So long, Grand-Am!

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

The leaves haven't even begun to change and already one of my favorite racing series is done for the season. Good bye, Grand-Am! No more roar of the Daytona Prototypes or whine of the Mazdas. We won't get the excitement in Leigh Diffey's voice as Scott Pruett and Alex Gurney are battling for the lead. Sigh.

It was exciting season. I mean, I love the fact that neither championship was clinched until the race began. The Rolex Series ended their season with its banquet in Las Vegas this week. Congrats to Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas on the DP championship and Leh Keen and Andrew Davis on the GT championship.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

This past July, my husband and I attended the Rolex Series and Continental Tire Series races at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Yeah, that would be the race where it was 105 degrees all weekend long.  Never mind how hot it was in the cars. 

One of the things I absolutely love about the Rolex Series is the accessibility. The garage area is open for the fans, and you can go out onto the grid prior to the race. There's an autograph session the day before the race where all the drivers sit at their haulers to meet the fans -- even in record heat!  And all the other drivers grin and bear it, knowing that the longest lines by far are at Patrick Dempsey's hauler.

The Thunderbolt race track at NJMP is a great place to watch a race.  We were lucky enough to have access to two balconies -- one on the front stretch and one in Turn 3 -- to view the race (and for my husband to take pictures).

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

And the best access of all?!? Victory Lane! We were right there to share in the victory (and the champagne shower).

So, good bye to Grand-Am for now. I suppose my only consolation is that you'll be the first racing series back next year. And hopefully I'll be trackside at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona this January. :)