2019/2020 Asian Le Mans Series Champions

LMP2 – #26 G-Drive Racing by Algarve Aurus 01  The LMP2 Championship battle came down to the last minutes of the 4 Hours of Buriram with G-Drive Racing by Algarve locked in a fierce battle on track with Thunderhead Carlin Racing. Second place for the #26 in Buriram, along with race wins in the opening two rounds of the season and third place in Sepang was enough to secure the team Championship. As their driver line up was unchanged throughout the season, the three drivers, Roman Rusinov, James French and Leonard Hoogenboom were joint Drivers Champions. LMP2 Am – #52 Rick Ware Racing Ligier JS P2  Rick Ware Racing faced a tough start to the debut Asian Le Mans Series season when their containers were delayed shipping, arriving at the opening round of the Championship the day before the race. They bounced back in the best way possible with victory in round two of the Championship and never looked back! The #52 entry also won the third round and finished second in the final round. Cody Ware raced in the #52 for the entire season and therefore claimed the victory in the LMP2 Am Drivers Championship. LMP3 – #2 Nielsen Racing Norma M30  After finishing 3rd in the 2018/2019 season, Nielsen Racing, along with drivers Tony Wells and Colin Noble had unfinished business Asian Le Mans Series. While they did not have everything their own way, hard work and consistency saw them win one race, finish second in two and fourth in another. Colin Noble also claimed two pole positions for the #2 demonstrating that they had the speed as well. Colin and Tony were joint LMP3 Drivers Champions.  GT – #27 HubAuto Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3  In one of the closest title battles the Series has ever seen, there was still six entries in contention for the Class Championship going in to the final round. After facing a few issues in earlier races, HubAuto Corsa claimed a dominant victory in the final round of the season to win the GT class. The team also secured two pole positions and two second place finishes during the season.  Marcos Gomes was the only driver to race in every round in the #27 so claimed the title of GT Driver Champion.  Not only have these four teams won their Class Championships, they have also received an invitation to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June this year. The full entry list for the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be released by the by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest on Friday the 28th February 2020.

At the awards ceremony, the Asian Le Mans Series also presented a number of special awards.  Rookie of the Year – Gustas Grinbergas The Rookie of the Year trophy was awarded to the youngest competitor on the grid, who despite being just 16 years old impressed the Series Organisers on and off the track. His professionalism off track and his performance and talent on track were highly regarded by all.  Person of the Year – Shaun Thong  Debuting in the Asian Le Mans Series at just 17 years of age (in 2013), Shaun ran in LMP3 in the 2017/2018 Season with the Taiwan Beer GH Motorsport team. This season he has made the step up the ACO ladder in Asia to the LMP2 class and has performed exceptionally. Racing with the first LMP2 team to come from Japan, he has played a large part in their successful debut season in the Class. Of particular note was the role he played in the team scoring a podium finish in the 4 Hours of Buriram. Team of The Year – Thunderhead Carlin Racing Making their debut in prototype racing in 2019 the team made their mark on the Asian Le Mans Series this season. They won the final two rounds of the Championship, missing out on the LMP2 title by just one point.

Information and photos source : THE ASIAN LE MANS SERIES