Shanghai Notebook

Photo: John Dagys

***Aston Martin Racing team principal John Gaw expects to have between two to five Vantage V8s in the WEC next year, including an already confirmed two-car factory GTE-Pro program. The British squad is currently in negotiations with its existing GTE-Am customers for 2014.

***David Cheng is the only Chinese driver in this year’s race, joining OAK Racing’s No. 45 Morgan-Nissan with Keiko Ihara and team owner Jacques Nicolet. Cheng, who competes in the Asian Le Mans Series, took PC class honors in this year’s Twelve Hours of Sebring, competing in a partial-season with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports.

***Toyota’s Pascal Vasselon confirmed that development of its new-for-2014 LMP1 car is on schedule and production of some components has already begun, including the tub. The car is scheduled to make its on-track testing debut early next year, with a two-car effort planned for the season.

***8Star Motorsports could still enter LMP2 next year, according to team boss Enzo Potolicchio, who has options to remain in GTE-Am with an AF Corse-run effort or to move the program to a different operation in LMP2. A decision is likely to come soon and Potolicchio says he’s closing in on a potential major new sponsor.

***Krohn Racing, the only other American team in the WEC this year, also has yet to confirm its plans for 2014. It’s understood Tracy Krohn has been evaluating options in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, potentially with his existing Ferrari F458 GTE car, but is waiting on the release of the technical regulations. Krohn said he will not make a decision before the WEC season-ender in Bahrain.

***Watch lights-to-flag coverage of the Six Hours of Shanghai at http://live.fiawec.com, beginning Friday at 10 p.m. ET.

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