2001 Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series, Successful Second Season
Posted by Vanessa Puzio and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events |
The season that follows the first one is always the most critical considering that irrespective of the success or lack of it of the first one it is the second season that is the real rest of the potential and prospects. With the first Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series over with its own share of initial hiccups and success eyes of everyone belonging to the motorsports were glued to the second season with the expectations having only risen from what these were over the debut season. From the very onset, as was expected, 2001 Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series proved to be a worthy follower of the first season with every race adding more adventure and spirit of competition to the world of motorsports. That changes would happen in the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series was clear even before the season began as the Rolex Series was made bigger with the addition of one extra feature at the Lime Rock Park on the Memorial Day making the season an 11 race competition. This was a great precursor to the way things were all set to improve with the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series moving into claiming its well deserved place in the world of motorsports.
Rolex has been the force behind many successful events all over the world which are related to different fields of sports. Right from golf to sailing, riding, eventing to motorsports, Rolex has been at the forefront of creating and supporting platforms where the best people in their fields get together and achieve the unimaginable levels of human brilliance and excellence, which in fact is the philosophy and purpose of Rolex. The same was demonstrated in the 2001 Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series season which had race cars competing in five different classes. One of the long lasting changes of that season was moving
the Six Hours of Watkins Glen from being the season finale of the first season to June which is still the same. Also, a new points system was introduced which laid more stress on individual drivers and in effect meant that teammates would not be able to share the championship.
The five classes in which teams competed included SRP (the renamed SportsRacing Prototype), SRP II, GT, GTS and AGT. The SRP class was won by James Weaver who was followed in the second place by his Dyson Racing teammate Butch Leitzinger. The SRP II class was won by Andy Lally who had great season and was on the podium after all the races except one and was the proud winner of Rolex 24 as well for Mike Johnson’s Archangel Motorsports Services team. GTS class saw Chris Bingham grabbing the top spot who had won spectacular seven races with Ron Johnson. Darren Law raced his way for the G&W Motorsports team to win the title in the GT class. The fifth class, AGT witnessed the closest finish with Craig Conway and Doug Goad becoming the joint winners after having won seven races each. The combinations of passion and success which was witnessed in the second season of Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series was spectacular and continues to be so even after a decade since the tournament had first started.
Tags: Darren Law, Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, Rolex, Rolex Series
