 It began March 20, 1999, and ended November 7, 1999, after eight races.The American Le Mans Series officially replaced the dwindling IMSA GT Championship after the 1998 season.The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), which organized the 24 Hours of Le Mans, allowed IMSA's owner Don Panoz to create a series closely modeled after the formula used at Le Mans.