Sepang Notebook

Photo: John Dagys

***While Sunday’s round features a season-high three LMP2 entries, it’s understood there could easily be as many as five of the cost-capped prototypes on the grid next year, including a potential second entry from KCMG.

***Series partners TOTAL and Michelin will continue their relationship into the 2014 season, which will see an expansion to five rounds with the addition of a round at Shanghai International Circuit in October, three weeks prior to the FIA WEC’s visit to the Chinese circuit.

***The LMP2 championship-winning team and top two finishers in the GTC standings will receive automatic invites to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The same policy will continue in 2014, which will see the GTC category merge into a common GT class comprised of ACO GTE, FIA GT3 and JAF GT300-spec machinery.

***Craft Racing’s foray into LMP2 this weekend is part of a joint effort from Murphy Prototypes, which has loaned its Oreca 03 Nissan and some support crew to the Asian-based squad. Team principal Mark Goddard is targeting a potential four-car entry in the series next year.

***After supplying teams exclusively with commercial tires this year, Michelin is preparing to offer competitors with a wider selection of tires in 2014 as part of its continued commitment to the series.

***The mandate of one Asian driver per lineup will now also include those hailing from Oceanic countries such as Australia and New Zealand. The AF Corse Ferrari of Italians Andrea Bertolini, Michele Rugolo and Aussie Steve Wyatt ran under the newly announced criteria this season.

***Beginning next year in an effort to help reduce costs, the maximum number of crew allowed to be involved in tire changes will be reduced from four to two people per car. This change essentially eliminates the use of a second air gun at alternating times.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John