LE MANS: 23 Entries For Asian Le Mans Series

Le Mans / ALMS

LE MANS: 23 Entries For Asian Le Mans Series

BMW Rahal Letterman Racing headlines recent additions to inaugural two-round championship at Okayama, Japan next month.

John Dagys | Posted September 01, 2009 Chicago, IL

In a surprise move, Rahal Letterman Racing has entered a BMW M3 for the inaugural Asian Le Mans Series. (John Dagys)

The Asian Le Mans Series is rapidly taking shape for its kickoff weekend next month, with notable additions in LMP1 and GT2. On Tuesday, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest released an updated entry list for the two-round championship to be held at the Okayama Circuit in Japan, with 23 cars now confirmed to be taking part.

 American Le Mans Series competitor BMW Rahal Letterman Racing headlines the recent additions, with one of its E92 M3s entered in the GT2 category. The team is fresh off a 1-2 finish in the Time Warner Road Race Showcase at Road American last month, and have been one of the leading teams in GT2 since July. They have submitted an entry with considerations of making the race, but have yet to officially confirm their intentions. BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team joins fellow ALMS squad Robertson Racing as the only two teams flying the U.S. flag thus far.

In LMP1, Aston Martin Racing has entered one of its Aston Martin-powered Lola Coupes for current Le Mans Series championship leaders Stefan Mucke, Jan Charouz and Tomas Enge, while German squad Team Kolles is another new addition with both of its diesel-powered Audi R10 TDIs.

Drayson Racing steps up to the P1 ranks with its Lola B09/80 Judd, which it will debut at the Petit Le Mans later this month, and Team ORECA Matmut, which will also compete at Road Atlanta, has one of its AIM-powered ORECA 01 prototypes entered as well.

Pescarolo Sport, entered under the SORA Racing banner, will bring two Pescarolo 01 Judds to Japan, with fellow French squad OAK Racing entering one Mazda-powered Pescarolo in the LMP2 ranks.

There’s also in influx of Asian teams participating, including NAVI Team Goh, which has entered its Porsche RS Spyder, last seen at Le Mans in June, and Tokai University's Courage-Oreca LC70 YGK for the P1 category.

JLOC, the Japanese Lamborghini Owner’s Club, will have two of Murcielagos in the GT1 category, joined by Team Nova’s Aston Martin DBR9 and the French Larbre Competition Saleen S7-R.

GT2 features eight strong entries, headlined by a pair of Team Felbermayr-Proton Porsches, the aforementioned BMW Rahal Letterman Racing BMW M3 and Hankook - Team Farnbacher’s Ferrari F430 GT.

“We’re very happy to welcome several Asian teams,” says Rémy Brouard, the ACO General Manager. “The Asian Le Mans Series will be a key element in the Intercontinental Trophy project we’re determined to set up in 2011, which will include a selection of between five and seven races from all the Le Mans Series: LMS, ALMS and Asian LMS.”

Notable withdrawals since the initial entry list released in April include Pescarolo Sport’s Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP, which was destroyed in a crash at Le Mans, Speedy Racing Team Sebah’s Lolas in both P1 and P2, Luc Alphand Aventure’s GT1 Corvette C6.R and IMSA Performance Matmut’s Porsche for GT2.

Originally scheduled for a four-round championship spread over two weekends in Okayama and Shanghai, the ACO canceled the Chinese round last month due to the global economic conditions.

The championship will go forward with the two-round series in Okayama on October 30 - November 1. The event, which will be run in conjunction with the World Touring Car Championship, will feature two three-hour races to decide the inaugural series champions, plus automatic invites to the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours for each class winner.

Entries for the championship close on September 5.

Provisional Entry List (Sept. 1)

LMP1
009 ASTON MARTIN RACING GBR MICHELIN LOLA ASTON MARTIN
10 TEAM ORECA MATMUT AIM FRA MICHELIN ORECA AIM
11 TOKAI UNIV.YGH POWER JPN YOKOHAMA COURAGE ORECA - YGK
14 KOLLES DEU MICHELIN AUDI R 10
15 KOLLES DEU MICHELIN AUDI R 10
16 SORA RACING FRA MICHELIN PESCAROLO JUDD
17 SORA RACING FRA MICHELIN PESCAROLO JUDD
87 DRAYSON RACING GBR MICHELIN LOLA COUPE JUDD

LMP2
5 NAVI TEAM GOH JPN MICHELIN PORSCHE RS SPYDER
24 OAK RACING FRA DUNLOP PESCAROLO MAZDA
28 IBANEZ RACING FRA DUNLOP COURAGE AER

GT1
50 LARBRE COMPETITION FRA MICHELIN SALEEN S7R
61 TEAM NOVA JPN YOKOHAMA ASTON MARTIN DBR9
68 JLOC JPN DUNLOP LAMBORGHINI
69 JLOC JPN DUNLOP LAMBORGHINI

GT2
70 ROBERTSON RACING, LLC USA DUNLOP FORD GT MK7
71 TEAM DAISHIN JPN YOKOHAMA FERRARI F 430 GT
77 TEAM FELBERMAYR-PROTON DEU MICHELIN PORSCHE 911 GT3 RSR
88 TEAM FELBERMAYR-PROTON DEU MICHELIN PORSCHE 911 GT3 RSR
89 HANKOOK - TEAM FARNBACHER DEU HANKOOK FERRARI F 430 GT
90 BMW RAHAL LETTERMAN RACING TEAM USA DUNLOP BMW E92 M3
91 TEAM HONG KONG RACING CHN MICHELIN ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE
98 HANKOOK - KTR JPN HANKOOK PORSCHE 911 GT3 RSR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Dagys

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