 The series struggled early on, but after the introduction of the Daytona Prototype class, proved to be a popular competitor to the more international ALMS, attracting some pro drivers and teams, featuring large fields, and producing close competition.Much like the split from 1996 to 2008 between Champ Car and the IRL, critics say this split was detrimental to the sport as a whole.Grand AM and ALMS merged in 2014 under IMSA sanction and France family ownership to create the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.