The Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup has , this morning, released a revised calendar and revealed plans to include GT3 cars on the entry.

In place of the previously planned four-race season for LMP3 and GT Cup cars the 2017 calendar will now see three race meetings, all still at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia welcoming LMP3, GT Cup and now adding GT3 cars as the Asian Le Mans Series expands its co-operation with Michelin.

The season will now start with Round 1 on 5/7 May 2017, featuring a race format designed to provide a meaningful taster for teams and drivers to sample mixed class Prototype and GT racing.

The change to add GT3 cars to the Series now allows GT3 teams to construct a comprehensive racing programme in Asia combining the Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup and the Asian Le Mans Series (which takes place over winter 2017/18).

Together, both series’ combine sprint and endurance over eight events and 11 races this season.

The winners of the GT3, LMP3 and GT Cup classes in the Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup will also benefit from a free entry into the 2017/2018 Asian Le Mans Series.

Road to Le Mans

A major incentive for full-season GT3 and LMP3 Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup entrants comes with the opportunity to race on the full Le Mans 24 Hours circuit in June. In addition to the Michelin Le Mans Cup competitors (automatically entered), entrants will be given priority to enter the pair of 55-minute Road to Le Mans races which will take place on the Circuit de la Sarthe on 14 &17 June as the curtain raiser to the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours . This will give teams the opportunity to have a first taste of Le Mans and its 13,6km track while strengthening the ACO GT3 and LMP3 offer for Asian teams.

Plans are in hand to expand the Asian Le Mans Sprint Series into a more International Series for 2018.

2017 Calendar

Round 1: 5/7 May 2017

Round 2: 21/23 July 2017

Round 3: 18/20 August 2017