39 cars and 117 drivers from around the globe are named on the provisional entry list for the opening rounds of the Asian Le Mans Series as it returns to South East Asia for the first time since 2020 next weekend.
LMP2:
2023 Drivers’ Champions Salih Yoluc and Charlie Eastwood will return to defend their title, this time with TF Sport joined aboard the #90 Oreca by silver-ranked 2023 FIA WEC racer Michal Dinan.
2023 Teams’ Champions, DKR Engineering, will feature ex-FIA WEC Hypercar driver Tom Dillmann, emerging LMP2 talent Laurents Hörr and rapid bronze Alexander Mattschull.
Newly crowned FIA WEC LMP2 champion and IMSA Acura factory driver, Louis Deletraz will make his Asian Le Mans Series debut with 99 Racing running under the Jordanian flag with support from TF Sport, joining 2023 double pole sitter Ahmad Al Harty and Nikita Mazepin.
2022 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 Pro/Am winner, and fresh from testing the Proton Competition FIA WEC Porsche Hypercar in the rookie test in Bahrain, Rene Binder will join ex-GTE star Julien Andlauer, who will make his LMP2 debut, and Giorgio Roda in the #22 Proton Competition LMP2.
The last time the Asian Le Mans Series raced in Sepang, it was the Thunderhead Carlin Racing LMP2 Dallara that took the win.
One part of the driver line-up was Harry Tincknell who is back for the 2023/2024 Asian Le Mans Series. This time the multiple 24 hours of Le Mans winner will be in the #55 Proton Competition LMP2. He will be joined by Paul-Loup Chatin, IMSA’s 2023 LMP2 Champion, and AO Racings PJ Hyett.
For Nielsen Racing, Sepang brings back good memories, last time here they were well on their way to claiming the LMP3 title. This time they are fighting for outright victory again with British GT star Ian Loggie (the 2022 Asian LMS GT Am Champion), Alejandro Garcia (ELMS LMP3 Champion), and Ferdinand Habsburg (2021 LMP2 Champion and newly named 2024 Alpine factory Hypercar driver).
Back for their 9th season with the Asian Le Mans Series, ARC Bratislava will again enter LMP2 with Jonas Ried, Mathias Beche and Team Principal Miro Konopka behind the wheel.
Multiple Series Champions, and now reigning European Le Mans Series Champions, Algarve Pro Racing returns with a two-car effort, one their Crowdstrike Racing by APR car from North America featuring Bronze-ranked George Kurtz joined by 2023 Rolex 24 Hours winner Colin Braun and the highly rated young Dane Malthe Jakobsen,
The team’s second car sees the return to LMP2 for Chris McMurry for the first time in several years. He’s joined by Freddie Tomlinson, son of Ginetta owner Lawrence, and by Indy Lights ice winner Toby Sowery.
AF Corse’s super-successful LMP2 effort joins the Asian LMS for the first time in the Gibson-powered era, Multiple international title winner and now reigning European Le Mans Series Champion François Perrodo is joined by a second 2024 Alpine factory Hypercar driver Matthieu Vaxiviere and Ferrari factory driver Alessio Rovera.
LMP3:
A five car entry for Sepang in the junior LMP3 class sees local team Viper Niza return to the LMP3 class for the 2023/ 2024 Asian Le Mans Series.
Team owner Douglas Khoo will be joined by his regular co-driver and fellow Malaysian, Dominic Ang.
The pair will be joined by Australian Josh Burdon who is no stranger to the Series having challenged for the title with some stellar stints for KCMG.
Making their debut in the Asian Le Mans Series in 2021, CD Sport finished 1st and 2nd in the 2022 LMP3 Championship, they are back for a 4th season with Michael Jensen, Nick Adcock and Fabien Lavergne.
Cool Racing has an amazing LMP3 cv in Europe and is looking to expand its success in Asia with a solo Ligier for the experienced James Winslow, Alexander Bukhantsov and Singaporean racer Danial Frost who took a race win in the 2023 Indy NXT season opener.
High Class Racing field an LMP3 under their own name for the first time with team principal Anders Fjordbach joined by Team Thor’s Audunn Gudnmundssen and newcomer Seth Lucas from the USA.
And a new team to the Series make it five with Czechia-flagged Bretton Racing fielding Team Virage team Principal and reigning Michelin Le Mans Cup Champion Julian Gerbi joined by Dan Skocdopole and 2023 Ligier European Series Champion Mihnea Stefan.
GT3:
Some of the world’s best GT drivers will be on the grid in the 2023/2024 Asian Le Mans Series, representing eight different manufacturers. The quality field will include Fabian Schiller, Marco Mapelli, Davide Rigon, Rob Bell, Matteo Cairoli, Jules Gounon, Tom Gamble, Ben Barker, Luca Stolz, Klaus Bachler, Dan Harper, and Jonny Adam.
Indonesian racer, Sean Gelael will return to the Asian Le Mans Series in the Project 1 BMW M4 GT3 in a highly competitive GT class. Most recently Sean has been racing for Team WRT in the FIA WEC, finishing 4th in LMP2 and the last time he raced in the Asian Le Mans Series he finished 2nd with JOTA in LMP2.
Not only is the Series returning to Asia, but there will also be some very talented drivers from the Asia Pacific region on the GT grid.
Silver-rated Chinese driver Kerong Li will be joined by Malaysian racer Adrain D’Silva, and Cadillac and Corvette factory driver, Le Mans winner and WEC Word Champion Earl Bamber in the #84 EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R.
FIA WEC and Asian Le Mans Series regulars, Satoshi Hoshino and Tomonobu Fujii will return with D’Station Racing for their 5th season with an Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 with talented young Brit Casper Stevenson completing the trio.
Another Series regular from Japan, 2018/2019 GT champion, Kei Cozzolino will also return in the #82 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3. He’s joined by the evergreen Manu Collard and Charles-Henri Samani.
Series debutants, Triple Eight from Australia will feature His Highness Prince Jefri Ibrahim from Malaysia. He will be joined by his Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia and Asia teammate, Aussie Supercars racer Broc Feeney. The pair will be joined by platinum-rated German racer, Luca Stolz.
Hong Kong racer Antares Au returns for a 4th season with Herberth Motorsport. He will be joined by Tim Heinemann and Matteo Cairoli.
Craft-Bamboo Racing returns to the Asian Le Mans Series (ALMS) in 2024 after a 9-year hiatus which last saw the team claim the 2014 ALMS CN Class title. 2023 Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia champion Anthony Liu, Australian young gun Jayden Ojeda, and Jules Gounon will campaign the #37 Mercedes-AMG GT3.
