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| Every
year millions of spectators, broadcast
viewers and listeners from around the
globe focus on the Sarthe region of
France to witness a 24-hour motor racing
event that dates back to 1923. The 24
Hours of Le Mans tests both man and
machine in what is arguably the world's
most prestigious automobile race. |
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| In
an effort to expand upon the rich
history and tradition of the 24 Hours of
Le Mans, the Automobile
Club de l'Ouest (ACO),
organizers and rights holders for the
trademarks and rules for the 24-hour
race, agreed to license their
internationally famous brand name and
rules to successful businessman and
entrepreneur Donald E. Panoz. |
| In
addition to the licensing rights, the
ACO agreed to grant pre-qualifying
exemptions for the 24-Hours of Le Mans
each year to three class winners in each
of the three major territories
(Americas, Asia and Europe). This
represents nine of a total of twelve
pre-qualifying exemptions for the 48-car
starting field. Such an incentive is
sure to attract major teams and
manufacturers from around the world. |
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| With
these rights, Panoz founded the American
Le Mans Series in 1999 with an
eight-race schedule. In 2000, the
schedule was expanded to 12 races (eight
in the United States, one in Canada, 2
in Europe and the season finale in
Adelaide, Australia). In 2001, the
schedule included 15 races (eight in the
U.S., one in Canada, 5 in Europe, and
the season closer in Malaysia). In
2002, the schedule included 10 races in
North America. In 2003, there are
10 races in North America and
Mexico. Each race will have a
minimum purse of $200,000 with ten
percent of each purse going to the
privateer fund to be distributed at the
end of the season. Prize money from the
race purses is distributed exclusively
among privateer teams. Our domestic and
international television and Internet
distribution is unprecedented in
American sports car racing history. |
| The
American Le Mans Series has been created
to stabilize and implement a growth
strategy for professional sports car
racing in America. |
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| With
the ACO license for the internationally
known Le Mans brand name and
rules, the American Le Mans Series will
pattern each race week after the popular
24 Hours of Le Mans in order to
stimulate fan interest in the sport. |
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| The
license for the ACO rules will bring the
stability that teams, manufacturers and
fans are seeking in sports car racing
today. ACO makes the rules, and International
Motor Sports Association (IMSA) has
been contracted to officiate and
administer the rules. |
| The
American Le Mans Series will implement a
domestic/international, comprehensive,
and customer-driven marketing plan with
a focus on promoting the Le Mans brand
and the 2001 schedule through co-op
advertising and promotional campaigns.
Regional promotions at some events will
include the public viewing of the cars
in a public forum within the race week,
followed by a charity fashion show with
a major retailer in the race market. |
| A
diversified weekend race schedule is
assured through the American Le Mans
Series own support event: The Panoz
Racing Series, featuring Panoz
Racing School student drivers and
professional drivers. Other support
events will be tailored to each market. |
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| Manufacturers
and key category sponsors will be
attracted to the fully integrated
marketing platform for the new series,
which will include hospitality and
on-site signage at the events,
cooperative advertising and promotional
programs, and domestic/ international
television, radio, as well as Internet
commercial and sponsorship packages. |
| The
American Le Mans Series will deliver to
sponsors, manufacturers and competitors
quantifiable short-term benefits as well
as measurable results from longer term
investments in marketing, branding and
education. |
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| Fans get a
taste of the 24 Hours of Le Mans,
including downtown scrutineering and the
same rules and race format as the
historic French event.
The
paddock area will allow fans to get a
close look at the race cars and their
equipment, and have a chance to obtain
autographs from their favorite drivers.
Fans
will be well informed at the events with
portable, electronic scoreboards and a
giant video screen, and each event will
provide a hint of the French ambiance. |
Photo:
Anne Roller |
| Race
participants will include private teams
as well as the world's leading sports
car manufacturers competing in four
classes of cars as defined by the ACO
for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The
participants in the event will be
competing on a level playing field by
using predictable and stable rules
established by the ACO. |
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| Why
the American Le Mans Series is Designed
For the Competitors
ACO rules and SPORTS CAR
implementation of the rules provide
confidence and stability that
competitors have been seeking from
American sports car racing.
Experienced and reputable series
management will bring additional
confidence to the competitors.
The series marketing platform will
bring more fans to the events and a much
larger viewer and listening audience
from domestic and international
television, radio and Internet
broadcasts. This provides the
competitors with a car sponsorship value
greatly enhanced over previous years in
American sports car racing. |
Photo:
Gary Dodds |
| The
series will work with car sponsors to
enhance their value through the series
marketing platform opportunities without
taking away from team sponsorship
revenues.
Using Le Mans rules allows teams who
wish to compete at the 24 Hours of Le
Mans an opportunity to compete under
those rules in events leading up to
pre-qualifying and the race as opposed
to simply testing. Actual race
competition and returned value in prize
money and sponsor exposure make this a
valuable attraction to competitors.
The American Le Mans Series'
multi-year contract with the ACO
provides competitors with the comfort of
knowing that there is a long term plan
for the growth and stability of American
sports car racing. |
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