Pitfalls, Opportunities Aplenty in ALMS and Grand-Am Merger

In the end, it came down to just what we knew it eventually would: In the 13-year staring contest between American Le Mans Series founder Don Panoz, and Grand-Am founder Jim France, Panoz blinked first. So while the combining of forces between the NASCAR-owned Grand-Am and Panoz's ALMS sports-car series was carefully categorized as a "merger of equals," it will be a merger of the same sort as the one between Delta and Northwest Airlines—all those airplanes are painted in Delta colors now. The new, yet-to-be-named series will be governed by a five-person board of directors. Two members are from ALMS, Panoz and his chief lieutenant, Scott Atherton; the other three are NASCAR's Jim France, NASCAR's Lesa France Kennedy, and NASCAR attorney Karen Leetzow.  A three-to-two voting majority for NASCAR and Grand-Am—you do the math. Read full story » from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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