Zhuhai to host Le Mans Cup season finale
Since the publication of the 2011 ILMC calendar, there was still a question mark hanging over which circuit in China would host the last of the seven rounds. It is now official. As in 2010, the Zhuhai International circuit will have the honor of organizing the final of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Please note that in addition to the ILMC teams, this race will be open to GTC (equivalent to GT3) and Formula Le Mans cars entered by local teams. Their presence, in addition to the 26 cars already competing in the ILMC on a yearly basis, means that the Zhuhai field should be a big one.
The quality of the proposals put forward by the management of the Zhuhai and Shanghai circuits to host the 2011 round, and the oft-stated desire of the manufacturers entered in the championship for more races in China and Asia, has encouraged the people in charge of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup to begin work straight away on including two rounds in China on the 2012 ILMC calendar.
2011 ILMC Calendar
1. 12 Hours of Sebring (Florida, USA), march 19th 2011
2. 1 000 Km of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL), may 7th 2011
3. 24 Heures du Mans (FRA), June 11 & 12 2011
4. Imola 6 Hours (ITA), July 3rd 2011
5. Silverstone 6 Hours (GBR), September 11th 2011
6. Petit Le Mans (Road Atlanta, Georgia, USA), October 1st 2011
7. Zhuhai 6 Hours (CHI), November 12th 2011
ZHUHAI INTERNATIONAL Circuit (ZIC)
The International Zhuhai circuit, the first race track built in China, is near Macao and Hong Kong. Thanks to this layout opened in 1996, motor racing was able to gain a foothold in the most heavily-populated country in the world. Zhuhai has become the base for numerous local teams who dream of conquering the world of endurance one day. In 2010, the Chinese circuit hosted the final round of the first ILMC Championship with Peugeot and Ferrari winning the Manufacturers’ Trophies in the Prototype and GT categories.
Location: China – Guangdong Province
Date: 11th, 12th, 13th November 2011.
Circuit length: 4,03 kms
1,000 Km of Zhuhai 2010
Overall winner: Montagny-Sarrazin (FRA-FRA), Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, 232 laps, 1 001,8 km parcourus en 5 h 35 ‘39’’053 (moy. : 179,1 km/h).
Winners by category:
LM P1: Montagny-Sarrazin (FRA-FRA), Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, 232 laps.
LM P2: Nicolet-da Rocha (FRA-FRA), Pescarolo Judd, 206 laps.
LM GT1: Bornhauser-Groppi-Lamy (FRA-FRA-POR), Saleen S7-R, 170 laps.
LM GT2: Müller-Werner (ALL-ALL), BMW M3, 202 laps.
LM GTC: Lee-Young-March (CHI-MAL-CHI), Audi R8 LMS, 192 laps.
FLM: Zacchia-Qi Zhang-Lee (SUI-TAI-CHI), FLM Oreca 09, 201 laps.
Pole position: Sarrazin (FRA), Peugeot 908 HDi FAP: 1’21’’868 (moy.: 189,9 km/h)
Fastest lap: Montagny (FRA), Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, 1’22’’296 (moy.: 188,9 km/h)