New Austin venue and combined events highlight 2013 season

2013 spotlights combined weekends with Grand-Am at Road America and “super endurance weekend” at Circuit of The Americas

The 2013 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón race schedule is a compelling, 10-round slate, featuring a unique joint weekend with the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series at Road America and what’s being termed a super endurance weekend in combination with the FIA World Endurance Championship at the spectacular new Circuit of The Americas (CoTA) in Texas. That event will feature separate, long distance races for the ALMS championship on Saturday, Sept. 21, and the WEC race on Sunday, Sept. 22.

Nine ALMS rounds in 2013 represent return visits to 2012 schedule sites. Eight of the Series’ race dates are Saturdays, punctuated by two consecutive, mid-season Sunday events – one of which is on a collective weekend with GRAND-AM at Road America. The CoTA event marks the ALMS’ first venture to the new 3.4-mile, 20-turn track near Austin, Texas.

“Our 2013 schedule reflects many of the traditional, world-class venues that have delivered so many great ALMS races over the years,” ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton said. “We welcome the opportunity to join GRAND-AM with what will be a stellar sports car racing weekend at Road America, and we also look forward to visiting the stunning new CoTA track in Texas.”

“With our five-class structure remaining unchanged for next year, we have confirmed that our 2013 season will be a continuation of the success we had in 2012 – with epic race and championship battles among drivers, teams and manufacturers,” he added. “The competition this season has been outstanding in all classes, and it’s a safe bet 2013 will bring more of the same.”

As is tradition, the ALMS’ 2013 schedule opens with the 61st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida on March 16, and concludes Oct. 19 with the 16th running of its cornerstone event – Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda at Road Atlanta.

A month after the season-opening visit to Sebring International Raceway, ALMS action moves west for the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach on April 20, co-featured with the IZOD IndyCar Series. This is followed by a May 18 date at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

After the ALMS’ annual June break for the 90th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Series returns to action July 6 at Lime Rock Park, and two weeks later (July 21) heads north of the border to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park for one of the season’s two Sunday races.

The Road America weekend spectacular finds ALMS competing on Sunday, Aug. 11, with GRAND-AM racing the previous day. ALMS drivers then navigate their second street course of the season during Labor Day weekend (Aug. 31) at the Grand Prix of Baltimore in another co-featured event with IndyCar.

The fall ALMS swing begins in earnest at Circuit of The Americas (Sept. 21), then ventures to VIRginia International Raceway on Oct. 5, before the Series’ crystal anniversary season concludes at Road Atlanta two weeks later (Oct. 19).

Notably absent on the schedule is Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, which has played host to the ALMS from 2003 to this season. Atherton explained: “Our business plan calls for a maximum of 10 events. This situation, coupled with lack of viable television options with our traditional August Mid-Ohio date, prevented us from returning in 2013. We consider Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to be one of North America’s best road racing venues, and we look forward to opportunity to return with the unified series in 2014.”

In 2013, the ALMS celebrates its 15th year, prior to merging with the GRAND-AM Rolex Series as a unified sports car racing series in 2014. ALMS will also move into the third year of its broadcast/cable television and online partnership with ABC/ESPN2/ESPN3.

2013 ALMS Schedule

* - Shared weekend with IZOD IndyCar Series
# - Shared weekend with GRAND-AM
% - Shared weekend with FIA WEC

Source: ALMS