South Korea Added to Asian Le Mans Series Calendar for 2013

October 3, 2012

The new Asian Le Mans Series is set to have a new round after Automobile Club de l’Ouest agreed a deal to hold a round in South Korea in 2013.

A three-hour race will be organized at the brand-new Autopia circuit, which is currently under construction. Located 80 miles from Seoul in the Inje region, the 2.61-mile circuit will play host to the relaunched championship on Aug. 4, 2013.

“South Korea is an important country in terms of business, in particular with an industry that’s linked to a very dynamic motor car sector thanks to its major car constructors, accessory suppliers and big manufacturers,” said ACO President Pierre Fillon. 

“The Korean go-ahead spirit is an important guarantee for the development of our Le Mans races. We really had to be present in a particularly dynamic country of fifty million inhabitants.”

The new circuit, featuring hilly terrain and elevation change, has been dubbed the “Road Atlanta” of Asia. “By programming this race in South Korea we’re also looking at the possibility of giving the start in the late afternoon between 17h00 and 20h00 to have a nighttime finish, one of the strong points of the Le Mans label events,” added Remy Brouard, ACO International Development Director.

Chi-Ho Yang, CEO of Inje Autopia Ltd., added: “Technically Le Mans racing is a very demanding sport and reliability and continuous performance are key factor for success. That suits the Korean mentality exactly. 

“Although we have a strong automobile industry and millions of car enthusiasts, curiously the motorsports fan base is not increasing. But I’m pretty sure the Le Mans race will play a bridge role for binding the automobile and motorsports industry together. That’s the reason why we need a long term relationship with Le Mans.”

The announcement of the latest event completes the 2013 Asian Le Man Series calendar, which will feature three rounds in China (Zhuhai, Shanghai and Ordos), Mt. Fuji, Japan and Sentul, Indonesia.