The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a North American sports car racing championship administered by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) sanctioning body. [1] [2] It was founded by pharmaceutical entrepreneur Don Panoz in 1999 after reaching an agreement with the French-based 24 Hours of Le Mans organiser Automobile Club de l'Ouest to form a new sports car series based on the Le Mans rulebook that would serve as a local hub for North American entrants. [3] The series disbanded following the 2013 season when it and the Grand-Am-sanctioned Rolex Sports Car Series merged to become the IMSA SportsCar Championship. [1] [2] It featured several championships awarded by IMSA to the most successful competitors within each of the racing categories used by the series each season. Individual championships were awarded for being the top point scoring drivers and teams as well as chassis, engine, and tire manufacturers. Other unique championships included the IMSA Cup, Founder's Cup, Michelin Green X Challenge, and the ALMS Challenge. The Drivers', Teams', Chassis Manufacturers', and Automobile Manufacturers' Championships were awarded since the series began in 1999, while the Tire and Engine Manufacturers' Championships were introduced in the 2000 season. The champions were not formally crowned until the ALMS awards banquet after the season's final race. [4]
From the start of the American Le Mans Series until the end of the 2002 season, individual drivers were allowed to earn up to three bonus points if they met certain criteria; any driver which led a lap of the race within their category earned one point, whichever driver led the most laps of the race earned one point, and whichever driver set the fastest lap of the race earned one point. From 2003 onward the bonus system was eradicated and drivers earned the same points as their co-drivers.
The Chassis Manufacturers' and Automobile Manufacturers' Championships are combined into a single listing. The grand tourer categories did not have a separate Engine Manufacturers' Championship.
Season | LMP | GTS | GT | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1999 | Panoz | Porsche | Porsche | |
2000 | Audi | DaimlerChrysler | Porsche | |
Season | LMP900 | LMP675 | GTS | GT |
2001 | Audi | Lola | Chevrolet | BMW |
2002 | Audi | Lola | Chevrolet | Porsche |
2003 | Audi | Lola | Chevrolet | Porsche |
Season | LMP1 | LMP2 | GTS | GT |
2004 | Audi | Lola | Chevrolet | Porsche |
Season | LMP1 | LMP2 | GT1 | GT2 |
2005 | Audi | Courage | Chevrolet | Porsche |
2006 | Audi | Porsche | Chevrolet | Porsche |
2007 | Audi | Porsche | Chevrolet | Ferrari |
2008 | Audi | Porsche | Chevrolet | Porsche |
Season | LMP1 | LMP2 | — | GT2 |
2009 | Acura | Acura | Porsche | |
Season | LMP | GT | ||
2010 | HPD | BMW | ||
Season | LMP1 | LMP2 | GT | |
2011 | Lola | Lola | BMW | |
Season | P1 | P2 | GT | |
2012 | HPD | HPD | Chevrolet | |
2013 | HPD | HPD | Chevrolet |
Season | LMP | |
---|---|---|
2000 | Audi | |
Season | LMP900 | LMP675 |
2001 | Audi | Nissan |
2002 | Audi | AER-MG |
2003 | Audi | AER |
Season | LMP1 | LMP2 |
2004 | Audi | Judd |
2005 | Audi | AER |
2006 | Audi | Porsche |
2007 | Audi | Porsche |
2008 | Audi | Porsche |
2009 | Acura | Acura |
Season | LMP | |
2010 | HPD | |
Season | LMP1 | LMP2 |
2011 | Mazda | HPD |
Season | P1 | P2 |
2012 | HPD | HPD |
2013 | HPD | HPD |
Season | LMP | GTS | GT | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | Michelin | Michelin | Michelin | |
Season | LMP900 | LMP675 | GTS | GT |
2001 | Michelin | Avon | Goodyear | Michelin |
2002 | Michelin | Avon | Goodyear | Michelin |
2003 | Michelin | Goodyear | Goodyear | Michelin |
Season | LMP1 | LMP2 | GTS | GT |
2004 | Michelin | Pirelli | Michelin | Michelin |
Season | LMP1 | LMP2 | GT1 | GT2 |
2005 | Michelin | Goodyear | Michelin | Michelin |
2006 | Michelin | Michelin | Michelin | Michelin |
2007 | Michelin | Michelin | Michelin | Michelin |
2008 | Michelin | Michelin | Michelin | Michelin |
Season | LMP1 | LMP2 | — | GT2 |
2009 | Michelin | Michelin | Michelin | |
Season | LMP | GT | ||
2010 | Michelin | Michelin | ||
Season | LMP1 | LMP2 | GT | |
2011 | Dunlop | Michelin | Michelin | |
Season | P1 | P2 | GT | |
2012 | Michelin | Dunlop | Michelin | |
2013 | Michelin | Michelin | Michelin |
The IMSA Cup was a championship for teams which were not designated as being run by an automobile manufacturer. The 2002 championship was awarded to a full team, while from 2003 onward the championship points were awarded to each individual entry. For the 2011 season, due to a lack of manufacturer supported teams in the ALMS, the IMSA Cup was not awarded.
The Founders Cup was an annual award to recognize the accomplishments of a gentleman driver. A single championship is awarded covering all categories.
Season | Champion |
---|---|
2008 | Jon Field |
2009 | Joel Feinberg |
2010 | Bill Sweedler |
2011 | Bill Sweedler |
2012 | Cooper MacNeil |
2013 | Mike Guasch |
The Michelin Green X Challenge was a championship based on energy efficiency over the course of a season. The Green X Challenge debuted at the end of 2008, but the first championship was not awarded until the 2009 season. Two championships were awarded, one for both LMP classes and one for both GT classes. [6]
Season | LMPs | GTs |
---|---|---|
2009 | Acura | Porsche |
2010 | HPD | Porsche |
2011 | Mazda | BMW |
2012 | HPD | Chevrolet |
Sports car racing is a form of motorsport road racing which utilises sports cars that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built prototypes or grand tourers based on road-going models. Sports car racing is one of the main types of circuit auto racing, alongside open-wheel racing, touring car racing and stock car racing. Sports car races are often, though not always, endurance races that are run over particularly long distances or large amounts of time, resulting in a larger emphasis on the reliability and efficiency of the car and its drivers as opposed to outright car performance or driver skills. The FIA World Endurance Championship is an example of one of the best known sports car racing series.
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The European Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the former American Le Mans Series (ALMS) based in the United States and Canada that was running with ACO and IMSA between 1999 and 2013. ELMS team champions and runners-up receive an automatic entry to the following year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. Originally titled the Le Mans Endurance Series before becoming simply the Le Mans Series in 2006, the series was renamed once more in 2012, reusing a name previously utilized by IMSA in 2001.
Panoz is an American manufacturer of luxury sports automobiles founded in 1989 as Panoz Auto Development by Dan Panoz, son of Don Panoz. The company has also been extensively involved in professional racing, and designs, engineers and builds its own race cars. Panoz products have included the Panoz Roadster and AIV Roadster, the Panoz Esperante, and the Panoz Avezzano.
The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) is a North American sports car racing sanctioning body based in Daytona Beach, Florida, under the jurisdiction of the ACCUS arm of the FIA. It was started by John Bishop, a former executive director of SCCA, and his wife Peggy in 1969 with help from Bill France Sr. of NASCAR. Beginning in 2014, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the premier series resulting from the merger of Grand-Am Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series. IMSA is owned by NASCAR, as a division of the company.
A Le Mans Prototype (LMP) is a type of sports prototype race car used in various races and championships, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series. Le Mans Prototypes were created by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The technical requirements for an LMP include bodywork covering all mechanical elements of the car. As of 2023, there are two classes within Le Mans Prototypes, designated LMP2 and LMP3.
Riley Technologies LLC is an American auto racing constructor and team specializing in the design and manufacture of complete race cars, as well as prototype development for racing and manufacturing applications.
The 2001 European Le Mans Series season was the only season for the IMSA European Le Mans Series. It is a series for Le Mans Prototypes (LMP) and Grand Touring (GT) race cars divided into 4 classes: LMP900, LMP675, GTS, and GT. It began 17 March 2001 and ended 6 October 2001 after 7 races.
Dyson Racing is a professional sports car racing team based in Poughkeepsie, New York in the United States. Founded by Rob Dyson in 1974, the team competed successfully in North American sports car racing series, including the IMSA GT Championship and American Le Mans Series.
IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.
The 2009 American Le Mans Series season was the 39th season for the IMSA GT Championship, with it being the eleventh season with the American Le Mans Series moniker. It began on March 21, 2009, and ended on October 10, 2009 after ten events. The series was composed of Le Mans Prototypes (LMP) and Grand Tourer (GT) race cars divided into four classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2. A fifth category, known as the Challenge class, was also added for select races and featured Porsche 997 GT3 Cup cars from the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge. 2009 was also the final year for GT1, with Corvette Racing abandoning the class after Long Beach and switching over to much more competitive GT2 class.
The Asian Le Mans Series (AsLMS) is an Asian sports car racing endurance series created by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and based in Asia. It is the successor to the defunct Japan Le Mans Challenge which folded in 2007 after its second season. The ACO aims to attract teams and drivers from Asian countries.
The Le Mans Prototype Challenge was a spec sports prototype formula created by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), organisers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and sports car constructor Oreca. The formula is intended as part of a ladder system for young and upcoming drivers into the world of endurance racing while also serving as a value engineered entry for drivers and teams into Le Mans Prototypes due to limitations on manufacturers and suppliers.
The 2010 American Le Mans Series season was the 40th overall season for the IMSA GT Championship, and the twelfth as the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. It was also the first season in which the ALMS used a revised structure for its four classes, as well as the first year in a three-year sponsorship deal with Patrón. The season began with the 12 Hours of Sebring on March 20 and ended with the Petit Le Mans on October 2, completing nine total races.
The DeltaWing is a racing car designed by British race car designer and engineer Ben Bowlby and debuted at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans. The entry was run under the Project 56 name, composed of Ben Bowlby (design), Dan Gurney's All American Racers (constructor), Duncan Dayton's Highcroft Racing and International Motor Sports Association owner Don Panoz. Nissan's NISMO division provided the engine in return for naming rights for part of 2012.
The 2012 American Le Mans Series season was a multi-event auto racing championship for sports racing cars which conform to the technical regulations laid out by the International Motor Sports Association for the American Le Mans Series. It was the fourteenth season of the American Le Mans Series, and the 42nd season overall of the IMSA GT Championship. The season began with the 60th annual 12 Hours of Sebring on March 14–17, and covered ten events.
The 2013 American Le Mans Series was the fifteenth and final season of the International Motor Sports Association GT Championship being labeled as the American Le Mans Series, before merging up with the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series in 2014.
Eric Lux was one of the first 16-year-old drivers to finish the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, and the youngest winner in the Rolex Sports Car Series. Eric is an American businessman and race car driver. He continues to race part-time at a professional level in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship. In 2022, Eric and teammates Pato O'Ward, Colton Herta, and Devlin DeFrancesco won the 60th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona in the Le Mans Prototype 2 category for DragonSpeed.
The IMSA SportsCar Championship, currently known as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship under sponsorship, is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada and organized by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). It is a result of a merger between two existing North American sports car racing series, the American Le Mans Series and Rolex Sports Car Series. At its inception, the name was United SportsCar Championship, which subsequently changed to IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2016. Rolex SA's Tudor brand was the championship's title sponsor in 2014 and 2015, and since 2016 WeatherTech has served as title sponsor.
Bryan Sellers is an American racing driver. Sellers won the title in the U.S. F2000 in 2002 and later competed in the Atlantic Championship and in racing sports cars.