OAK Racing will enter a Morgan LMP2 car in the inaugural season of the Asian Le Mans Series (AsLMS).
The car, designed and built by Onroak Automotive, will contest all six rounds of the 2013 season, carrying the team’s traditional pink and black livery and “lucky” #24. The driver lineup is due to be announced in the near future.
“The Asian Le Mans Series represents an interesting challenge for a French outfit. In this first season of the championship, which I’m sure has a bright future, OAK Racing will be challenging as a team,” said team principal Sebastien Philippe.
OAK’s AsLMS program will run alongside their existing World Endurance Championship programme, which sees the French team fielding two Morgan LMP2s at every round of the WEC, with a third car granted entry to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“The team has always maintained a special relationship with Asia having successfully engaged in all championships and events organised there by the ACO. What’s more we were also the first to offer a Chinese driver an opportunity to participate at the Le Mans 24 Hours. That was back in 2008 when, aged 24, Cong Fu Cheng not only made his endurance racing debut at the wheel of an LMP2 prototype but also finished third at the legendary event. This next chapter continues that commitment” added Philippe.
The team have enjoyed success at Le Mans in recent years with three consecutive podium finishes and six other LMP2 podium results throughout 2012. OAK have also seen success in Asia, with podiums at Okayama in 2009, Zhuhai in 2010/11 and at Fuji and Shanghai as part of the 2012 WEC season.
OAK Racing’s Morgan LMP2 is currently the second to be entered in to the series with Chinese outfit KCMG entering their recently acquired chassis which they will also take to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The AsLMS features LMP2 machinery as its premier class and features six events in China, Japan, Korea and Indonesia, with the first round taking place on May 5th at Zhuhai.
