Inaugural Washington ALMS Race Is Darn Near Perfect
by Rich Romer

I have been to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of races all over the world from quarter mile dirt tracks to Formula One Grands Prix. I have been writing about them professionally for the last 10 years, and I have, in my checkered past, been involved in organizing and promoting races, not nearly on the scale of the Cadillac Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. but large enough to appreciate the challenge of putting on an inaugural event of this magnitude. With that written, permit me to say that the Washington D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission, National Grand Prix Holdings, LLC, and the American LeMans Series scored a 9.6 out of possible 10 this past weekend with their race.

The task they launched on a year and a half ago was daunting. Bobby Goldwater, President of the Sports and Entertainment Commission explained, "We have the charter to bring world class sporting events to the Washington area. We are working with Baltimore on being designated the site for the 2012 Olympics. We are trying to bring major league baseball to Washington as soon as next year, and we felt that there was no better way to show off our city and what it has to offer then by bringing in a world class motorsports event." The world did indeed get a chance to see D.C. at its best. CBS broadcast Saturday's Trans Am race, an exciting event won by Butch Leitzinger, and NBC had Sunday's American LeMans Series race.

Chris Lencheski, President of National Grand Prix Holdings, was everywhere over the weekend. Describing himself as having an "anal retentive" personality, Lencheski was already noting details that will have to be changed to make next year's event even better. He ordered a number of adjustments over this past weekend. Noting that a number of ticket holders had chosen to sit in the shade of some trees on a hillside outside the track rather sit in the grandstands, Lencheski, concerned about any medical emergencies directed that one of the onsite medical teams move to the hillside. He also saw that a drink and concession stand was set up near the hillside for Sunday's race.

For weeks, ALMS President Scott Atherton had been calling the D.C. race, "the ALMS' coming out party". Asked after the race, it the event met his expectations, Atherton, not known for exaggeration, said, "This was as close to a perfect event as you are ever going to see. It is unbelievable that this is the inaugural race."

The race car drivers, from club racers to LeMans winners, were effusive in their praise of the event. After winning the Trans Am race, Butch Leitzinger said, "The track is amazing. Although it is built in a parking lot and they are calling this a street race, the way it is laid out is better than most permanent road courses we race on. Whoever engineered the asphalt/polymer mix for the racing surface is to be commended. For a first year track not to pull up under the pounding and down force of the TransAm and ALMS cars is amazing, particularly in the heat and humidity we are experiencing this weekend." Stating that he was not usually a big fan of race promoters, Leitzinger gave high marks to the organizers of the D.C. Grand Prix. "These guys were ready for us when we rolled into the track on Thursday. Every practice and race has started exactly when it was scheduled. The physical and organizational arrangements are better here than at most permanent facilities. It is hard to believe that this is a temporary circuit built in a parking lot."

David Brabham, who along with co-driver Jan Magnussen won the ALMS race in a Panoz LMP900, praised the layout of the 1.7 mile course which contained 3 hairpins in its 7 turns. "Given the speed differential between the four classes on the track during our 2 hour 45 minute race, we were into lapped traffic after the first 10 minutes and there the rest of the race. The track is wider than most street circuits, and the turns provide plenty of room for passing. I think that was a great contributor to the really safe race we had. The slower cars had room to allow us to pass them without having to give up their own positions in their own class races." Brabham gave high marks to the courtesy and "situational awareness" of the other competitors. "We were in a race long battle with the Audi factory cars, and were not balked by a slower car even once."