The North American Road Racing Association is readying itself for an expansion of its US GT Championship and to fill any potential void in light of the historic Grand Am and ALMS merger announcement.
“This merger is almost as exciting for NARRA’s business plans as it is for Grand Am and the American Le Mans Series,” said NARRA General Manager Rob Morrison. “This truly is a landmark decision and a very positive one for sportscar racing in the USA-one that ALMS and Grand Am officials must be congratulated on- but it also raises plenty of questions. It creates a tremendous opportunity for the North American Road Racing Association as a sanctioning body and event promoter. Our US GT Championship already travels to many of the same venues, and sees a variety of car makes as well as pro drivers and teams competing in the series- some of which already come from the ALMS and Grand Am ranks. There are plenty of unknowns with this merger including car eligibility, technical regulations, development and support series, what to do with conflicting sponsors, not to mention tracks and schedules.”
“It’s already been suggested in 2014, only 15 months away, the number of top-tier professional sportscar events in North America will drop from 23 events to 12. This leaves a void of 11 race weekends on the calendar, and could leave some venues out in the cold completely.”
“The cost for teams in the new super series could also skyrocket if they plan on keeping all of their showcase endurance races- the Daytona 24 Hour, Sebring 12 Hour, Petit Le Mans and Le Mans- in a single season. You wouldn’t expect their track density to double either- that could also limit the number of competitors. I’m sure that there will be a number of stakeholders looking at their options very carefully. We too will be observing every aspect of the merger and preparing to create new opportunities for racers, teams, support series and sponsors. NARRA is a real alternative. We have already received a number of phone calls, and I’m expecting more as the dust settles. After all, in only two years, NARRA’s US GT Championship has gained a considerable amount of traction. Let’s see what the next 15 months holds.”
Source : NARRA