Grand-Am To Establish Practical Standards For New Race Car Design

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 2, 2001) - Grand American Road Racing Association President Roger Edmondson announced that his organization is developing new rules for the Rolex Sports Car Series prototype division to begin in 2003. He said that Grand-Am staff has been discussing design options with various chassis and engine builders and that details of the rules package would be made public in January 2002 during the Rolex 24 At Daytona January Test Days.

"All of the world's major sports car sanctioning bodies are currently reviewing their rules trying to overcome the negative impact that excessive speed and radical car designs have had on safety," he noted. "Since Grand-Am's first season in 2000, we have been emphatic that for cost containment reasons, something had to be done about the technology wars to keep the sport accessible for more than a few manufacturer teams."

"We agree with the goals of other organizations that cars are going too fast, that aerodynamic packages need to be restudied and that the design of safety components has to be addressed," Edmondson added. "But, we are going to go one step further. In keeping with the vision of this sport we have supported since day one, we're going to look into affordability and availability as key issues."

He said his staff and advisors, being led by Director of Competition Dave Watson and Race Director Mark Raffauf, are still looking at various options. "Whatever we do, it will be evolutionary, not revolutionary," Watson commented. "We will have rules that will not obsolete our current cars. There will be a couple of years of transition as the new cars become more and more popular."

Watson added that some of the key goals being looked at for the new car design include use of engines and chassis designs from U.S. and European manufacturers, reducing the role of air intake restrictors, and, ultimately, a high level of competition with safe, fast cars that more teams can afford to run.

The Rolex 24 At Daytona January Test Days are scheduled for January 3-5, 2002.

More information on Grand-Am is available online at www.grand-am.com.

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For more information: Grand-Am Public Relations
Christie Hyde (386) 681-4182
email: CHyde@grand-am.com