Another direction?
Soon after Murphy met with A.C., he was told that some “in the Grand Am camp” claimed discussions (either with other topics, or exclusively) concerned a track sharing, or joint events, between Grand Am and ALMS very much along the lines proposed by Katrina Flood at Last Turn Clubhouse in early May. Was Katrina (who has “broad” connections in motor sport) floating something for someone else?
Braselton says “No!”
The Bear’s rumor reporting has found its way to Braselton’s “official channels.” The head of communications “categorically” told the Bear that “the ALMS is not for sale and no negotiations in that vane have occurred with anyone.” The last such denial from Georgia had to do with IMSA/Champ Car talks in August 2007.
Everything on this story has been coming from Grand Am sources – nothing at all (until now) from the ALMS camp.
Suffering at the World Center of Racing
Just before CNBC premiers (Thursday, July 9th 9p | 10p | 1a ET) a special on the business of NASCAR with the teaser “Once the fastest growing sport in America is now threatened by an imploding car business and loss of corporate (sponsorship) dollars that are its very lifeblood,” some of those problems were on display at Daytona on Independence Day.
Capacity reductions notwithstanding (recent seating changes taking the maximum down to 159,000 from 165,000) the Coca Cola 400 still had 70,000 unsold seats. The backstretch stands (57,000 seats) were not open for the race weekend.
Earlier in the racing day, as the green flag flew for the Grand Am race, a well-connected Bear source, seeing the crowd, wrote from Florida, “They forgot to open the gates to the grandstand! Heads will roll.”
A Grand conspiracy?
Are rumors of ALMS’ demise tied to problems in “the other sports car series?” Someone observed it’s been an annual event at about this time. Murphy hasn’t researched that in detail, but last July on these pages, A.C. was writing about the impending NASCAR acquisition of Grand Am (that finally went public in September). Sure enough, the rumors of a “reunification” of sports car racing were there last season, too, but in April and May. Close enough? Murphy’s even heard that the source of the “demise rumors” is frequently the same. Who? Does this A.C. column finger our Deep Throat?
Tags: A.C., ALMS, Braselton, Daytona, Grand Am, Roger, The World Center of Racing
Good.
If the ALMS fails, it fails. Getting NASCAR involved, even to sell a few tracks to, would be awful.
Could Deep Throat be Girly Haywood ?
I still wouldn’t mind a combined series as suggested in an earlier Bear column. Saying that, if Nascar had anything to do with it, forget it. I’ll find other things to do in early March and October. Not interested.
What Hallen said….
Check out this interview with Scott Atherton… good news for ALMS fans..
http://www.facebook.com/l/;http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/pruett-7-questions-with-scott-atherton/
Doesn’t seem like Mr. Atherton is a fan of the Bear’s blog.
I didn’t like his answer on Acura, I am talking with them everyday. That doesn’t mean they are staying Scott.
What the Bear noticed were the references to many phone calls and emails about the rumors received by both the questioner and Mr. Atherton. So it clearly wasn’t just Murphy who was hearing the stories, unless you think they were all getting their information from the Bear. That’s highly unlikely.