Asian Le Mans Series: 24 cars confirmed

[Plex]

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 premi�re, 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.

Planetlemans

[Plex]

31 Entries for the Asian Le Mans Series

The initial aim of 30 entries minimum has already been exceeded for the first two Asian Le Mans Series meetings in Okayama and Shanghai. The ACO is delighted about this, and the club is harvesting the fruits of its painstaking preparation.

By setting the limit of a minimum of 30 cars the ACO showed proof of rigour, as it wanted to have a field worthy of the circuits hosting the first Asian Le Mans Series events in Japan and then in China.

The list of 31 entrants unveiled today is a very promising one. Twenty‐four teams representing 8 different nations and 10 Asian squads is a sign to the world that Asia is opening up to endurance.

Among the 8 LM P1s, a 6‐sided battle looks on the cards between the Sora‐Racing Pescarolo Sport Peugeot HDi FAP 908, the 2 Courage‐Oreca‐AIMs entered by the Team ORECA‐Matmut‐AIM, the 2 Sora Racing Pescarolo‐Judds, the Speedy Racing Team Sebah�s Lola‐Aston Martin without forgetting the Signature Plus Courage‐Judd and the Tokai University Courage‐Oreca YGH Power, which will seize any opportunity that comes their way.

Top‐class cars for top‐class teams that are out to win the first Asian Le Mans Series. Because there�s a big prize at stake: an automatic selection for the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours for the winners of the LM P1, LM P2, LM GT1 and LM GT2 categories.

In LM P2, the Japanese Navi Team Goh squad will be on home turf in Okayama with a Porsche Sypder RS. It will be up against the 2 Oak Racing Pescarolo‐Mazdas, the KSM team�s Lola‐Mazda coupe and the Speedy Racing Team Sebah�s Lola‐Judd.

In LM GT1, 2 Japanese outfits Nova and JLOPC will be faced with tough opposition in the form of the Luc Alphand Adventures and Larbre Competition teams from France.

There are no fewer than 12 entries in LM GT2 proof of the category�s diversity, two of which are entered in the Japanese GT 300 Championship all the year round (the Daishin team�s Ferrari F430 GT and the Hankook‐KTR squad�s Porsche 911 plus 1 Ford, 2 Aston Martins, 5 more Porsches and 2 additional Ferraris).

While it�s still a bit early to give a list of drivers, there will be a fair number of Asians racing as European teams in both LM P1 and LM P2 are in advanced negotiations with top‐class Japanese and Chinese drivers.

To get this far, the ACO has armed itself with the resources to convince the teams by offering them the transport of the car and equipment by boat from Europe, or by plane from the USA.

This represents a big investment in Asia rounded off by 2 entrants from the Formula Le Mans Cup! The first two in the overall classification of this season�s Formula Le Mans Cup will be given the entry and transport to start the Okayama and Shanghai races. This novel initiative will enable the fledgling Formula Le Mans Championship, dear to Oreca and the ACO, to make its mark far away from its European base.

What you need to know about 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 Le Mans 24 Hours, American Le Mans Series and Le Mans Series regulations.
> First event: 30th October/1st November on the Okayama circuit at the Japanese round of the WTCC.
> Second event: China on 7th/8th November on the Shanghai circuit.
> The teams will have a total of 12 hours� racing split up into four 3-hour events.

Class Team Car
LMP1 SORA RACING PESCAROLO JUDD
LMP1 SORA RACING PESCAROLO JUDD
LMP1 SORA RACING-PESCAROLO SPORT PEUGEOT 908
LMP1 TOKAI UNIV.YGH POWER COURAGE ORECA
LMP1 TEAM ORECA MATMUT AIM COURAGE-ORECA AIM
LMP1 TEAM ORECA MATMUT AIM COURAGE-ORECA AIM
LMP1 SIGNATURE PLUS COURAGE JUDD
LMP1 SPEEDY RACING TEAM SEBAH LOLA ASTON MARTIN
LMP2 OAK RACING PESCAROLO MAZDA
LMP2 OAK RACING PESCAROLO MAZDA
LMP2 NAVI TEAM GOH PORSCHE RS SPYDER
LMP2 KSM LOLA MAZDA COUPE
LMP2 SPEEDY RACING TEAM SEBAH LOLA JUDD
GT1 LUC ALPHAND AVENTURES CORVETTE C6.R
GT1 TEAM NOVA ASTON MARTIN DBR9
GT1 JLOC LAMBORGHINI
GT1 LARBRE COMPETITION SALEEN S7R
GT2 DRAYSON RACING ASTON MARTIN V8
GT2 TEAM FELBERMAYER-PROTON PORSCHE 911 GT3 RSR
GT2 TEAM FELBERMAYER-PROTON PORSCHE 911 GT3 RSR
GT2 TEAM HONG KONG RACING ASTON MARTIN
GT2 HANKOOK - TEAM FARNBACHER FERRARI F 430 GT
GT2 TEAM DAISHIN FERRARI F 430 GT
GT2 ROBERTSON RACING LLC FORD GT
GT2 ENDURANCE ASIA TEAM PORSCHE 911 GT3 RSR
GT2 HANKOOK - KTR PORSCHE 911
GT2 IMSA PERFORMANCE MATMUT PORSCHE 911 GT3 RSR
GT2 AF CORSE SRL FERRARI F 430 GT
GT2 CHINA RACE FYI PORSCHE 911
FLM WNNER FLM 08
FLM SECOND FLM 08

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[Plex]

Planning for Asian Le Mans Series Underway but without Shanghai

The evolution of the Le Mans Series in the world is under way. During the ACO Press Conference two days before the start of this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, Rémy Brouard, the general manager, reminded those present that the ACO and its partners were thinking about the creation of an Intercontinental Trophy to be inaugurated in the near future (2010 or 2011). This year, the development of the Le Mans Series on 3 continents will become a reality.

In three months, 30th October – 1st November, the Asian Le Mans Series will kick off on the Okayama circuit in Japan. The timetable for this event, which coincides with the second-last round of the 2009 WTCC, is as follows: two 3-hour races , the first on Saturday and the second on Sunday. At stake is an invitation for the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours for the winners in LM P1, LM P2, LM GT1 and LM GT2, 4 categories that will be well represented in quality and number including, among other newcomers, the Aston Martin Racing Team in LM P1 whose presence has just been confirmed: it will be up against the Pescarolos, Pescarolo-Peugeot, Orecas etc.

9 Asian teams have also confirmed their entries (Tokai University in LM P1, Navi Goh in LM P2, Nova team and JLOC in GT1, O’young racing team, Hong Kong Racing, Team Daishin, Hankook and KTR in GT2 who will take on the best European teams in their categories on home turf!

However, the Shanghai event has had to be cancelled because of economic circumstances very unfavourable to its running on the weekend of 7th – 8th November.

The ACO insists on reaffirming its stated intention to enable Asia to benefit from the magic label of Le Mans style endurance races in the context of the future Intercontinental Trophy, mentioned above, which will consist of several important races that already exist in the world.

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