North American Endurance Championship Highlights 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Series Schedule

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series competitors will compete for an exciting new three-race endurance championship, highlighting the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series schedule announced today.

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The inaugural North American Endurance Championship will feature the 50th anniversary running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 28-29, the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International on June 29-July 1 and the Rolex Series' three-hour debut race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27 during the inaugural "Super Weekend at the Brickyard."

The 13-race schedule also includes GRAND-AM's first visit to Detroit – the automotive capital of the world – on June 2, and the return to many of North America's premier circuits, including Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal; Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.; Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio; Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.; Homestead-Miami Speedway; New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J.; and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif.

"This is without doubt the strongest schedule in GRAND-AM history," said GRAND-AM President Tom Bledsoe. "Highlights are everywhere you look...new races, new places – and a new three-race championship. We're going to make a lot of sports car history in 2012."

Teams in both the Daytona Prototype and production-based GT classes will compete in the North American Endurance Championship. Point structure and purse for the championship will be announced in the near future. Awards for the championship will be presented at dusk on the Victory Podium at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, following the historic race on the 2.605-mile road course.

In addition to featuring GRAND-AM's solid lineup in both classes, several top teams have indicated they will field additional cars with all-star drivers to compete in the three endurance races.

"I think the North American Endurance Championship adds more excitement to an already exciting schedule," said four-time Rolex Series Daytona Prototype champion Scott Pruett. "The Rolex 24 is clearly the highlight of our season, and I'm very excited with the addition of Indianapolis. The new championship gives further emphasis on our three endurance races."

The Rolex Series will combine with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series twice – on Indianapolis' historic tripleheader weekend (July 26-29) and at Watkins Glen International – and with the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Road America and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Two Rolex Series events will be in companion with IndyCar, at Detroit and Barber.

Following the season-opening events at Daytona and Barber, the Rolex Series moves to Homestead-Miami Speedway, followed by a visit to New Jersey Motorsports Park. Following the Detroit Belle Isle race, the series returns to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. In addition, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca's event shifts to September.

The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge will run in conjunction with the Rolex Series at 10 of the 13 weekends, including Indianapolis.

Potential season-ending events for both series are still to be announced.

(Note: Dates listed below are for event weekend, excluding the Daytona, Indianapolis and Detroit Belle Isle races. Remaining specific race days for each series will be announced in the near future.)

SOURCE GRAND-AM Road Racing