Asian Le Mans Series - Page 3

Deleted · 11 Feb 2018, 13:24 (Ref:3800494)

ARC Bratislava will kill off their LMP2 program as protest for bottom reserve slot at Le Mans, so the ASLMS field continues to thin out.

Coach Ep · 11 Feb 2018, 15:37 (Ref:3800512)

Soon they'll have more auto invites than race entries.

Deleted · 11 Feb 2018, 16:47 (Ref:3800521)

It's always nice to see teams running LMP2 cars rejected in favor of teams running LMP3s or GT3s who'll be able to turn their entries into LMP2 or to that filler 'everyone's a winner' GTE sub class.

As for Bratislava, I remember seeing their name popping up with Ginetta's potential LMP1 customers last year. Should've gone that way, that is the only place (besides being GTE factory or [French] friends with the ACO) where you'll be getting guaranteed grid spot at LM regardless of everything else... even if you entered just Le Mans only I'm pretty sure. The 'must do all the races' is surely just enforced on OEMs (Toyota), they wouldn't say no to privateer team wanting to boost up the numbers in top class for their biggest event - yes the ACO made big deal of reaching 10 this year too, it matters to them. Besides even last year CLM communicated to the ACO early on they'd just do the Euro races, partial season still exists for LMP1 privateer if someone wants them

Baliwa · 13 Feb 2018, 14:09 (Ref:3800957)

Where I can find photo (or even hi res photo maybe) for this series?
Cause I want and need find lot photo from AsLMS

Deleted · 24 Oct 2018, 01:09 (Ref:3858755)

So on the initial LMP2 entry list, there's an Judd engine going against the Nissans

So weird to have this bottom barrel championship as the last one offering variety, for the final time mind you but still

It's probably the last time we'll see Judd in ACO racing for a long time, well if they won't finally make it to LMP1 market place (and I doubt they will now that LMGTP probably is going to kill off nonhybrids too)

Tique · 24 Oct 2018, 19:21 (Ref:3858949)

For a prototype point of view, definitely the best Asian Le Mans series season

It should be a great seaon.

But years on years, we have less and less GT

Deleted · 24 Oct 2018, 19:49 (Ref:3858957)

I love how there is now LMP2 Pro-Am class and LMP2 Am-Am class, as if there was more need for Am-ness in entirely Pro-Am structure

Am-Am class also grants separate LM automatic invite... which is prob why ARC Bratislava is now there, after saying last winter they're never coming back to ACO racing due to rejected LM entry

Four automatic invites to the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans will be awarded, for the championship winners in the LMP2 Pro, LMP2 Am, LMP3 and GT classes.

Akrapovic · 24 Oct 2018, 19:54 (Ref:3858958)

The auto-invites are a desperate attempt to fill the grid, let's be honest. Last year at one point they were going to give GT first and second entries, but I think that was scrapped.

I don't know what the ACO is doing, but the problem with AsLMS GT class also exists in the Le Mans Cup class. There are plenty of GT3 cars floating about, but yet the ACO only ever manages to get a small handful. So what are they not doing? Yeah, you can say that people want to enter higher series than Le Mans Cup, so go to SRO and Blancpain, but Blancpain also has the Sports Club, and there's a decent amount of GT3s in Creventic etc. So why can't the ACO capture a meaningful percentage of these? Clearly, Le Mans invites are not cutting it, so what are they missing?

Juntos · 25 Oct 2018, 21:57 (Ref:3859195)

Asian Le Mans grid doesn't look very much Asian to me.

Deleted · 27 Oct 2018, 21:05 (Ref:3859493)

Who designs these calendars? You have WEC weekend in Shanghai with little to none support package, and then week later on the same circuit ASLMS with (presumably) little to none support package. So not only are integrated grids between series thing of the past, but they also attempt to devaluate the weekends as much as they can. It just doesn't make sense, even budget wise, renting the track for another week.

Damian Baldi · 22 Nov 2018, 16:42 (Ref:3865039)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiana

Who designs these calendars? You have WEC weekend in Shanghai with little to none support package, and then week later on the same circuit ASLMS with (presumably) little to none support package. So not only are integrated grids between series thing of the past, but they also attempt to devaluate the weekends as much as they can. It just doesn't make sense, even budget wise, renting the track for another week.

Well, at first sight it looks like you are right, but I think they have different interests, like showing the Endurance series to a public of Touring Cars. There are other two series running this weekend at Shanghai.

This year we should see better racing action (I hope). Beside the fast Derani (how I enjoy watching driving this guy), the United Autosport effort with Phil Hanson and the always fast Orecas of JC Racing, should provide better racing.

EffectiveSprinkles · 22 Nov 2018, 17:22 (Ref:3865048)

Looks like there are more support races for the ASLMS than for WEC.

Deleted · 8 Dec 2018, 00:18 (Ref:3868653)

Earlier on, there was this news of perhaps both current spec-gen & older non-spec-gen LMP2s being eligible for the next season simultaneously
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/asia...ed-lmp2-grids/

Now, my question is, why can't this series also become the home for the nonhybrid LMP1s, after they are killed off from WEC in 2021? Same for LMP3 after the current cycle goes through

It could literally become the series for "rejected cars"... why not? At least there would be something to see.

EffectiveSprinkles · 8 Dec 2018, 01:31 (Ref:3868661)

Pretty good idea, it's worked for LMP2 so far.

Deleted · 8 Dec 2018, 02:24 (Ref:3868668)

Right? You could have

Prototype 1
LMP1 2018 (Non-Hybrid)

Prototype 2-A
LMP2 2017

Prototype 2-B
LMP2 Pre-2017

Prototype 3-A
LMP3 2020

Prototype 3-B
LMP3 2015

Prototype Special
Group CN, Ginetta G57, Radicals, LMPC etc

2x automatic Le Mans invite for P1, 1x for P2-A and 1x for P2-B

TF110 · 8 Dec 2018, 03:56 (Ref:3868679)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiana

Earlier on, there was this news of perhaps both current spec-gen & older non-spec-gen LMP2s being eligible for the next season simultaneously
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/asia...ed-lmp2-grids/

Now, my question is, why can't this series also become the home for the nonhybrid LMP1s, after they are killed off from WEC in 2021? Same for LMP3 after the current cycle goes through

It could literally become the series for "rejected cars"... why not? At least there would be something to see.

Because the wec is selfish and imo rightly so. None of the lmp1 guys would stay in the wec if they could much more easily go for wins in AsLMS with their cars. But would they be invited to Le Mans? And if they were would it even matter because their pace wouldn't be compared to Toyota during the season but instead to each other. Toyota is the benchmark so competing against them for the sake of making your car faster or having the ACO help with that is another reason to run the wec and not a 'local' series.

Deleted · 8 Dec 2018, 14:11 (Ref:3868741)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TF110

Because the wec is selfish and imo rightly so. None of the lmp1 guys would stay in the wec if they could much more easily go for wins in AsLMS with their cars. But would they be invited to Le Mans? And if they were would it even matter because their pace wouldn't be compared to Toyota during the season but instead to each other. Toyota is the benchmark so competing against them for the sake of making your car faster or having the ACO help with that is another reason to run the wec and not a 'local' series.

I am still willing to hold on to my (now very old) view that truly healthy customer market cannot exist for too long if it's able to run in just a single series. Both previous-gen LMP1 and GT1 essentially died off in numbers after they were cornered off. And after the launch of LMGTP where they are once again no longer able to even theoretically win overall in Le Mans (c'mon we know that's what's gonna happen if multiple OEMs come abroad) that's gonna be even more the case.

Anyway, as I said on my first post, "after they are killed off from WEC in 2021"... what harm could there possible be if the 'obsolete' cars were in regional series at that stage?

TF110 · 9 Dec 2018, 01:21 (Ref:3868879)

I could see that happening if they are not going to be in the wec anymore but I think it might be too expensive for some vs a semi-spec lmp2. The aco might still say they should step up to lm-hypercar if they could afford to run lmp1's before. Like I said, I think they're selfish and want 'top cars' in their top series.

Deleted · 9 Dec 2018, 13:01 (Ref:3868937)

It's a mere 4-round calendar packed inside 3 months, I'm pretty sure the budgets of someone running Oreca or Dallara LMP1 wouldn't be that much higher than if they had spec LMP2 chassis

Juntos · 9 Dec 2018, 19:38 (Ref:3868995)

Is someone suggesting to add the not-so-old LMP1 cars to the Asian Le Mans?

It is just me noticing these winter series have zero interest from the fans.

Deleted · 9 Dec 2018, 21:11 (Ref:3869013)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juntos

Is someone suggesting to add the not-so-old LMP1 cars to the Asian Le Mans?

It is just me noticing these winter series have zero interest from the fans.

Yes. P1 - even obsolete-by-late-2021-P1 - here would make ASLMS watchable. As it stands now the series has a very boring outlook with dull, gray Formula 1 circuits (at least last year they still had Zhuhai), half of which are the same exact ones used by WEC but for some reason run separately. The Thai race being made 'grander' than the other events is respectable but even so it doesn't really shine out with same faces turning up and nothing special being at stake, like extra LM auto invite or integrated grid with regional series. Finally the pro-am Division B format is just as dis-interesting as in ELMS to me.

The one and only real positive about this series right now is that the non-spec LMP2s are there, instead of the cartel regulations. Or rather, could've been, seen it's just Onroak-fest right now (albeit Nissan and Judd powered) by accident. I read somewhere that the old SMP P2 chassis was to be entered but then cancelled.

There was also a race this weekend I guess

Coach Ep · 10 Dec 2018, 16:43 (Ref:3869213)

Wish they would run at former Aida TT (Okayama?), that AsLMS double header (2x 500k) quite a few years ago was great to watch! There are plenty of other interesting Japanese tracks out there as well. And Zhuhai would be an improvement over Shanghai.

Deleted · 10 Dec 2018, 17:05 (Ref:3869220)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

Wish they would run at former Aida TT (Okayama?), that AsLMS double header (2x 500k) quite a few years ago was great to watch! There are plenty of other interesting Japanese tracks out there as well. And Zhuhai would be an improvement over Shanghai.

Yes the 500 double header (run in conjunction with at-the-time WTCC) at Okayama was great! SUGO would be even better, and Autopolis okay too

However, seeing as in their one of more interviews the series head pressed on the Formula 1 circuits being a big plus for the series, these circuits are likely there to stay

Shanghai and Fuji are dead boring but even they would be 'acceptable' if the series didn't stubbornly run on their own weekends, leaving WEC only with some Porsche Cup supports or whatever when they go there earlier

Coach Ep · 10 Dec 2018, 20:03 (Ref:3869257)

Super meetings with Formula Nippon, Super GT and/or Blancpain Asia would be a major pull as well.

Deleted · 10 Dec 2018, 22:54 (Ref:3869306)

Yes

They sort of trialed old school 'grid integration' at Shanghai with the four-car Porsche Cup formation/invitation, which IIRC is the very first time this sort of thing has been attempted since that SGT GT300 one-off integration at Fuji 2013, so I guess they are at least trying different solutions... but it's not enough

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