. 5, 17-19 May 2007}Larry H. Miller Grand Prix of Utah, Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah(start time 7:00 pm[2 hrs, 45 min] 19 May/tape delayed, CBS Sports 20 May @ 3 pm)

Rd. 6, 6-7 July 2007}New England Grand Prix, Lime Rock Park, Lime Rock, Ct.(start time 3 pm[2 hrs, 45 min] 7 July/tape delayed, CBS Sports 8 July @ 3 pm)

Rd. 7, 20-21 July 2007}Acura SportsCar Challenge, Mid Ohio Sports Car Course, Mansfield, Ohio(start time 3:30 pm[2 hrs, 45 min] 21 July/tape delayed, CBS Sports 22 July @ 12 pm)

Rd. 8, 9-11 August 2007}Generac 500, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisc.(start time 5:00 pm[4 hrs] 11 August/tape delayed, NBC Sports 12 August @ 2:30 pm)

Rd. 9, 24-26 August 2007}Grand Prix of Mosport, Mosport International Raceway, Bowmanville, Ontario(start time 3 pm[2 hrs, 45 min]/Speed Channel)

Rd. 10, 30 Aug.-1 Sept. 2007}Grand Prix of Detroit, Detroit/Belle Isle Park street circuit(start time 2 pm[4 hrs]/Speed Channel)

Rd. 11, 2-6 Oct. 2007}Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta, Braselton, Ga.(start time 11:40 am[10 hrs. OR 1000 miles]/Speed Channel)

Rd. 12, 18-20 Oct. 2007}Monterey SportsCar Championships, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Ca.(start time 5:45 pm[4 hrs]/Speed Channel)

notes.........
1--all times listed are U.S. EST/EDT; adjust times for local areas accordingly
2--two of the events serve as qualifiers for the 24 Hours of LeMans, the 12 Hrs. of Sebring and the Petit Le Mans)
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Highcroft signs Brabham for LMP-2 effort in 2007............

Post by mlittle » Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:35 pm

Part of the interesting puzzle of who will be piloting some of the upcoming Acura LMP-2 entries in the 2007 ALMS season was filled as Highcroft Racing announced that veteran sportscar/touring car racer David Brabham will be racing for the Connecticut-based team in 2007. Here are some quotes from those involved..........

David Brabham, Highcroft Racing:
I can't even begin to tell you how I feel at this moment. Working with Highcroft and Acura on this new venture is a fantastic opportunity. It is an amazing program and I'm delighted to be part of this new era in sports car racing.
~~note.....Brabham is one of the most successful drivers in ALMS history, having won 12 times in competition, 7 in the prototype(LMP-1, LMP-900 or GTP) category and 5 in the grand touring(GT-1, GT-2 or GTS) category~~

Duncan Dayton, Driver/Co-Owner, Highcroft Racing:
I'm thrilled to have David onboard to help Highcroft Racing develop its' Acura-Courage LMP-2 package. He's not only an extremely talented driver, but his experience working with so many marques will be a great help with our chassis development program.
Danny Sullivan, 1985 Indy 500 winner & senior advisor, Highcroft Racing:
I'm very pleased to have David as part of our team. Duncan and I are trying to build a professional, first-class team with Acura/HPD. David will be a great asset to (Highcroft); he brings experience, professionalism, development capabilities and a winning spirit to our organization.
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ALMS teams well-represented in 24 Hrs. initial listing......

Post by mlittle » Thu Dec 14, 2006 4:15 pm

Wednesday, officials with the Automobile Club O'uest, the sanctioning body for the 24 Hrs. of LeMans, released the first list of teams eligible for the 2007 running of the 24-hr. race, run at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France........

LMP-1}Audi Sport North America, 2 entries
LMP-2}Penske Racing, 2 entries
GT-1}Corvette Racing, 2 entries*, Aston Martin Racing, 2 entries
GT-2}Risi Competizione, 2 entries

*-although Aston Martin Racing received 2 entries for the race, Corvette Racing received 2 entries due to the fact that both Astin Martin's competed at the 2006 Petit Le Mans in non-ACO spec condition
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Post by mlittle » Fri Dec 22, 2006 5:22 pm

Apparently the LMP-2 class of the American LeMans Series in 2007 will be a very crowded class; besides the three Acura-powered entries(AGR, Fernandez and Highcroft), Penske Racing(the works Porsche effort in LMP-2) and the expected challenges from both Intersport Racing and whoever is the factory Mazda entry, former LMP-1 stalwarts Dyson Racing have entered the LMP-2 ranks with a 2-car Porsche entry. The team will field two Porsche RS Spyders' with Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace in the #16 Thetford/Norcold entry; Guy Smith and Chris Dyson will pilot the #20 Thetford/Norcold entry.
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Kelleners, Milner to race for RLR in 2007.......

Post by mlittle » Wed Jan 10, 2007 12:11 pm

Rahal-Letterman Racing, set to debut its' Porsche 997 RSR entry in the American LeMans Series for 2007, has tapped veteran sportscar drivers Ralf Kelleners and Tom Milner to drive for the Ohio-based team. Both Kelleners and Milner have GT experience and both have competed in some of the more challenging endurance races, including Sebring, Petit le Mans and the Le Mans 24.
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Post by JayVee » Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:35 am

With the news that Villeneuve will be driving in the 24 Le Mans race, I am now all of a sudden interested :shock:

Is there an American and a European Le Mans series ? or are they all the same ? And if the American one is different, why is it called after a place in France :shock:
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Post by jacfan » Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:52 pm

JayVee wrote:With the news that Villeneuve will be driving in the 24 Le Mans race, I am now all of a sudden interested :shock:

Is there an American and a European Le Mans series ? or are they all the same ? And if the American one is different, why is it called after a place in France :shock:
Good question. I was thinking Europe. Is there an American Le Mans????
Weird. :shock: :shock: :shock:
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Post by jacfan » Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:53 pm

I thought the Le Mans 24 hour was in Europe. :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:
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Post by jacfan » Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:59 pm

I just looked it up on the net and it is a 24 race in France.. I thought it was, however I am not sure what the American Le Mans series is. I am sure someone here will enlighten us.
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Post by mlittle » Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:21 pm

JayVee wrote:With the news that Villeneuve will be driving in the 24 Le Mans race, I am now all of a sudden interested :shock:

Is there an American and a European Le Mans series ? or are they all the same ? And if the American one is different, why is it called after a place in France :shock:
Long explanations....... :shock:

The series' you're referencing, JayVee, are the American Le Mans Series(ALMS) and the (depending on which abbreviation's used....... :? ) Le Mans Endurance Series(or the European Le Mans Series). Technically, they're two different series except for one crucial item....when the ALMS was started in late 1998 with the 10-hr/1000-mile Petit Le Mans endurance race at Road Atlanta, the ALMS entered into an agreement with the Automobile Club L'Ouest(ACO) allowing them to use the rules and copyrights from the ACO; the ALMS is sanctioned by IMSA(the International Motor Sports Association, based in the U.S.) but the rules used in ALMS competiton come from both IMSA and the ACO.

Confusing......not as much as trying to explain AOWR....but close. Hope this helps explain the confusion, though.

Note: the ACO is the sanctioning body for the 24 hrs. of Le Mans; teams from both the ALMS and LMES/ELMS compete at the Circuit de la Sarthe, where the 24-hr. endurance race is held
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