A sports car road racing series, Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series runs two separate classes of cars: prototype and GT. The prototype series has attracted the attention of superstar drivers. The GT series is a high-performance, production based series, and a true battleground for top vehicle manufacturers, as each vies to outdo the other. Both classes in this series race together, creating several races in one. An interesting format, and the ultra-competitiveness of this series keeps fans on the edge of their seats.
| Series: | Grand-Am Rolex Series  |
| Category: | Sports Car |
| Course Type: | Road |
| Approximate Race Length: | ~250 miles - 24 hours |
| Top Speed: | ~170-185 mph (2 classes) |
| Fuel: | Sunoco Race Fuels Sunoco 260GTX |
| 0-60 mph: | Know the answer? Let us know! |
| 0-100 mph: | Know the answer? Let us know! |
| Horsepower: | ~390-500 (2 classes) |
| Traction Control: | Not allowed |
| Engine: | Normally-aspirated, 3.8-5-liter V-8 most common. No turbos or superchargers allowed.
Engine manufacturers for the Prototype Series are: BMW, Ford, Infiniti, Lexus, Porsche, Cayenne and Pontiac. Engine manufacturers for the GT series are: Audi, BMW, Chevrolet (Corvette), Dodge, Ferrari, Ford, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan, Pontiac, Porsche and Toyota |
| Gearbox: | 5 or 6 speed sequential. Cars running under 4.5 liter engines can run 6 speeds |
| Tires: | Pirelli |
| Wheelbase: | Varies by manufacturer |
| Chassis: | Varies by manufacturer |
| Brakes: | Varies by manufacturer |
| Suspension: | Coil-over, double-wishbones (GT) |
| Min. Weights: | 2,300 lbs. - 2,800 lbs. Without driver (2 classes) |
| Max Height: | 41" (Prototype) |
| Max Width: | 77" - 79" (Prototype); 74" (GT) |
| Geographic Scope: | United States, Canada, Mexico |
| Driver Change: | Yes |
| Annual Cost Per Car: | Know the answer? Let us know! |
| Vehicle Manufacturers: | Chase Competition Engineering, Crawford Race Cars, Doran Racing, FABCAR, Multimatic, Picchio, Riley Technologies |
| Date | Series | Event | Venue | Location | Get Tickets! |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Jan-09 | January Test Days at Daytona | ||||
| 25-Jan-09 | Rolex 24 at Daytona | ||||
| 25-Apr-09 | Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR | ||||
| 3-May-09 | New Jersey Motorsports Park | ||||
| 17-May-09 | Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca | ||||
| 6-Jun-09 | Watkins Glen 6 Hour | ||||
| 20-Jun-09 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | ||||
| 4-Jul-09 | Daytona International Speedway | ||||
| 19-Jul-09 | Barber Motorsports Park | ||||
| 7-Aug-09 | Watkins Glen International | ||||
| 29-Aug-09 | Circuit Gilles Villeneuve | ||||
| 19-Sep-09 | Miller Motorsports Park | ||||
| 10-Oct-09 | Homestead-Miami Speedway |
As Grand-Am gears up for the SunRichGourmet.com 1000 (a 1000 km or 7 hour race at Miller Motorsports Park) there are a number of questions developing about the series’ future. On September 4 Grand-Am announced that they were being acquired by NASCAR Holdings.
Credit: Mulsanne
Many are questioning why they would consider this and fears began to loom about the lose of another road race series. Well, road race fans can stand down because there no plans to consolidate events. Grand-Am will continue to be committed to road racing and NASCAR primarily oval racing. The acquisition is set to better coordinate marketing and communications efforts between the two series and to provide better brand management, research, marketing outreach and public relations.
In the world of racing I understand why you would want the horsepower of NASCAR in the areas of brand management, research and marketing. NASCAR has an incredible investment in tools to help in these areas. Their media center alone is simply unbelievable.
I look forward to what NASCAR is going to bring to the table in the coming months and hope that the two can ink a deal that benefits everyone involved.
For both releasees please visit:
Grand-Am News Release
NASCAR News Release
