GrandAmerican.com, October 9, 2005

Officials from the Grand American Road Racing Association released the 2006 Grand-Am Cup Series schedule of events last night at the Awards Celebration following yesterday’s season-ending VIR 200 at Virginia International Raceway.

Highlights of the 10-race calendar for the Grand-Am Cup Series GS and ST classes include a return to Lime Rock Park on its traditional Memorial Day Weekend event, a debut race at the new Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City on Labor Day weekend and the first big endurance race in Grand-Am Cup Series history to end the season at VIR. The Virginia endurance race will be either 12 or 24 hours in length with the final distance to be determined after a survey of series teams.

Returning venues include the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Phoenix International Raceway, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Barber Motorsports Park and Trois-Rivieres, in addition to VIR.

Nine races were announced and a 10th and final event will be added in the near future with a return visit to Homestead-Miami Speedway a likely stop. A race in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – where the Grand-Am Cup Series made its international debut this season – is currently not on the schedule.

2006 Grand-Am Cup Schedule*

• January 4 – 7, 2006, Daytona Test Days, Daytona International Speedway
• January 26 – 27, 2006, 150 Miles/2 Hours, Daytona International Speedway
• May 5 – 7, 2006, 150 Miles/2 Hours, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
• May 12 – 14, 2006, 150 Miles/2 Hours, Phoenix International Raceway
• May 26 – 29, 2006, 150 Miles/2 Hours, Lime Rock Park
• June 23 – 25, 2006, 150 Miles/2 Hours, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
• July 28 – 30, 2006, 150 Miles/2 Hours, Barber Motorsports Park
• August 4 – 6, 2006, 150 Miles/2 Hours, Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres
• August 31 – Sept. 1, 2006, 150 Miles/2 Hours, Miller Motorsports Park
• October 6 – 8, 2006, 12 - 24 Hours TBD**, Virginia International Raceway

* - One additional race to be added
** - Race to be 12 or 24 Hours with length to be determined following team survey.

 

They cleverly scheduled Mid-Ohio for the same weekend as the Champ Car Cleveland Grand Prix. It seems like this will hurt ticket sales on both ends, and spread the SCCA corner workers pretty thin. I guess I'll go to Mid-O for Cup Qualifying and the Rolex on Saturday, and Cleveland for for the Atlantics and Champ Cars on Sunday. It's a shame that I'll have to miss the Cup Race, though.

 

That is pretty dumb! I wish there were more races closer, like Road Atlanta.

 

Road Atlanta won't happen, its a Panoz track, and rumor has it, Panoz and the France family don't get along . . .

 

I think it has something to do with Panoz owning ALMS and the Frances running Grand Am.