Great news for fans of sports prototype & GT racing with the news that the innaugural Asian Le Mans Series scheduled for later this year will go ahead.

Speaking at the Spa 100KMs race the ACO announced an official entry list of 31 cars for the events which will take place at Okayama Japan and the Shanghai International circuit in China.

Among the 8 LMP1s, a 6?sided battle looks on the cards between the Sora Racing Pescarolo Sport Peugeot HDi FAP 908, the 2 Courage Oreca AIMs entered by the Team ORECA Matmut AIM, the 2 Sora Racing Pescarolo Judds, the Speedy Racing Team Sebah’s Lola Aston Martin without forgetting the Signature Plus Courage Judd and the Tokai University Courage Oreca YGH Power, which will seize any opportunity that comes their way.

The attraction for many of the smaller teams is the prize of automatic selection for the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours for the winners of the LM P1, LM P2, LM GT1 and LM GT2 categories.

In LM P2, the Japanese Navi Team Goh squad will be on home turf in Okayama with a Porsche Sypder RS. It will be up against the 2 Oak Racing Pescarolo?Mazdas, the KSM team’s Lola?Mazda coupe and the Speedy Racing Team Sebah’s Lola?Judd.

In LM GT1, 2 Japanese outfits Nova and JLOPC will be faced with tough opposition in the form of the Luc Alphand Adventures and Larbre Competition teams from France.

There are no fewer than 12 entries in LM GT2 proof of the category’s diversity, two of which are entered in the Japanese GT 300 Championship all the year round (the Daishin team’s Ferrari F430 GT and the Hankook?KTR squad’s Porsche 911 plus 1 Ford, 2 Aston Martins, 5 more Porsches and 2 additional Ferraris).

While it’s still a bit early to give a list of drivers, there will be a fair number of Asians racing as European teams in both LM P1 and LM P2 are in advanced negotiations with top?class Japanese and Chinese drivers.

The race could also open up opportunities for Australian drivers looking for a chance to drive some of the sports fastest and most exciting cars.

Although only two races will be held for this year’s series organisers are hoping to expand the series in the years to come.

A round at Phillip Island perhaps? Let’s hope so, until then it’s Shanghai here I come!

With: ACO Media Release