The IMSA statement reads as follows: The IMSA community is profoundly saddened by the news that its vice chairman, Don Panoz, passed away from cancer at the age of 83. A lifelong entrepreneur, the charismatic Panoz is best known to race fans as the founder of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and creator of the famously loud and uniquely styled front-engined Panoz LMP1 racecars. Panoz fell in love with the unique atmosphere at the 24 Hours of Le Mans after experiencing it himself for the first time. Panoz aimed to replicate the spirit of Le Mans, its unique rules and regulations while adding his own fan-friendly atmosphere, first through the creation of a “one-off” event at Road Atlanta, the 10-hour or 1,000-mile Petit Le Mans, which debuted on Oct. 11, 1998. The overall winners of that inaugural race were Eric van de Poele, Emmanuel Collard and Wayne Taylor. Buoyed by the success of Petit Le Mans, Panoz founded the ALMS, a series of races throughout North America on ...