Update on LeMans Asian Series

With just a month to go to the final closing date for entries and 7 months before the start of the 2009 Asian Le Mans Series, the ACO is a hive of activity. The first entrants have been confirmed and the aim of having 30 cars on the grid at Okayama and Shanghai looks well on the way to being achieved.

The first event counting for the 2009 Asian Le Mans Series already has all the trappings of success. So far 24 cars have been confirmed with some of the big names in endurance as the prototypes include 1 Peugeot, 2 Pescarolo-Judds, 2 Courage-Orecas in LM P1 and 2 Pescarolo-Mazdas and 1 Porsche RS Spyder in LM P2 among others. In GT1, Corvette, Aston Martin, Lamborghini and Saleen are among the entries, and in GT2, Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Ford.

The field is going to be a rich and varied one, as the major Le Mans Series teams will make the journey to Japan and China. To them will be added around 10 Asian teams including entrants from the Japanese GT Championship.

Discussions are at an advanced stage with other top-teams for whom a presence at the Asian races has a direct or indirect interest (drivers, sponsors, markets, etc).

The format of the events has been decided to attract entrants who do not yet have a lot of experience in endurance, as well as the specialists.
All the teams entered will seize the opportunity to be present at this grande première, all the more so as they will receive a marvellous prize: an automatic invitation for the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours for the winner of each category (LM P1, LM P2, LM GT1 and LM GT2) in the final classification of the 2009 Asian Le Mans Series.

The 2009 Asian Le Mans Series:
• The 2009 Asian Le Mans Series is open to LM P1, LM P2, LM GT1 and LM GT2 cars complying with the regulations governing the Le Mans 24 Hours, the American Le Mans Series and the Le Mans Series.
• First event: 30th October-1st November on the Okayama circuit as part of the Japanese round of the WTCC.
• Second round in China on 7th–8th November on the Shanghai circuit.
• Entrants will have 12 hours’ racing split up into four 3-hour events.