Inje Friday Notebook

Photo: John Dagys

***Following its opening last year, Inje Speedium is now under new management. The state-of-the-art complex, built within a valley near the town of Inje is located 100 miles northeast of the South Korean capitol of Seoul. Incidentally, Inje County lies north of the 38th parallel and the circuit is less than 20 miles from the DMZ.

***Following the late withdrawal of the second ATL Wolf Asia CN entry, the Asian Le Mans Series season-opening Three Hours of Inje will feature an 8-car starting field, the same number of cars that took part in last year’s race at the Korean circuit.

***Series promoter Mark Thomas confirmed a change in the regulations, which will see teams and drivers score points on their best four of five races, in order to help entice additional entries to join the championship from the second round of the season at Fuji next month.

***There’s also been a change in the drive time rules for this weekend, with two-driver lineups now required to split the time equally (each 90 minutes) while drivers in three-driver lineups must each complete a minimum of 45 minutes, with the pro driver not allowed to exceed 90 minutes.

***While opining for a two-driver lineup this weekend, OAK Racing Team Total could utilize three drivers at select rounds later this year. Both Adderly Fong and Shaun Tong, who have previously driven for the French squad, had been possible third driver options but are mostly unavailable due to conflicts with other championships. Team manager Remy Brouard said they may look for local talent at upcoming rounds in Thailand and Malaysia.

***Details on the new LMP3 class will be revealed during presentations this weekend, both at the Red Bull Ring (ELMS) as well as Inje (Asian LMS). Series promoter Mark Thomas will be joined by ACO representative Frederic-Henry Biabaud on Sunday in Korea to formally launch the platform, which will be integrated into the Asian Le Mans Series beginning next year.

***Further progress has been made in the finalization of the 2016 GTE regulations, following the latest round of manufacturer meetings in Paris last week. It’s understood the engine rules are now set, with a further meeting in September set to finalize the specifics on aerodynamics for the class.

***While the rain held off today, scattered thunderstorms are in the forecast for both Saturday and Sunday, which make for an unpredictable qualifying session and race. A sudden downpour put last year’s race under a lengthy safety car period.

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