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<body> <Table Width="550" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" cellpadding="0"><TR><TD Width="35"><IMG SRC="//www.totalmotorsport.com/images/spacer.gif" WIDTH="35" HEIGHT="1"></td><td> <CENTER><Table border="0" width="100%"> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="5">AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">21/06/2001</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="4">Changes</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="3">For 2002 And Beyond</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><img border="1" src="Storage/ngesFor%20AME.jpg"></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="1">  </FONT></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">A common theme referred to on this site this season is the divergence of rules and series. Is it GT racing or sportscar racing, what length should races be, is it cost-effective racing or manufacturers spending a mint, is it LMP 675s or SR2s, is it designed to confuse the public...or confuse the public?<BR> <BR> Perhaps there's light at the end of the tunnel, at least as regards prototypes. A meeting at Le Mans last Friday between the ACO, the FIA and the prototype manufacturers allegedly set the tone for a coming together of sportscar rules, perhaps as soon as 2004. The 24 Hours will always stand alone as a one-off event, but there is the prospect of common rules for the FIA SCC and Le Mans / ALMS. Nothing would please constructors more - and it would also serve the teams, who must despair of having to make changes to their cars as they switch from one series to another.<BR> <BR> Roll hoops and the undersides of the cars are clearly two topics which will need to be addressed. No conclusions are believed to have come out of last week's meeting; rather it was a gathering to plan future meetings, at which details can be thrashed out, now that there is a wish on all sides to create a uniform platform. It isn't clear where the Grand Am would fit into this 'plan', but they seem to be heading off in their own direction anyway. <BR> <BR> John Mangoletsi is even suggesting (in Autosport) that the 675s could be introduced into the FIA SCC next year, despite being totally against these expensive 'little' cars as recently as a month ago. Presumably the 675s would run as a sub class of the SR1s - the Lola (MG) chassis with an alternative engine could really be the thing to have. Minor tweaking such as this is hardly a way forward long term, but it looks as though 2004 might see some order come out of the current muddle.<BR> <BR> The muddle in Europe - FIA GTs, FIA SCC, ELMS - might become clearer much sooner than 2004. Keen observers are already hinting that the ELMS was a stage to far, too soon, and with exciting ALMS plans for next year, perhaps the ELMS will be absorbed into another series?<BR> <BR> ALMS plans for 2001: no sprint races, no unsuitable tracks, just a concentration on fewer, longer events. The PLM has set the standard, mimicing its Godfather, the Le Mans 24 Hours. TotalMotorSport has had fewer, longer races on its wish list for years. Perhaps it is finally coming true. It is still hard to see how this US plan fits in with the European set-up, where 150 / 180 minute races are the norm. Now if there was a combined prototype / GT series in Europe, running in parallel with the ALMS, with a grand finale for everyone to enter at the end of the season, most people really would be happy - and the public might understand. But perhaps the GT / prototype split in Europe is too well established for changes to occur.<BR> <BR> PS. This is more of a commentary piece than a news item, but it does help to wrap up all that's been happening while we've been covering Le Mans - and recovering from that experience.</FONT></TD></TR> </TABLE><BR> </CENTER> <BR><CENTER><font size="1" color="#808080" face="Tahoma">Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport</font></CENTER> </td> </tr> </table> </body>