Jackie Chan DC Racing will return to the Asian Le Mans Series in 2017/ 2018 with a heavyweight three car entry.
For the coming season they’ll be partnered with their 2017 FIA WEC partners, the combined ‘super team’ set to field a three car entry with a pair of Oreca 05s in the LMP2 class and a single Ligier JS P3 in LMP3.
That marks a significant step up from last season’s effort when Jackie Chan DC Racing fielded a singe Oreca 03-R and Ligier LMP3, then supported by Eurasia. This morning’s announcement marks Jota Sport’s debut in the Series.
There are now seven LMP2 cars confirmed for the coming Asian Le Mans Series season including ARC Bratislava, BBT, Algarve Pro Racing, Eurasia Motorsport and the winner of the FRD LMP3 Series which will run a Ligier JSP2, the strongest ever LMP2 grid in the series history.
The Jackie Chan DC Racing squad will arrive as reigning Le Mans 24 Hours LMP2 Champions (the team’s two cars finishing first and second in class and both featuring on the overall podium). They currently lead the class in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The programme has been responsible for additional demand from Oreca for the 05 with a new chassis produced to the older spec than the current 07 LMP2, the pre-2017 cars eligible for at least two further seasons
David Cheng: “The Asian Le Mans Series really does offer (young drivers) a real platform to move forward up the racing ladder with some real opportunities to market their skills in Asia, and then beyond,” he said.
“That’s something that we, as a team, are trying to do, to build a ladder from an Asian base to become a significant, and we hope a successful force on the global scene. With so many drivers looking to race at the very biggest events they really do need to arrive there having learned everything they can about the really specialist skills of endurance racing, and the Asian Le Mans Series is a really very good place to achieve that.
“Fuel mileage, tyre management, working with the engineers alongside your team-mates, grinding out the best pit stop routines, sharing data to the best overall effect for everyone, many of those skills simply don’t apply in other areas of the sport, but they are all there in Asian Le Mans, just as they are further down the line at Le Mans!”
Asian Le Mans Series Managing Director, Cyrille Taesch Wahlen: “It is exciting to see Jackie Chan DC Racing x JOTA Sport succeeding at the highest level and we are proud of the role the Asian Le Mans Series has played in helping them reach these heights,” he said.
“We are looking forward to seeing them return to the Series later this year and working with them to grow and develop motorsport in Asia.
“It is incredibly positive to see such a competitive field of LMP2 cars, and I am glad that by entering an LMP3 car the team is also creating their own motorsport ladder that compliments ours.”
The 2017/18 Asian Le Mans Series Calendar:
October 27-29 2017 – Zhuhai (China) – 4 Hour race
December 1/3 2017 – Fuji (Japan) – 4 Hour race
January 11/13 2018 – Buriram (Thailand) – 6 Hour race
February 2/4 2018 – Sepang (Malaysia) – 4 Hour race
