With the full-season Asian Le Mans Series entry list now published, focus switches to the new-for-2026/27 Asian Le Mans Cup.
The new support series is designed to mop up the LMP3 runners that previously contested the Asian LMS, along with GT3 teams that are either climbing the ladder and/or were unlucky not to make the final list for the Asian LMS proper.
And aside from the appeal of double-header two-hour race weekends at Paul Ricard, Jerez and Portimao, there is a good reason for GT3 teams to look to ALMEM’s latest product.
The top three GT3 Championship finishers in the Series are guaranteed an entry into the 2027/28 Asian Le Mans Series. That’s likely a major reason demand in the Cup is roughly 50:50 between LMP3 and GT3, with a predicted grid in the mid-20s.
Asian Le Mans Series event manager Colin Ong is in Portimão for the ELMS season finale weekend talking to current and potential customers and reveals that demand for the Cup series is healthy.
“It’s new, so there are a lot of questions, but things are going pretty well,” he says. “We aren’t looking for a massive grid, but we’d like a healthy number for what is effectively a ‘proof of concept’ season. The full season entry will be announced in due course, with the deadline extended to allow multiple teams to utilise post-race testing this weekend and early next week at Portimão to help finalise line-ups.
Image courtesy of Andrew Hall
