John Dagys | Posted July 09, 2013 Chicago, IL
OAK To Enter Asian LMS
Ho-Pin Tung and David Cheng have been named drivers for OAK Racing’s Asian Le Mans Series effort, which kicks off next month in Korea.
(Photo: Remy Brouard/OAK Racing)
Traction for the new Asian Le Mans Series is slowly building, with OAK Racing confirming its program for the new championship that will kick off next month in Korea.
The French squad, which announced in February its plans to campaign a Morgan-Nissan, has confirmed that Chinese drivers Ho-Pin Tung and David Cheng will pilot the LMP2 contender, which will receive the backing of TOTAL.
The announcement came last month at Le Mans, where the new partnership with TOTAL Lubricants China was revealed. The team will be known as TOTAL OAK Racing in the series.
“I am very happy for the opportunity Asian Le Mans Series gives us to sign a partnership with Total Lubricants China,” said OAK Racing team principal Jacques Nicolet. “I hope this first implication will be the start of a long lasting and fruitful collaboration.
“We have amply showed our great interest for the development of the motorsport competition in Asia by regularly participating in endurance races organised in the Asian continent,”
“Moreover we gave an opportunity to the first ever Chinese pilot in the history of Le Mans 24 Hours, Cong Fu Cheng, who stepped onto the LMP2 podium in 2008.
“I am also convinced that Ho-Pin Tung and David Cheng will soon bring high honors to their country, our team and our new partner Total Lubricants China.”
Former A1GP driver Tung recently made his Le Mans debut in KCMG’s Morgan-Nissan, while Chinese-born Cheng took PC class honors at the Twelve Hours of Sebring in March, having recently rejoined the PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports squad last weekend at Lime Rock.
OAK will join Hong Kong-based squad KCMG as the only two expected LMP2 entries in the series, which begins Aug. 4 at the new Inje Circuit in South Korea.
The reduced four-round championship will also feature LMPC and GTC categories, with a full entry list yet to be released.