History
During the brief two seasons of the Japan Le Mans Challenge, the series struggled to provide grids similar to those in the American Le Mans Series and Le Mans Series. Most races averaged approximately 12 cars total, with only a few meeting actual LMP and GT regulations. Mugen Motorsports backed an LMP1 entry using one of their engines, while Hitotsuyama Racing attempted to increase field size by entering cars in two of the four classes. The LMP2 class however consisted entirely of rebodied single seaters, some of these were modified Dallara F3s from the domestic GC21 Championship.
Even with some factory support and proven Le Mans cars, most teams struggled to survive the 1000 kilometer race distances. The first two races of the 2006 season were won by a Hitotsuyama Ferrari 550 Maranello in the GT1 class, while the two proper LMP1s failed to finish. It was not until the final race of 2006 that Mugen's LMP managed to earn an overall victory.
For 2007, Hitotsuyama's Zytek LMP1 managed to prove reliable enough to earn the first three victories of the season, before it once again struggled to finish in the final race of the year, leaving an LMP2 GC21 to take overall victory.
During that 2007 season, SERO announced that they were relinquishing control of the series due to their failure to promote it and increase not only grid size, but also fan viewership. The ACO initially announced that they were to take over the series for 2008. However, shortly after this announcement, the ACO announced their intentions to cancel the series entirely, citing a continued lack of participants as well as being unable to make contracts with circuits over the lack of ticket sales.
Read more about this topic: Japan Le Mans Challenge
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