24h Le Mans
Race after race, the entry list in the Asian Le Mans Series has expanded, and no less than seven prototypes, two CNs and eight GTs will take the start at the 3 Hours of Thailand this weekend at Buriram, third round of the 2015/2016 season.
In LM P2, the head class in continental championships governed by Automobile Club de l’Ouest regulations, two new cars figure on the entry list as expected. The Race Performance team, who won at the first two races of the season, will confront not one but two Oreca 03R-Nissans entered by Eurasia.
The first will still be driven by Richard Bradley, winner in the LM P2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year, and William Lok, but Tack Sung Kim will be replaced by Nick de Bruijn, who competed for the outfit in the European Le Mans Series in 2015 at the Thai round. Having been unavailable for the final round of the season at Sepang, Mark Goddard's team is looking for a replacement.
Sean Gelael and Antonio Giovinazzi, young newcomers from single-seaters, will share the wheel of the second car representing the fast food chain KFC, and Algarve Pro Racing will hit the Asian racing scene with a Ligier JS P2.
No changes in store for LM P3 with the two ADESSs for Team AAI who honoured its invitations to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with two cars in GT last year, and the David Cheng Racing team's Ligier JS P3.
Two CNs, for Avalon Formula, a team from Singapore, and for Atlantic Racing Team, a Canadian outfit, will battle it out, whereas in GT, the field is fuller with seven cars at the start. It's a balance field though as four constructors will be present: two Audis, one McLaren, two Ferraris and two BMWs will vie for the win and an invitation to the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans in the case of final victory. Like the constructors, a variety of nationalities will be well-represented with teams coming from six different countries: Slovakia, Switzerland for Europe, China, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan for Asia.
Like at the first two rounds, there will be only one car - for namely, Paul Ip, owner of the KCMG team that won in the LM P2 class at Le Mans last year - in the GT Am class.
The 3 Hours of Thailand, the very first Thai round included in the Asian Le Mans Series, will take place January 8-10, 2016 at the Chang international circuit. A Facebook page has been created specifically to allow fans to follow the race.
Cécile Bonardel / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO
