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Grand Am’s strength has always been the racing infrastructure of ISC and NASCAR and the commitment of Jim France.

The American Le Mans Series strength has been its on-track product: exotic prototypes and the historic competition between sports car and GT classic brands BMW, Porsche, Corvette, and Ferrari.

All that could soon change, according the Grand Am discussions with partners, suppliers, and auto manufacturers over the past few months.

We got a short note from Ms. Flood yesterday. Given her unique ability to give the current state of motorsport an historical perspective, we decided to share it.-Editor-

Having been to the first couple Brickyard 400s, and witnessed first-hand the absolute frenzy about the race and the impossibility of finding a ticket, it is stunning to see what has happened to the attendance.

Breaking Peugeot’s Toys

It’s not luck that breaks stuff in motorsport. It’s wear and tear, it’s rough driving, it’s a pace too fast for the equipment. It’s parts and equipment past its “best by” date. It’s under-design.

The design of a race car is as much art derived from experience as it is science and engineering. It’s not weight – anyone minimally competent in this sport can get to the rule-established minimum weight – but where – and how – you save it. And where – and how – you don’t.

Seven cars of two makes can win the 2010 24 hours of  Le Mans – four Peugeots and three Audis. For racing fans, that’s not so bad, and not just in terms of the total, but in the fact that there are two different manufacturers that have to be taken seriously. There are some who might argue that Audi has no realistic chance against the Peugeot 908, but it’s at least an arguable point, isn’t it?

That would put this amongst the better Le Mans starting grids from the perspective of the fan who wants to see a good race amongst multiple entries and – still important in sports car racing – between different makes.