The Asian Le Mans Series follows much of the format utilized by the American and European Le Mans Series. Three categories of cars are eligible for the series: Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC), GT Challenge (GTC), and GT Challenge Amateur (GTC Am). The GTC category is open to FIA GT3 category cars, cars from one-make series, and unique to the Asian series, JAF-GT, a road-derived variant car taking part in the GT300 category of the Japanese Super GT series. All four categories require at least one amateur driver and one professional driver in each car, although teams are allowed a maximum of three drivers per car. In order to boost Asian participation in the series, all cars must also have at least one driver of Asian nationality.[1] An LMGTE category, identical to that used at Le Mans, was considered but later dropped for the 2013 season. For the 3 Hours of Fuji, an SGT class is added into the race, which is an optional point-scoring round of the GT300 class of the 2013 Super GT season. Entrants must keep their original driver lineup in order to be eligible for the race.[2]
The team champions in the LMP2 will each automatic invitations in their category to the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans, while the top two GTC class teams will earn invitations in the LMGTE Amateur category at Le Mans.[1]
Calendar[]
An initial six race 2013 calendar was revealed during the 2012 6 Hours of Shanghai, although several circuits had previously announced contracts with the series. The first half of the season was exclusively in China, with the Zhuhai International Circuit, Shanghai International Circuit, and Ordos International Circuit playing host. Following an agreement between the teams and organisers to delay and compress the 2013 season, the Shanghai and Ordos rounds were cancelled,[3] and the season now begins in South Korea at the new Inje Speedium which was completed early in 2013.[4]Fuji Speedway in Japan hosts the second round a month before the 6 Hours of Fuji World Endurance Championship event. Zhuhai, the sole remaining Chinese round, is moved back to October for the third race of the year. The Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia will serve as the finale for the season, replacing the initially scheduled Sentul International Circuit of Indonesia.[5]
All events on the calendar will have practice sessions held on Friday, qualifying on Saturday, and the three hour race on Sunday.[5] Unlike the American and European Le Mans Series, the Asian Le Mans Series will not share any race weekends with the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Inje Speedium, Inje, South Korea
Fuji Speedway, Oyama, Japan
Zhuhai International Circuit, Zhuhai, China
Sepang International Circuit, Selangor, Malaysia
KCMG[6]
James Winslow
Gary Thompson
Jordan Oon
OAK Racing[6]
David Cheng
Marco Seefried
Clearwater Racing
Toni Vilander
Davide Rizzo
Somchai Saksirivatekul
Björn Wirdheim