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The American Le Mans Series run the same type of cars as race at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, the ultimate test of man and machine. It is auto racing with European style and American attitude.
ALMS races are run under the rules of the Automobile Club de l"Quest (ACO), the organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams that regularly compete in the ALMS events receive special consideration in the selection of the 48 car field for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Cars
There are four different classes in each event which makes for hard fought racing. Unusual in endurance racing, 2007 saw five races with margins of victory of less than a second, including the 10 hour Petit Le Mans. The Le Mans Prototype (LMP1) cars are purpose built closed wheel race cars and are among the faster race machines in the world. Examples include the Lola B06/10, the Audi R10, the Zytek and the Creation. LMP2 cars are smaller, less powerful prototypes, but are nimble, fast and competitive. Dyson Racing took the overall win at the Sears Point race in 2003 with this class of car and Porsche's LMP2 RS Spyders won eight of the twelve ALMS races in 2007. Dyson Racing first ran two Porsche LMP2 RS Spyders in 2007 and will continue with Porsche this year in what promises to be the most competitive class in the ALMS in 2008. In addition to the two Penske Porsche RS Spyders, Acura joined the series last year with three teams. The GT1 cars are based on production cars, but are heavily modified for racing. Multiple manufactures race in GT1 including Corvette and Ferrari. The GT2 class also feature production based automobiles, but with less extensive modifications. That class is populated with Porsche, Panoz, Viper and Corvette. There are more engine manufactures in the ALMS than NASCAR, NHRA, Champ Car and the IRL combined.
The Races
There are twelve races in 2008. All of the ALMS races, with one exception, are based on time. They vary in length from the two hour and 45 minute endurance format to the four hour event at Laguna Seca to the famous 12 Hours of Sebring. The Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta is contested for 1,000 miles or ten hours, whichever comes first. As last year, the ALMS is running three race weekends with Champ Car and three with the Indy Racing League.
The Tracks
ALMS races on eight natural road courses and four street courses in Long Beach CA, St. Petersburg FL, Houston TX, and Detroit MI. The road courses are the most competitive tracks in North America including Road Atlanta, GA, Road America, WI, Laguna Seca, CA, Sebring, FL, Salt Lake City, UT, Lime Rock, CT, Mid-Ohio OH, and Mosport in Ontario, Canada. These tracks have defined sports car racing in North America for over fifty years.
The Drivers
There are multiple drivers for each car: two per regular race and three for the longer events. This adds the element of team work and the excitement of driver changes during pit stops. It is a world class mix of drivers, with many from Europe and the United States, several having Formula One ties. Past drivers include names such as Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, A.J. Foyt, Bruce McLaren, Jackie Ickx, Derek Bell and Graham Hill. Current drivers include the Dyson Racing drivers, Chris Dyson, Butch Leitzinger, and Guy Smith. Other drivers: Alan McNish - Audi; Lucas Luhr - Audi; David Brabham - Acura; Oliver Gavin - Corvette; Jan Magnussen - Corvette; Bryan Herta - Acura; Clint Field - Lola; Sascha Maassen - Porsche; Patrick Long - Porsche, and Jamie Bach - Mazda.