Grand-AM skipping VIR in 2012?

Frank Catena · **Joined:** Wed Aug 27, 2003 1:08 pm **Posts:** 418

Unless TBA is code for VIR, its a bit of a trip to see Grand-AM next year. Maybe all that curb jumping in the Esses made the VIR Ops folks mad :-)

Frank

GRAND-AM Rolex Series 2012 Schedule of Events
Jan. 28-29 Daytona International Speedway
Mar 30-April 1 Barber Motorsports Park
April 27-29 Homestead-Miami Speedway
May 11-13 New Jersey Motorsports Park
June 2 Detroit Belle Isle
June 8-10 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
June 22-24 Road America
June 29-July 1 Watkins Glen International
July 27 Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Aug 10-12 Watkins Glen International
August 17-19 Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Sept. 7-9 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Sept. 28-30 TBA

GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge 2012 Schedule of Events
Jan. 27 Daytona International Speedway
Mar 30-April 1 Barber Motorsports Park
April 27-29 Homestead-Miami Speedway
May 11-13 New Jersey Motorsports Park
June 8-10 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
June 22-24 Road America
June 29-July 1 Watkins Glen International
July 27 Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Sept. 7-9 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Sept. 28-30 TBA

JohnByers · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 5:20 pm

Nope, no VIR. Which sucks, glad I'm going to the 24hr race now...

JamesMilko · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 5:26 pm

Didn't the original schedule for next year have VIR on it?

e:
Looks like I'm mistaken. This is pretty disappointing. Quite a bit of rage brewing on both Grand Am's and VIR's facebook pages.

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 6:14 pm

JamesMilko wrote:

Didn't the original schedule for next year have VIR on it?

e:
Looks like I'm mistaken. This is pretty disappointing. Quite a bit of rage brewing on both Grand Am's and VIR's facebook pages.

I haven't kept up w/ that. What's the issue? VIR getting a little too much ego?

RobLupella · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 10:21 pm

That sucks

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 10:36 pm

RodneyWright wrote:

JamesMilko wrote:

Didn't the original schedule for next year have VIR on it?

e:
Looks like I'm mistaken. This is pretty disappointing. Quite a bit of rage brewing on both Grand Am's and VIR's facebook pages.

I haven't kept up w/ that. What's the issue? VIR getting a little too much ego?

That's my guess. They also lost the AMA race this year. I think that race brought their largest single day crowd year after year.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

JohnByers wrote:

Nope, no VIR. Which sucks, glad I'm going to the 24hr race now...

Ama, now Grand Am ... maybe if enough pro races leave VIR then ChumpCar can run a VIR series! Yay crapcan racing!

Jason Tower · **Joined:** Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:31 pm **Posts:** 1173

i know that lots of clubs (thscc included) are getting seriously pissed off about vir constantly raising their rates. maybe they went too far with the grand am folks.

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 11:27 pm

From what I understand about their deal with the AMA is this...AMA (or maybe an outside agency that AMA brought in) promoted the race for 10 years, made it VIR's most successful event of the season, year after year, VIR decides they can self promote, required AMA to pay more since they are now self promoting, AMA tells VIR to suck an egg, VIR says AMA is being too greedy, AMA cancels the event and probably won't ever be back.

This is similar to what happened between the AMA and Road Atlanta.

I'm sure this is a similar situation with Grand Am.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 12:04 am

Road Atlanta? where is that? isn't that one of those legendary tracks that nobody can ever seem to get a date with?

honestly i imagine VIR is not a big favorite for the Grand Am gang, kinda too narrow for them i always heard. looks like VIR shot their self in the foot on this one. :stick:

losing AMA? probably more destructive to their bottom line in the long term than anything else IMO.

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 12:20 am

You're right, losing AMA was very destructive to the bottom line. It was a great weekend that drew a TON of people and was always one of the best races on the AMA calendar. Way more fans than any other event I've been to at VIR.

I also think it caused the other organizations to look more closely at their deals. First AMA, then Grand Am. Who's next? Trans Am? SCCA? NASA? CCS? WERA?

I think if the current management keeps it up, Hog Pen could end up housing hogs again!

George Bright · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 9:14 am

Jason Tower wrote:

i know that lots of clubs (thscc included) are getting seriously pissed off about vir constantly raising their rates. maybe they went too far with the grand am folks.

VIR must think they are Time Warner Cable.

Gwen Habenicht · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 1:42 pm

Todd Breakey wrote:

I think if the current management keeps it up, Hog Pen could end up housing hogs again!

Interesting side bar to this...my trade association had the great idea about 5 years ago to bring in a new CEO who would make this association known internationally. Membership skyrocketed, rules changed, etc., they were going to be big and important. Five years later...............
NO TRADE ASSOCIATION. They declared bankruptcy earlier this year. Hope VIR gets smarter sooner.

RobLupella · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 1:54 pm

Gwen Baake wrote:

Todd Breakey wrote:

I think if the current management keeps it up, Hog Pen could end up housing hogs again!

Interesting side bar to this...my trade association had the great idea about 5 years ago to bring in a new CEO who would make this association known internationally. Membership skyrocketed, rules changed, etc., they were going to be big and important. Five years later...............
NO TRADE ASSOCIATION. They declared bankruptcy earlier this year. Hope VIR gets smarter sooner.

It all comes down to a value proposition. If VIR can make more money by raising rates they will. This will stop (hopefully) when groups start leaving and no replacements are available. Hopefully they will realize that the economy just isn't that good and the worm may turn quicker than they can go crawling back to the groups they pissed off.

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

ALMS at VIR?

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20111208/ALMS/111209883

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Grand-AM skipping VIR in 2012?

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