BRASELTON, Ga. — The American Le Mans Series will remain at 12 events for 2008. The season will begin with the 12 Hours of Sebring at Sebring, Fla., on March 15 and end Oct. 18 with the Monterey Sports Car Championships at Laguna Seca.
The schedule also includes return trips to Houston, Utah’s Miller Motorsports Park and Belle Isle, Mich. The traditional July 4 date has been vacated, and the Lime Rock date was moved to July 12.
The series will also take off the month of September before returning for the 11th running of Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta on Oct. 4 and the season-ender at Laguna Seca.
“When we announced last year’s schedule, I said that if we could come back and duplicate it in ’08, we would be overjoyed,” said series President and CEO Scott Atherton. “Thankfully, that statement was an example of: Be careful what you wish for — you might just get it.
“I believe we have the strongest overall schedule in American racing. We touch nearly all the important business markets and race at the best road courses and street circuits in North America. The fact that we have announced virtually the same schedule this year is the hallmark of a maturing, stable, successful series. We could not be more pleased.”
The schedule:
March 15, 12 Hours of Sebring; April 5, St. Petersburg, Fla.; April 19, Long Beach; April 26, Houston; May 18, Salt Lake City; July 12, Lime Rock; July 19, Mid-Ohio; Aug. 9, Road America (Elkhart Lake, Wis.); Aug. 24,  Mosport (Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada); Aug. 30, Belle Isle, Mich.; Oct. 4, Petit Le Mans (Road Atlanta); Oct. 18, Monterey Sports Car Challenge (Laguna Seca).