2026 has been a year in which the promoters numerous international racing series have had to confront challenges. SRO Motorsports Group Asia General Manager, Benjamin Franassovici, is no different.
At the core of SRO Asia’s business is GT World Challenge Asia, which had already weathered the worst of trying to rebuild the series after COVID-19, and by 2024 the series had enjoyed capacity grids at every round. Considering where things were when GT World Asia returned in 2022, this year’s slump in entries down the low-to-mid-20s range each round is not quite so bad.
In fairness, some departures were due to some teams seeking new challenges, such as Johor Motorsports Racing graduating to SRO’s Intercontinental GT Challenge. And the quality of the entries that have been here in 2026 is still excellent.
But it was also a lesson for SRO Asia which seems to have been taken to heart as planning for 2027 has already gotten underway. “It’s clear we’ve had a little dip this year,” said Franassovici, who sat down with DSC during GT World Asia’s last round at Okayama International Circuit.
“Our calendar probably wasn’t the best we’ve come up with; it had a few quirks. It’s not always easy to get the race tracks you want in the right order.”
In particular, the planned early season stretch of Sepang, Mandalika, and Shanghai proved a bit difficult for the logistics of some teams. And this was before the ordeal that unfolded after that stretch in Southeast Asia: The national College Entrance Exams taking place in the first weekend of June pushed SRO Asia to relocate the Shanghai round to nearby Ningbo Speedpark, but the added logistical problems that their very late announcement had caused ultimately led SRO Asia to put the race back in Shanghai at the end of the season. It was, in no uncertain terms, a headache.
“It was not a good order of events logistically. Our calendar wasn’t the most efficient, and that didn’t help our grids,” Franassovici admitted.
The big fix for next year’s calendar is that the GT World Asia rounds at the Beijing Street Circuit and Shanghai International Circuit are back-to-back in October. And the sequencing will be less of a headache: Two races in Southeast Asia, two races in Japan, and two races in China.
Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand will replace Mandalika, a June trip to Suzuka will replace the August trek to Okayama, but otherwise, it’s a more sensible calendar which should hopefully get the series back up to a capacity grid. And already, the signs are there that things seem to be turning around. “Here in Okayama, the last time for GT World Challenge Asia, we have 24 cars – I think some promoters would be happy with 24 cars. It’s decent, with great ams, and great pros. So we’re back to our normal numbers,” Franassovici said.
“We’ve got the toughest calendar to put together,” he continued. “You’re dependent on track availability, there’s a lot going behind the scenes, and you don’t always get the dates you want. We need to have SUPER GT dates available. We try to avoid clashing with Super Taikyu, even Super Formula because it’s better like that. But you can’t avoid clashing with domestic series, so it’s never-ending.”
Last year’s inaugural GT World Asia race on the streets of Beijing was a successful new addition to the calendar which seems to be a long-term fixture for the series, with a ten-year contract between the city and the promoters to keep the event on the calendar. “We had a little trouble in the first session (with manhole covers), but if it wasn’t for that, we would have been laughing and enjoying the moment,” said Franassovici.
“We had to fix the track for a couple of hours which got us out of sync. But it was late in the season and it got a bit cold. Now it’s two weeks earlier, and if we just add sunshine and warmth in the event, people are going to say, ‘this is the best street track in Asia!'” Which would be high praise for a region which already has excellent street races in the mighty, historic Macau and the quirky, tropical Bangsaen.
“It’s a fantastic track, and the drivers loved it, the professionals and the amateurs. They all came into it with their handbrake a little bit on, people, like in anything, are cautious and sometimes criticise something which they haven’t tasted yet. And apart from it being (very) cold, it was amazing.”
In addition, SRO’s Japan Cup series has taken its round at Suzuka and moved it out of the Suzuka 1000km weekend in September to the June GT World Asia event, a move which will encourage more Japanese teams to enter the 51st running of Japan’s great endurance sports car race.
But the big change for next year’s Suzuka 1000km is that SUPER GT GT300 teams, incentivised by the potential to score championship points in the race, will be allowed to race on their Dunlop tyres against the SRO’s regular competitors on Pirelli rubber.
That proposal raised eyebrows – adding another strange variable to the ever-difficult subject that is Balance of Performance – but Franassovici is confident the plan will be executed well. “It’s ambitious,” he says, “but that’s what we do with Stephane (Ratel). He never stops giving us challenges, and the enthusiasm in Japan is strong. It will be the same from our side, it’ll be another version of the 1000km, with all domestic teams joining.
Regarding Japan Cup, Franassovici says that finding a way to bring GT4 back to a healthy level of participation is the next step forward for the series. “GT4 started okay when we launched, and it’s not picking up sufficiently – I don’t mind acknowledging that,” he said. “We’ve tried different things, but we haven’t got the formula right. So I’m talking to the teams, to see what would be a better formula.
“I’m trying to reduce costs, so we’re working on reducing entry fees as much as we can and make it as easy and attractive. I’d rather have a smaller entry fee and have a few more cars, to give the series a little boost.”
Despite all these challenges, “Benji” is still very happy as a promoter with the series he manages in their current state, especially encouraged by the recent visits to Japan which have seen modest but enthusiastic crowds.
“We don’t have much spending money to promote events, but we do it well: We make it attractive for fans, we work with the circuits. And that takes time, step-by-step. We had 12,000 people in Fuji last time around. We’re doing decent numbers for a championship that comes once or twice a year.
“And the grids are still great. The pit walks are fun, decent numbers. We’ll never be SUPER GT, but we don’t claim to be. It’s cool, and the fans like us. And in ten years, we’ll probably get to bigger and bigger numbers.”
Then there is the matter of the Asian Le Mans Series, or as it’ll be known this year, the Winter Le Mans Series: War in West Asia between the United States/Israel and Iran has left the region as a no-go zone for motor racing, and increased logistical costs and circuit unavailability has thwarted plans for racing in Southeast Asia, leaving only the Mediterranean region of Europe available.
SRO will co-promote the Winter Le Mans Series as it has with the Asian Le Mans Series in recent years, but Franassovici says that with the shift in venues, the complexion of the grid – certainly on the GT side – may look different.
“What were the options, race or not race? Racing in the winter in Japan or Shanghai doesn’t work; the weather’s not good, so you’re reliant on very few circuits. You’ve got Buriram and Sepang, but if the dates are not available, what do you do?” he stated.
“We can’t go to Asia for different reasons, so we’re very much involved (with the Winter Le Mans Series). We’re a family. We’ll be supporting them, but this time we’re reversing the rules: A small Asian team from SRO will be joining Colin Ong, the Championship Manager, in Paul Ricard. We’ll be supporting the calendar, because the following year, we will be back in Asia and the Middle East, most certainly.”
With the change, at least one prolific Asian team has effectively ruled out the possibility of venturing to Europe. Ray Li, the Team Principal of Origine Motorsport, has told DSC that it’s unlikely Origine will take part in this year’s Winter Le Mans Series due to the logistics and winter testing commitments already in place for clients in Asia.
“For cars to come from Asia to race in Paul Ricard and Spain, that’s a different ball game – so naturally, there’ll be fewer Asian teams and more European teams, because it makes sense,” Franassovici said of the upcoming season.
“It was this or no racing; we’re going to three fantastic tracks, and teams and drivers are keen to come. The grids will be, for sure, very busy. Instead of doing nothing, we’re doing the best.”
Images © SRO Motorsports Group, Dailysportscar.com
