The Grand-Am Road Racing Series was established in 1999 to counteract the downward trend in road racing observed in the 90s. By deliberately restricting the technical development of the vehicles and putting in place a set of strict regulations, the organisers attempted to keep down the deployment costs for the teams. With constant growth of the series and a level playing field, the Grand-Am has become one of the most important sportscar race series in North America over the past 10 seasons.The Grand-Am has been part of the NASCAR organisation, by far the most important race series in North America, since the end of 2008.

The starter field consists of two different vehicle classes - Daytona prototypes and GT vehicles. They start together, but are rated separately. The races are run both on traditional circuits such as Daytona, Montreal or Watkins Glen as well as on modern circuits such as the Miller or Barber Motorsport Park.

The season traditionally starts with the high point - the 24 Hours of Daytona. The season also features a 6-hour race, with the remaining races held over a sprint distance of 200 - 250 miles.