24h Le Mans
Jackie Chan DC Racing's double podium finish at the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans marked a new milestone in the recent history of teams coming from the Asian Le Mans Series. They have enjoyed remarkable success across the last five editions of the 24 Hours, primarily in the LMP2 and LMGTE Am classes.
- In 2013, KCMG became the first Chinese team to take the start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a Morgan entered in LMP2 (retirement). The following year, KCMG opted for an ORECA chassis. Despite another retirement in 2014, that year KCMG became the first Chinese team to win the World Endurance Championship (WEC), before causing the Chinese national anthem to play for the first time at the 24 Hours circuit in 2015 with its ORECA 05 victory in the LMP2 class (ninth overall). In full domination, Richard Bradley, Matt Howson and Nicolas Lapierre covered no less than 349 laps in the lead.
- Winner of the title in the 2014 Asian Le Mans Series in the GT class, Team AAI based in Taiwan took the start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice in LMGTE Am: in 2015 with two Porsche 911s (sixth and eighth in the class) and in 2016 with a Corvette (ninth in the class).
- Originating from the Philippines, in 2016 the Eurasia Motorsport team made a remarkable debut in the European Le Mans Series and at Le Mans. Fifth in the final LMP2 standings, its ORECA 05 finished in the same spot for its first 24 Hours. In 2017, the Ligier JS P217 of Eurasia Motorsport finished 13th in the class with at the wheel Jacques Nicolet (president of Onroak Automotive, constructor of Ligier chassis), his son Pierre and Erik Maris.
- Another team crowned at the end of the 2015/2016 Asian Le Mans Series season, Clearwater Racing participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in 2016 in LMGTE Am with a Ferrari 488 GTE, finishing fourth in the class. Encouraged by the result, the team decided to compete in the 2017 World Endurance Championship (WEC) and to enter two cars in the 24 Hours. The day before the 6 Hours of Shanghai, the next-to-last round of the season, Clearwater Racing was in the lead of the provisional LMGTE Am overall standings. At Le Mans, the two Ferraris made it to the checkered flag, finishing fifth and 11th in the class.
Click below to learn more about Jackie Chan DC Racing's success in 2017:
Stories from Asia (1) - Jackie Chan DC Racing, the Chinese flag-bearer
PHOTO: After two consecutive top 5s in as many participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, will the Clearwater Racing win the trophy in the LMGTE Am class for its very first season in the World Endurance Championship (WEC)?
