Heading into Laguna Seca this weekend, we find ourselves in the "meat" of the Rolex season. The series got of in spectacular fashion in a star-studded affair at the Rolex 24, followed by shared events with the IRL and Camp Cars at Mexico City, Homested and Long Beach. Each event was a success in its own right. Many pointed to the fact that besides Daytona, Grand Am was benefiting from the series they were paired with that weekend. Leading up to the Rolex weekend at VIR a few journalist hinted that the momentum that the series had enjoyed early in the season would be in short supply at the first stand-alone event on the 2006 Rolex calendar.

Many of our less charitable sportscar insiders had circled April 23rd as the date that the Rolex Circus would fall flat on its face when it struck out on its own at the pristine confines of Virginia International Raceway. Visions of multiple full course yellows, crashes, and Saturday night bullring infield fisticuffs danced in their collective heads. Grand Am was riding on the coattails of one historic event 24 hour event and established open-wheeled series. Surely the high the Grand American Rolex Series was riding would come crashing back down to earth for all to see in an underpowered/managed competition/proto-turtle/qualifying race monstrosity for all God-fearing motorsports fans to see.

The weekend got off to an ominous start. The weather quickly turned sour. Conditions were bad enough that qualifying for the inaugural qualifying sprint race was cancelled, and the field was set by championship points. Saturday’s Grand Am Cup race was absolutely horrible. 83 cars on a wet and narrow 3.27 mile road circuit was a recipe for the pacecar procession that transpired. Was the Grand Am Cup race a victim of its own success grid-wise? It mattered not. Grand Am made its bed, and now it had to lay in it. The Cup race was the production-based teaser to the tubeframed, low-tech flop that would be the VIR 400. Saturday’s race had been eventful; but the race was too short to do any real damage. The prevailing feeling was the train wreck would come Sunday. If there was an omnipotent looking down upon Alton, Virginia, he was sure as heck a sportscar traditionalist. Roger Edmondson and company were feeling the wrath of the Sportscar Gods, displeased with their tampering of what the very definition of sportscar what racing is.

Funny about the Rolex Series; just when you start to think series is starting to loose a little steam, it knocks you on your butt and leaves you wondering “where in the hell did THAT come from?” That is the best way I can describe the metamorphosis that took place between Saturday and Sunday. If Saturday's Cup exhibition was an example of the worst Grand Am had to offer, Sunday's Rolex race was the polar opposite. A bigger than expected crowd witnessed a clinic in racecraft by some of the best sportscar shoes in the world. The GT class saw the Bunting and Lally's come-from-behind victory in the #65 GTO.R, while the now full-time duo of Long and Rockenfeller pulled of a spectacular 3rd to 1st last lap maneuver in their #23 AJR Crawford Porsche to take the overall victory. Track positions were being exchanged within the top ten of both classes on almost every lap. Grand Am was delivering the goods; outstanding road racing.

The "Little Series That Could" is fast becoming the "The little Series That Is".....becoming a major player in the landscape of motorsports in North America. Outside of NASCAR, what other series cars are adorned with so much major sponsorship? The talent level of crews and drivers can hold its own against any other major series in this hemisphere. I'm sure there are those who are still waiting for Grand Am's vaunted "reality check" at Laguna Seca. We’ll have to see. Somehow I feel they’ll be disappointed again this weekend. In the 3 1/2 years I've been watching the Rolex Series DP/GT experiment; it's grown in grid size, sponsor dollars, talent level, TV viewership; and most importantly the fan base. I’ve also noticed in the past year, much of the motorsports media that had shunned Grand Am in the past are now on board; after all, you can only the deny the obvious for so long. The Rolex Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve has some of the most exciting road racing you’ll see anywhere. I suspect that when the Rolex series returns to VIR in 2007 a few more fannies will be in the seats. Maybe; just maybe the Sportscar Gods are reevaluating their position?

Rich Hall,
The Village May 1st, 2006

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