An all Malaysian line-up is set to take the tarmac in the remaining rounds of the Asian Le Mans Series.
The trio of Jazeman Jaafar, Weiron Tan and Afiq Ikhwan Yazid will race under the banner of the renowned Jackie Chan DC Racing X JOTA team in Round 3 at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand from January, 11 to 13 and the final round at Sepang International Circuit February, 2 to 4 next year.
Team Jackie Chan DC Racing X JOTA was the team that won the LMP2 (Le Mans Prototype) title in the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours this year.
“We are proud to announce the participation of three of our Malaysian drivers, Jazeman, Weiron and Afiq, to participate in the remaining rounds of the prestigious Asian Le Mans Series.
“Jazeman has made an impressive debut in Round 2 of the championship at the Fuji Speedway in Japan earlier this month where he finished third while partnering American driver David Cheng,” said Sepang International Circuit Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Razlan Razali.
Launched in 2013 by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), the Asian Le Mans Series is the embodiment of Le Mans endurance racing for the Asian continent. Each class winner of the Series will get an invitation to the Le Mans 24 Hours in France.
The Le Mans 24 Hours race is the pinnacle of endurance racing that has been held annually since 1923. Part of the FIA World Endurance Championship, Le Mans 24 Hours is a leg in the Triple Crown of Motorsport which include Indianapolis 500 and Monaco F1 Grand Prix.
The inclusion of Jazeman, Weiron and Afiq in the Asian Le Mans Series is a step up after the introduction of Jazeman into the series early this month.
The idea under Sepang International Circuit’s initiative of developing motorsport talents stems from the aspiration to have a team with an all-Malaysian line-up to participate in the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours race in France as early as 2019, subject to performance and results.
“I see this as a stepping stone in reaching our ambition of racing in the Le Mans 24 Hours. The prestigious 24 Hours Le Mans is seen as the oldest and most iconic endurance race and it is a dream for all drivers to qualify and participate in this race. And this dream is a realistic dream.
“This is crucial as we need to accelerate the learning curve of our drivers to be better prepared for the challenges in the tough Le Mans 24 Hours race,” added Dato’ Razlan.
The 25-year-old Jazeman cut his teeth with single seater racing in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series and the Formula BMW before moving on to racing in the GT races in the Blancpain Endurance Series.
The 23-year-old Weiron made his name after finishing fourth overall in the Pro Mazda Championship in the US in 2015 after years of kart racing. He competed in the European Formula 3 last year with Carlin Motorsport. He also competed in the LMP3 class of the Asian Le Mans Series last year.
Afiq started karting in 2007 before moving on to GT racing in 2013. The 26-year-old champion of the Malaysia and Asia Rotax Max Challenge won the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia Series in 2015. He competed in the GT class of the Asian Le Mans Series last year.
Drivers’ profile
Jazeman Jaafar
Age: 25
Brief career history:
2006: Formula Renault Asia
2007: Formula BMW Asia
2010: British F3 Series
2013: Formula Renault 3.5
2016: Blancpain Endurance Series
2017: McLaren GT Academy driver
Notable achievements:
2007: Formula BMW Asia (Meritus Racing) – Champion
2012: British F3 Series (Carlin) – 2nd overall
2016: Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup (HTP Motorsports) – 2nd overall
Weiron Tan
Age: 23
Brief career history:
2010: PLUS Yamaha Karting Series / Asian Karting Open Championship
2011: Malaysian Super Series / Lotus GT4 Asia
2013: Formula Gulf 1000
2013: Formula Renault 2.0 UK
2014: German Formula 3
2015: Pro Mazda Championship
2016: European Formula 3
2016/2017: Asian Le Mans Series
2017: China GT – Bentley
Notable achievements:
2010: PLUS Yamaha International Challenge – Champion
2010: Asian Karting Open Championship – Vice Champion
2011: Lotus GT4 Asia – Champion
2013: Formula Renault 2.0 UK – Vice Champion
2014: German Formula 3 – 5th overall
2015: Pro Mazda Championship (Andretti Autosport) – 4th overall
Afiq Ikhwan Yazid
Age: 26
Brief career history:
2010: Rotax Max Challenge Asia Series Karting
2010: Formula BMW Series
2011: JK Racing Asia Series
2013: Formula Masters China
2013-2017: Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia
Notable achievements:
2010: Rotax Max Challenge Asia Series (KRS Motorsports) – Champion
2010: Formula BMW Series (Meritus GP) – 6th overall
2011: JK Racing Asia Series – 2nd overall
2013: Formula Masters China – 2nd overall
2015 – 2017 : Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia – Champion
