The American Le Mans Series is steeped in historical influence and inspired by the ultimate endurance test involving both man and machine – the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Featured in the Series are the elite marques of some of the most technologically advanced sports cars and racing machines in the world. No racing series in the world can boast such a large and diverse competitive mix of world-class auto manufacturers competing head-to-head in each Series event.
The American Le Mans Series talent-laden driver roster is comprised of a world-class collection of the best road course racers from around the world who are active in the Series and hail from such countries as Brazil, Czech Republic, Mexico, Scotland and the United States.
The American Le Mans Series schedule encompasses premier permanent road racing venues in North America as well as top population markets with a variety of endurance races ranging in length from two hours and 45 minutes to 12 hours. In 2007, St. Petersburg, Fla., Long Beach, Calif. and Detroit, Mich. joined Houston and Salt Lake City on an expanded 12-race Series slate, which will remain unchanged for the 2008 season. The Series boasts an annual schedule impacting well over 70 percent of the U.S. urban population, including seven of the top 10 and 12 of the top 20 markets in America.
The American Le Mans Series is further separated from other forms of motorsports by its unique format -- four classes of sports cars competing simultaneously in each event. As a result, there are four different class winners as well as one overall winner for each race. The four classes showcase two categories of exotic and sophisticated Le Mans Prototypes (LMP1 and LMP2) and sleek production-based Grand Touring cars (GT1 and GT2). LMP1 is comprised of purpose-built, closed-wheel chassis race cars that are among the most technologically developed and fastest sports cars in the world while LMP2 race cars are smaller, less-powerful prototypes that are extremely nimble and have proven the capability to win overall. GT1 cars are production models that are heavily modified for racing and GT2 cars are production-based automobiles with few internal racing modifications. The leaders in all four classes can be easily tracked by the Leader Light system — an innovation introduced by the series (2002) in all classes of competition.
With every event since its inception televised, the 2008 American Le Mans Series boasts the most comprehensive television package in Series’ history, featuring ABC Sports, NBC Sports and SPEED domestically and ‘live’ coverage internationally throughout Europe as delivered by MotorsTV as well as weekly programs and highlights from partner Greenlight-TV reaching around the world to more than 500 million potential viewers.
Andretti Green Racing returns to the LMP2 class in 2008 for its sophomore season as one of three Acura-powered teams. Bryan Herta, Christian Fittipaldi and Tony Kanaan are slated to drive the #26 XM Satellite Radio Courage for AGR with Herta and Fittipaldi being the two full-time drivers for the group.
