Asia-Pacific Le Mans - Time to try again?
Posted 11-24-2007 at 09:17 AM by johnlemans
Poking around Wikipedia over the summer I noticed that while trying to set up the European Le Mans Series, there was an attempt at an Asia-Pacific Le Mans Series (APLMS) using ALMS rules.
With the failure of the JLMC and the rising interest in motorsport in Asia I was thinking that maybe they should try again at an APLMS but take a different approach. The reason that the JLMC failed lay in the fact that there is already a well established sportscar championship in Japan by the name of Super GT.
What an APLMS would need to do is run in the off-season like A1 Grand Prix does and act as the support event for the bigger championships in the region (and avoid competing directly with Super GT). Running in the off season will give it the advantage of not competing for drivers and teams with ALMS and LMS, in fact they may add it to their existing operations. The off-season schedule means that V8 Supercar and Super GT teams could field cars as well (though not the cars they use in their respective championships).
A rough idea of a calendar would be:
1. Bathurst, Australia, V8 Supercars support
2. Okayama, Japan, WTCC support
3. Fuji 1000km
4. Sepang, Malaysia, A1GP support
5. Zhuhai, China, A1GP support
6. Taupo, New Zealand, A1GP support
7. Shanghai (F1 track), China, 4 hours
8. Adelaide, Australia, V8 Supercars support.
(all 2h45 unless stated otherwise)
With the failure of the JLMC and the rising interest in motorsport in Asia I was thinking that maybe they should try again at an APLMS but take a different approach. The reason that the JLMC failed lay in the fact that there is already a well established sportscar championship in Japan by the name of Super GT.
What an APLMS would need to do is run in the off-season like A1 Grand Prix does and act as the support event for the bigger championships in the region (and avoid competing directly with Super GT). Running in the off season will give it the advantage of not competing for drivers and teams with ALMS and LMS, in fact they may add it to their existing operations. The off-season schedule means that V8 Supercar and Super GT teams could field cars as well (though not the cars they use in their respective championships).
A rough idea of a calendar would be:
1. Bathurst, Australia, V8 Supercars support
2. Okayama, Japan, WTCC support
3. Fuji 1000km
4. Sepang, Malaysia, A1GP support
5. Zhuhai, China, A1GP support
6. Taupo, New Zealand, A1GP support
7. Shanghai (F1 track), China, 4 hours
8. Adelaide, Australia, V8 Supercars support.
(all 2h45 unless stated otherwise)
Total Comments 3
Comments
 |  It would be nice to see some global interaction among the "Le Mans" series other than the 24 Hour. Not that I think it should be a whole season of globe trotting.. but maybe a "triple crown" of sorts? Good topic, anyway. JT |
Posted 11-28-2007 at 11:49 AM by John Thawley  |
| |  I think a Fuji 1000km would have an appeal for LMS and ALMS teams. With an off-season schedule the 4 hour race at Shanghai would be a good warm up event for Sebring, plus with China as one of the fastest growing automotive markets it would make sense to the marketing departments of Audi/Porsche/Acura/Ferrari. |
| Posted 11-28-2007 at 12:11 PM by johnlemans |
| |  Yes I think that this would be the best route for the ACO to go as well. What they really need to pull it off though IMO is a series sponsor that is a transportation company ala JAL,Quantas, SeaLand or something of that nature to put on such a traveling road show with so much water to cover.  L.P.  |
| Posted 02-01-2008 at 03:33 PM by HORNDAWG |
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