4 Hours of Shanghai (Asian Le Mans Series)
| Category | Endurance racing |
|---|---|
| Region | Asia & Middle East |
| Inaugural season | 2009 |
| Prototype Classes | LMP2, LMP3 |
| GT Classes | GT |
| Teams | 30 |
| Constructors | GT: McLaren • Ferrari • Aston Martin • Porsche • Mercedes-Benz • Lamborghini |
| Chassis manufacturers | LMP2:Oreca LMP3:Ligier |
| Engine manufacturers | LMP2:Gibson LMP3:Nissan |
| Tyre suppliers | Michelin |
| Drivers' champion | LMP2: Malthe Jakobsen Michael Jensen Valerio Rinicella LMP3: Jens Reno Møller Theodor Jensen GT: Antares Au Joel Sturm Klaus Bachler |
| Teams' champion | LMP2: Algarve Pro Racing LMP3: Bretton Racing GT: Manthey Racing |
| Official website | asianlemansseries.com |
| Current season | |
The Asian Le Mans Series (ALMS) is an Asian sports car racing endurance series created by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and based in Asia. It is the successor to the defunct Japan Le Mans Challenge which folded in 2007 after its second season. The ACO aims to attract teams and drivers from Asian countries.
A teasing race was to be held in Shanghai, China on November 1–2, 2008 but was later cancelled. The inaugural season's race, the 2009 1000 km of Okayama, was held on 30 October and 1 November 2009 at Okayama, Japan with one 500 km race per day. It was the only event of the inaugural season. A second Asian Le Mans Series event, scheduled for the Shanghai International Circuit, China, on 7 and 8 November was cancelled by the ACO due to economic circumstances. The winning teams in each of the four categories (LMP1, LMP2, GT1 and GT2) earned automatic invitations to the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans. The series was relaunched for the 2013 season with an announcement at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans.