How Does a Grand-Am Event Stack Up To an ALMS Event?

Yesterday, I went to the Emco Gears Classic at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Though I had originally planned to attend the Acura Sports Car Challenge later this year instead, I was forced to alter my plans since I'm not enough of a douchebag to blow off my best friend's wedding for a car race.

I knew I'd be entertained. I'm a very generalized type of racing fan - if it has at least two wheels, an engine, and goes insanely fast, I like it. But a lot of racing fans out there dismiss Grand-Am as dull because of slower speeds(relative to Le Mans cars) and the ugly appearance of the Daytona Prototypes.

I've always been one who feels you can get a much better feel for the nature of the series and the fans who enjoy it when you actually go to an event rather than just watching it on TV.

And fortunately, the Emco Gears Classic turned out to be a VERY exciting race, just as last year's Acura Sports Car Challenge. And so, in some key areas, let's compare the two events I've been to and see how they stack up.

I will be focusing primarily on the Prototypes due to them being he issue of most contention amongst fans. The GT classes usually aren't subject to much debate(though I will be touching on them in one category).

Atmosphere

Acura Sports Car Challenge

At this event, I never really got the feeling that most of the people around me were as generalized in their racing preferences as I was. There were indeed plenty of people who liked a wide variety of racing, but most people I spoke with were extremely critical of one form of racing or anthoer—particularly anything lower-tech than Le Mans racing.

Criticism of series like NASCAR and even IndyCar is to be expected from hardcore road-racing fans, but a lot of it went far beyond the expected.

Emco Gears Classic

The atmosphere was much more comfortable overall at this event - the majority of the fans being a lot more generalized in their tastes. Basically, most people I felt were of the opinion, "if the racing's exciting, it's all good."

What little criticism I heard bugged me a lot more than the stuff at the Acura Sports Car Challenge as it was mostly along the lines of series like the ALMS being "too snobbish" and "holier-than-thou."

I'm sure a few drivers who get to that level will tun into such people, but overall I never got that feeling, and personally I think their reasoning for disliking the ALMS is giving THEM a holier-than-thou attitude.

Hypocrisy, thy name is uber-hard-core-Grand-Am-fan.

Cars

Acura Sports Car Challenge

I have never, and will never, claim that Le Mans cars are ugly. Quite the contrary, modern Le Mans cars are some of the best-looking racecars EVER DESIGNED. Even the ugliest of LMPs are fascinating in their ugliness.

This gives the Acura Sports Car Challenge a visual edge over the Emco Gears Classic, flat out. That said, however...

Emco Gears Classic

The Riley MkXX Daytona Prototype is still the most hideous vehicle in active competition today, and the majority of the other DPs are close behind. That said, the DPs do have a somewhat fascinating air around them(I'll get to that in more detail later) when you see them with your own eyes in active competition.

I've had this opinion since watching my first Grand-Am race, but witnessing this race only convinced me more that DPs are the ultimate proof that a car doesn't have to LOOK good to be very exciting. But in addition, I must retract a previous statement regarding the new Crawford DP.

It is not pushing the boundaries of looking good, it DOES look good. Period. I will note and allow for the possibility that the black paintjob may be enhancing it, but watching it in person I could not find an angle(no, not even from the front!) that was truly UGLY.

It's no LMP, but its proof that as far as the looks go, there IS hope for DPs.

Speed

Acura Sports Car Challenge

FAST!!!!!!!!!!!! What else can be said? Le Mans Prototypes always zoom down the straight and fly through the corners. Always a beautiful sight to behold.

Emco Gears Classic

Well, sorry to say this to all the doubters, but.... FAST!!!!!!!!! Yes, the ugly, sluggish Daytona Prototype was very quick down the straight and through Turn 4 at Mid-Ohio. If you put video of them side-by-side, I'm sure the difference would be obvious, but to my naked eye with no point of reference, I could not see the difference. And I can tell if I'm looking at an LMP1 or LMP2 Lola(open OR closed cockpit) without any assisting references—my attention to detail is legendary amongst my family and friends, so not being able to discern an immediate difference is rather significant(to us, at least).

The thing is that while DPs only lap at about the same time as an LMGT1 car, they get more of their speed in the corners than the GT1 cars. The result is a car that appears infinitely more nimble than it's lap times show.

Sound

Acura Sports Car Challenge

Ah, the sweet symphony of the various different naturally aspirated and turbo-charged V8s, flat 6s, I4s, etc and the eerie silence of the Audi diesel...

The Acura Sports Car Challenge was a real treat to the ears. Whatever type of engine note you like, you got it. Unless you wanted something that sounded closer to an F1 car.

Emco Gears Classic

LOUD V8 RUMBLE!!!! While an ALMS race is a symphonic orchestra of engine notes, a Grand-Am race is a death metal concert of Corvette-like V8 rumbling. This is of course due to the stock-block nature of the engines in the Daytona Prototypes combined with the five GM-based cars(two Pontiac GXPs, one GTO, and two Corvettes), but the Emco Gears Classic had a sweet, sweet surprise mixed in: The Mazda RX-8's rotary engine, which gets wonderfully close to an F1-style exhaust note.

From where I was sitting, you hear this high-pitched scream as it approached, then a little "burp" as the driver downshifted for Turn 4, and upon hearing that burp is when the car came into view.

You always knew when an RX-8 was coming, and the sound, mixed in with all the death metal V8s, just seemed completely out of place... And yet still pure awesome. The Emco Gears Classic was several times louder than the Acura Sports Car Challenge.

In conclusion, was the Emco Gears Classic better than the Acura Sports Car Challenge? Well, based on what I wrote above, you'd think so. But in all reality, when you expect an ALMS-like experience, the Grand-Am experience has so many differences that it's hard not to be blown away.

The truth is, no: The Emco Gears Classic was NOT better than the Acura Sports Car Challenge. But nor was the Acura Sports Car Challenge better than the Emco Gears Classic.

It's all going to be down to what you really want in a race. If you like pure, unrestricted noise, go to a Grand-Am race. If you for some reason prioritize looks over anything else, go to an ALMS race. There's a million reasons to choose one or the other, but trust me when I say, plain and simple, no matter which race you choose, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.