The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a North American sports car racing championship administered by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) sanctioning body. It was founded by pharmaceutical entrepreneur Don Panoz in 1999 after reaching an agreement with the French-based 24 Hours of Le Mans organiser Automobile Club de l'Ouest to form a new sports car series based on the Le Mans rulebook that would serve as a local hub for North American entrants. The series disbanded following the 2013 season when it and the Grand-Am-sanctioned Rolex Sports Car Series merged to become the IMSA SportsCar Championship. It featured several championships awarded by IMSA to the most successful competitors within each of the racing categories used by the series each season. Individual championships were awarded for being the top point scoring drivers and teams as well as chassis, engine, and tire manufacturers. Other unique championships included the IMSA Cup, Founder's Cup, Michelin Green X Challenge, and the ALMS Challenge. The Drivers', Teams', Chassis Manufacturers', and Automobile Manufacturers' Championships were awarded since the series began in 1999, while the Tire and Engine Manufacturers' Championships were introduced in the 2000 season. The champions were not formally crowned until the ALMS awards banquet after the season's final race.
Drivers' Championship From the start of the American Le Mans Series until the end of the 2002 season, individual drivers were allowed to earn up to three bonus points if they met certain criteria; any driver which led a lap of the race within their category earned one point, whichever driver led the most laps of the race earned one point, and whichever driver set the fastest lap of the race earned one point. From 2003 onward the bonus system was eradicated and drivers earned the same points as their co-drivers.
Season LMP rowspan=16 GTS GT rowspan=14 1999 Elliott Forbes-Robinson Olivier Beretta Cort Wagner 2000 Allan McNish Olivier Beretta Dirk Müller Season LMP900 LMP675 GTS GT 2001 Emanuele Pirro Didier de Radiguès Terry Borcheller Jörg Müller 2002 Tom Kristensen Jon Field Ron Fellows Lucas Luhr Sascha Maassen 2003 Frank Biela Marco Werner Chris Dyson Ron Fellows Johnny O'Connell Lucas Luhr Sascha Maassen Season LMP1 LMP2 GTS GT 2004 Marco Werner JJ Lehto Ian James Ron Fellows Johnny O'Connell Timo Bernhard Season LMP1 LMP2 GT1 GT2 2005 Frank Biela Emanuele Pirro Clint Field Oliver Gavin Olivier Beretta Patrick Long Jörg Bergmeister 2006 Allan McNish Rinaldo Capello Lucas Luhr Sascha Maassen Oliver Gavin Olivier Beretta Jörg Bergmeister 2007 Allan McNish Rinaldo Capello Timo Bernhard Romain Dumas Oliver Gavin Olivier Beretta Mika Salo Jaime Melo 2008 Marco Werner Lucas Luhr Timo Bernhard Romain Dumas Johnny O'Connell Jan Magnussen Jörg Bergmeister Wolf Henzler Season LMP1 LMP2 rowspan=9 GT2 Challenge 2009 David Brabham Scott Sharp Adrian Fernández Luis Díaz Patrick Long Jörg Bergmeister Martin Snow Melanie Snow Season LMP LMPC GT GTC 2010 David Brabham Simon Pagenaud Scott Tucker Patrick Long Jörg Bergmeister Tim Pappas Jeroen Bleekemolen Season LMP1 LMP2 LMPC GT GTC 2011 Chris Dyson Guy Smith Christophe Bouchut Scott Tucker Ricardo González Gunnar Jeannette Eric Lux Joey Hand Dirk Müller Tim Pappas Season P1 P2 PC GT GTC 2012 Klaus Graf Lucas Luhr Christophe Bouchut Scott Tucker Alex Popow Oliver Gavin Tommy Milner Cooper MacNeil 2013 Klaus Graf Lucas Luhr Scott Tucker Mike Guasch Antonio García Jan Magnussen Jeroen Bleekemolen Cooper MacNeil
Eric Lux drove for a different team from teammates Ricardo González and Gunnar Jeannette. The three finished the season on equal points, and a tie breaker was not able to be utilized, therefore the three drivers all shared the championship.
Teams' Championship
Season LMP rowspan=16 GTS GT rowspan=14 1999 Panoz Motorsports Dodge Viper Team Oreca Prototype Technology Group 2000 Audi Sport North America Viper Team Oreca Dick Barbour Racing Season LMP900 LMP675 GTS GT 2001 Audi Sport North America Dick Barbour Racing Corvette Racing BMW Motorsport 2002 Audi Sport North America KnightHawk Racing Corvette Racing Alex Job Racing 2003 Infineon Team Joest Dyson Racing Team Corvette Racing Alex Job Racing Season LMP1 LMP2 GTS GT 2004 ADT Champion Racing Miracle Motorsports Corvette Racing Alex Job Racing Season LMP1 LMP2 GT1 GT2 2005 ADT Champion Racing Intersport Racing Corvette Racing Petersen/White Lightning 2006 Audi Sport North America Penske Motorsports Corvette Racing Risi Competizione 2007 Audi Sport North America Penske Racing Corvette Racing Risi Competizione 2008 Audi Sport North America Penske Racing Corvette Racing Flying Lizard Motorsports Season LMP1 LMP2 rowspan=9 GT2 Challenge 2009 Patrón Highcroft Racing Lowe's Fernández Racing Flying Lizard Motorsports Snow Racing Season LMP LMPC GT GTC 2010 Patrón Highcroft Racing Level 5 Motorsports BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Black Swan Racing Season LMP1 LMP2 LMPC GT GTC 2011 Dyson Racing Team Level 5 Motorsports CORE Autosport BMW Team RLL Black Swan Racing Season P1 P2 PC GT GTC 2012 Muscle Milk Pickett Racing Level 5 Motorsports CORE Autosport Corvette Racing Alex Job Racing 2013 Muscle Milk Pickett Racing Level 5 Motorsports CORE Autosport Corvette Racing Flying Lizard Motorsports
Manufacturer championships The Chassis Manufacturers' and Automobile Manufacturers' Championships are combined into a single listing. The grand tourer categories did not have a separate Engine Manufacturers' Championship.
Chassis and Automobile Manufacturers' Championships
Season LMP GTS GT 1999 Panoz Porsche Porsche 2000 Audi DaimlerChrysler Porsche Season LMP900 LMP675 GTS GT 2001 Audi Lola Chevrolet BMW 2002 Audi Lola Chevrolet Porsche 2003 Audi Lola Chevrolet Porsche Season LMP1 LMP2 GTS GT 2004 Audi Lola Chevrolet Porsche Season LMP1 LMP2 GT1 GT2 2005 Audi Courage Chevrolet Porsche 2006 Audi Porsche Chevrolet Porsche 2007 Audi Porsche Chevrolet Ferrari 2008 Audi Porsche Chevrolet Porsche Season LMP1 LMP2 rowspan=9 GT2 2009 Acura Acura Porsche Season LMP GT 2010 HPD BMW Season LMP1 LMP2 GT 2011 Lola Lola BMW Season P1 P2 GT 2012 HPD HPD Chevrolet 2013 HPD HPD Chevrolet
Engine Manufacturers' Championship
Season LMP 1999 Ford 2000 Audi Season LMP900 LMP675 2001 Audi Nissan 2002 Audi AER-MG 2003 Audi AER Season LMP1 LMP2 2004 Audi Judd 2005 Audi AER 2006 Audi Porsche 2007 Audi Porsche 2008 Audi Porsche 2009 Acura Acura Season LMP 2010 HPD Season LMP1 LMP2 2011 Mazda HPD Season P1 P2 2012 HPD HPD 2013 HPD HPD
Tire Manufacturers' Championship
Season LMP GTS GT 2000 Michelin Michelin Michelin Season LMP900 LMP675 GTS GT 2001 Michelin Avon Goodyear Michelin 2002 Michelin Avon Goodyear Michelin 2003 Michelin Goodyear Goodyear Michelin Season LMP1 LMP2 GTS GT 2004 Michelin Pirelli Michelin Michelin Season LMP1 LMP2 GT1 GT2 2005 Michelin Goodyear Michelin Michelin 2006 Michelin Michelin Michelin Michelin 2007 Michelin Michelin Michelin Michelin 2008 Michelin Michelin Michelin Michelin Season LMP1 LMP2 rowspan=9 GT2 2009 Michelin Michelin Michelin Season LMP GT 2010 Michelin Michelin Season LMP1 LMP2 GT 2011 Dunlop Michelin Michelin Season P1 P2 GT 2012 Michelin Dunlop Michelin 2013 Michelin Michelin Michelin
Other championships
IMSA Cup The IMSA Cup was a championship for teams which were not designated as being run by an automobile manufacturer. The 2002 championship was awarded to a full team, while from 2003 onward the championship points were awarded to each individual entry. For the 2011 season, due to a lack of manufacturer supported teams in the ALMS, the IMSA Cup was not awarded.
Season LMP900 LMP675 rowspan=12 GTS GT rowspan=12 2002 Champion Racing KnightHawk Racing Konrad Motorsport Alex Job Racing 2003 ADT Champion Racing Intersport Racing ACEMCO Motorsports Petersen/White Lightning Season LMP1 LMP2 GTS GT 2004 ADT Champion Racing Intersport Racing ACEMCO Motorsports Flying Lizard Motorsports Season LMP1 LMP2 GT1 GT2 2005 ADT Champion Racing Intersport Racing ACEMCO Motorsports Petersen/White Lightning 2006 Dyson Racing Team Intersport Racing Aston Martin Racing Petersen/White Lightning 2007 Intersport Racing Dyson Racing Team Doran Racing Risi Competizione 2008 Intersport Racing Patrón Highcroft Racing Bell Motorsports Flying Lizard Motorsports Season LMP1 LMP2 rowspan=4 GT2 2009 Patrón Highcroft Racing Lowe's Fernandez Racing Flying Lizard Motorsports Season LMP LMPC GT GTC 2010 Patrón Highcroft Racing Green Earth Team Gunnar Flying Lizard Motorsports Black Swan Racing
Founders Cup The Founders Cup was an annual award to recognize the accomplishments of a gentleman driver. A single championship is awarded covering all categories.
Season Champion 2008 Jon Field 2009 Joel Feinberg 2010 Bill Sweedler 2011 Bill Sweedler 2012 Cooper MacNeil 2013 Mike Guasch
Michelin Green X Challenge The Michelin Green X Challenge was a championship based on energy efficiency over the course of a season. The Green X Challenge debuted at the end of 2008, but the first championship was not awarded until the 2009 season. Two championships were awarded, one for both LMP classes and one for both GT classes.
Manufacturers Championship
Season LMPs GTs 2009 Acura Porsche 2010 HPD Porsche 2011 Mazda BMW 2012 HPD Chevrolet
Teams Championship
Season LMPs GTs 2009 Lowe's Fernández Racing Flying Lizard Motorsports 2010 Patrón Highcroft Racing Flying Lizard Motorsports 2011 Dyson Racing Team BMW Team RLL 2012 Muscle Milk Pickett Racing Corvette Racing
References All championship results are taken from IMSARacing.net
External links American Le Mans Series International Motor Sports Association