Posted Oct 31st 2012 10:00AM
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The 991 Porsche 911 is already on the streets, but we're going to have to wait until 2014 before we see the car in race form on the track. Porsche Motorsport recently announced that it is ending development of the current 997-based 911 GT3 RSR used in the American Le Mans Series in preparation of the new car.Porsche also revealed that its ALMS GT class partnership with Flying Lizard Motorsports is being discontinued as well. While there will be no more 997 cars built for 2013, Porsche will still be supplying teams with extra parts and tubs to compete.
Porsche's announcement, of course, coincides with the recent news that ALMS and Grand-Am are merging for the 2014 season. It isn't clear how the merger will play out between the ALMS and Rolex Series GT cars, but Andy Schupack of Porsche motorsports PR says the merger could get "complicated" since the RSR would be illegal under the current Grand-Am rules.
"It is possible that there will be two GT classes: one for the ALMS GT cars and second class that will probably combine the ALMS GT Challenge with the Rolex GT cars," said Schupack in a phone interview. "The big difference between the two classes now is that Grand-Am cars are tube-frame cars and ALMS GT uses a real chassis that has more in common with a road car."
Schupack also said that there is a possibility that the merger could bring the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge – a one-make series currently running the 911 GT3 – to Daytona International Speedway for the first time.
Image Credit: Porsche Motorsport
