It has been reported that Maserati are now just days away from finalising a 2005 American Le Mans Series programme which will kick off at the Sebring 12 Hours.

Influential Autosport magazine reported this week that Maserati, IMSA and the ACO are coming to the conclusion of intense, winter-long negotiations that will see the MC 12 lining up for a full 2005 (American Le Mans Series) ALMS campaign, starting with the season opener at Sebring.

While Maserati have incorporated a number of changes to satisfy the FIA and allow the MC 12 to be fully homologated for this season's FIA GT Championship, the awesome sportscar failed to meet with the ACO's approval to enter its GTS class. American sportscar sanctioning body IMSA, concerned at the continuing lack of depth in ALMS GTS class, have been lobbying the ACO, who create the rules at govern the Le Mans 24 Hours, the LMES and ALMS.

Last year's ALMS witnessed the very thin GTS field which was dominated by the factory-run Chevrolet Corvette C5-R cars, while the sole ACEMCO-run Saleen S7-R, generally followed them home. The much vaunted Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT which arrived mid-season proved to be an uncompetitive proposition, and the programme collapsed in acrimony after the penultimate race of the year. The only other GTS entry was an elderly Tom Wieckardt-entered Chrysler Viper.

This year Chevrolet will be back once again, firm favourites as they up the stakes with a brand new car, the Corvette C6-R. They will face competition from the new, Prodrive-built, Aston Martins which will make their racing debut at Sebring, although a limited involvement is planned this year. An entry from Maserati would certainly be a welcome boost to the series.

Autosport now believe that the IMSA's several month long campaign has proved successful, and that the MC 12, which is actually too-wide to fit into the existing regulations, will be given a waiver for this season only, allowing the Italian firm to build a revised dimension version for 2006.
 

Maserati, anxious to dramatically improve already rising sales in the US market, are now believed to be working hard to get a single MC 12 ready for the legendary opening ALMS round, the Sebring 12 Hours.

Risi Competizione, are expected to be entrusted with the task of running the single car at Sebring. It will be an arrangement that will see the team packed out by factory engineers, much as was the case when AF Corse, who normally look after the Vodafone Trofeo Maserati Europa cars, ran the MC 12 during the closing four races of the FIA GT Championship last year.

A single car is planned for the opening half of the ALMS season, with a second arriving during the latter stages of the year, to undertake a limited programme that will however include the prestigious Petit Le Mans.

Guiseppe Risi, a long-time successful Ferrari sportscar racer, who also owns one of North America's largest Ferrari-Maserati dealerships, has made no secret of the fact he wants to run the MC 12 in the USA. In fact, his ALMS GT class campaign with a Ferrari 360 Modena last year was regarded as being merely an exercise undertaken to keep his race team together and on their toes until the Maserati became available this year.

Last week Maserati Reparto Corse spent four days at the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit in the South of France, testing with the MC 12. This session, held behind close doors, saw track testing of new bodywork changes imposed by the FIA for this season, and wrapped up with two full race distance simulations on Thursday and Friday.

Now Autosport believe that all the pieces are in place for the phenomenal Maserati MC 12 to take North America by storm.