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North America's two sports car racing series, Grand-Am Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series, announced a merger which will come into effect in 2014.
Grand-Am Road Racing, which runs the Rolex 24 race at Daytona Beach, is owned by Nascar and has bought the American Le Mans Series.
NEW COMPETITION
Grand-Am president and CEO Ed Bennett said: "This announcement will transform sports car racing on this continent along with having world-wide industry implications.
"Aside from the organisations involved, everybody wins - drivers, teams, manufacturers, sponsors, tracks and most of all the fans."
The move strengthens Nascar's dominant position in North American motorsport. The two bodies will continue to run separate schedules in 2013 but in 2014 will begin a joint competition whose name has yet to be decided and class structure and rules have yet to be settled.
The ALMS began in 1999 with Grand-Am starting in 1998, both attempting to fill the gap left by the end of the IMSA GT championship which had operated from 1971-98.
Grand-Am Road Racing, which runs the Rolex 24 race at Daytona Beach, is owned by Nascar and has bought the American Le Mans Series.
NEW COMPETITION
Grand-Am president and CEO Ed Bennett said: "This announcement will transform sports car racing on this continent along with having world-wide industry implications.
"Aside from the organisations involved, everybody wins - drivers, teams, manufacturers, sponsors, tracks and most of all the fans."
The move strengthens Nascar's dominant position in North American motorsport. The two bodies will continue to run separate schedules in 2013 but in 2014 will begin a joint competition whose name has yet to be decided and class structure and rules have yet to be settled.
The ALMS began in 1999 with Grand-Am starting in 1998, both attempting to fill the gap left by the end of the IMSA GT championship which had operated from 1971-98.