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ASIAN LE MANS SERIES Okayama Eastern delight for the N°17 Pescarolo/Michelin Michelin's partner teams Aston Martin Racing and Sora Racing (Pescarolo) won a race each at the opening round of the 2009 Asian Le Mans Series at Okayama, Japan. Ibanez Racing and Drayson Racing/Michelin took the spoils in the Michelin Green X Challenge. The programme of the inaugural meeting of the 2009 Asian Le Mans Series featured two 500-kilometre races which attracted a field of 23 cars – including nine running on Michelin tyres – to the twisty Japanese venue. Both races took place in dry conditions. Drayson Racing created a stir in the LMP1 contest when Johnny Cocker put the team's Lola-Judd/Michelin on pole position and led the first 20 laps of the opening race before being called into its pits by the stewards because of faulty lights. The race produced four leadership changes, but victory finally went to the Sora Racing Pescarolo/Michelin shared by Christophe Tinseau and Shinji Nakano. Johnny Cocker and his Lola/Judd were the quickest off the line in the second race, too, but the car was soon passed by the N°007 Aston Martin/Michelin of Stephan Mücke and Harold Primat. The 2009 Le Mans Series champions crossed the line ahead of the N°17 Pescarolo/Michelin which was declared winner of the Asian Le Mans Series' first round thanks to its performance in the two races.
The ORECA/Michelin of Lapierre and Duval challenged for the lead on both occasions. However, after finishing Race 1 in second place on the Saturday, it was delayed by mechanical trouble on the Sunday, but still managed to make it into the top three overall. In addition to being an integral part of the Le Mans 24 Hours, the American Le Mans Series and the Le Mans Series, the Michelin Green X Challenge – which rewards the most energy-efficient performances – has been extended to cover the Asian series, too. The challenge in Japan was won by Ibanez Racing Service's LMP2 car and the Lola-Judd LMP1 of Paul Drayson/Johnny Cocker in the first and second races respectively. It was a fitting success for Michelin's partner-team Drayson Racing which has been actively promoting green technologies for several seasons now. Race 1 - final positions: 1, Tinseau/Nakano (Pescarolo/Michelin), 126 laps. 2, Lapierre/Duval (Oreca/Michelin), +6.930s. 3, Mücke/Primat (Aston Martin/Michelin), +2 laps. Etc. Race 2 - final positions: 1, Mücke/Primat (Aston Martin/Michelin), 126 laps. 2, Tinseau/Nakano (Pescarolo/Michelin), +1m 0.177s. 3, Lapierre/Duval (Oreca/Michelin), +1m 6.479s. Etc.
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