Asian Le Mans Series announces 4-race 2016-'17 calendar

Ahead of this weekend's second round of the Asian Le Mans Series this weekend on the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest unveiled the 2016-'17 calendar.

The ACO cited "several factors" leading to the mid-season announcement of the next calendar, including increasing interest in the series shown by new Asian and European teams for next season and the possible creation of a sprint series for LMP3- and CN-class cars in the spring and summer that will enable teams to use these cars in a bigger number of events.

The second season for the series under ACO direction will include the same number of events, but increases the duration of the races from three to four hours and brings China back onto the calendar.

"With the relaunch of the Asian Le Mans Series, ACO-type endurance races as a whole are continuing their expansion on the international scene," said ACO president Pierre Fillon. "The evolution of the Asian market and its activity reinforce both our progressive approach and our specific positioning. Our return to China balances and boosts our presence on the Asian continent." 

The provisional 2016-'17 calendar, subject to validation by the FIA World Council and finalization of contracts, is as follows:

Zhuhai, China, October 30, 2016
Fuju, Japan, December 4, 2016
Buriram, Thailand, January 8, 2017
Sepang, Malaysia, January 22, 2017