DUBAI (25 January, 2024) – After two dazzling rounds at Kuwait Motor Town and the Yas Marina Circuit, the 2023/2024 24H SERIES Middle East Trophy will be decided this weekend at the 19th annual Hankook 24H DUBAI. 

Hosted for the second season in a row, CREVENTIC’s three-round, Middle East program – featuring two races in the UAE and a ‘flyaway’ in Kuwait – draws to a close at the Dubai Autodrome on 26-27-28 January, and will see nine category titles decided. So close is the title fight, four of the protagonists go into the Hankook 24H DUBAI level on points.

Manamauri Energy by Ebimotors went into the 2024 Hankook 6H ABU DHABI four points behind reigning 24H SERIES GT3-AM Teams’ champion CP Racing, having finished 2nd to the American team by a microscopic half a second at December’s Hankook 12H KUWAIT. A meticulous run to 3rd place overall in Abu Dhabi, three places ahead of CP Racing, means Ebimotors has leapfrogged its American rival, and now heads into the Hankook 24H DUBAI finale with an eight point cushion, 68 points to 60. 

Teammates Sabino de Castro, Sergiu Nicolae, Fabrizio Broggi and Cosimo Papi hold a similar eight-point advantage over CP Racing teammates Charles Putman, Charles Espenlaub, Joe Foster and Shane Lewis. The latter four took GT3 Drivers’ honours with CP Racing in 2022/2023.

Overall victory for Car Collection Motorsport at this past weekend’s Hankook 6H ABU DHABI means the German team has moved to 3rd in the GT3 Teams’ standings, 20 points behind CP Racing. Century Motorsport meanwhile, 3rd overall in Kuwait and a classified 5th in-class in Abu Dhabi after a troubled run, are just four further points behind.

With ‘scratch’ results permitted for this three-round regional championship, and with each of the teams registered to compete at the Dubai Autodrome this weekend (26-27-28 January), fans of the 24H SERIES can expect a four-way fight for the GT3 title at the Hankook 24H DUBAI. 

Alongside overall GT3 honours, Century Motorsport leads the GT3-Pro-Am standings, thanks to its class win in Kuwait, which also put Lewis Plato and Jack Barlow at the top of the drivers’ standings. CP Racing meanwhile, victorious in Kuwait and 3rd in-class in Abu Dhabi, currently holds the lead in GT3-Am. 

Red Camel-Jordans.nl strengthened its lead in the 992 Teams’ title chase in Abu Dhabi with a second consecutive class win, and now holds a 12-point advantage over RABDAN by FULGENZI. 2019 Overall TCE Drivers’ ‘Europe’ champion Fabian Danz similarly leads the 992 Drivers’ championship with Breukers father and son Ivo and Luc.

Keen to secure the Emirati team a title victory on home turf, RABDAN Motorsport team owner Saif Alameri, with Christopher Zöchling, is only 12 points behind the Red Camel-Jordans trio, with 40 points up for grabs in Dubai. 

KKrämer Racing, in its first international endurance racing campaign, is 3rd in the 992 Teams’ standings, just eight points behind RABDAN by FULGENZI, thanks to a class podium in Kuwait. Still mathematically in contention for the 992 title, the second KKrämer Racing Porsche 992 GT3 Cup will hope to secure its first overall 992 podium in Dubai. 

The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation secured its fourth 992-Am podium with HRT Performance in Abu Dhabi, the QMMF by HRT Porsche having finished 3rd in-class behind Red Camel-Jordans and RABDAN by FULGENZI. The Qatar-German alliance took the 992-Am win at Yas Marina, and in the process, is now level-pegging with KKrämer Racing – 992-Am victor in Kuwait – on 40 points heading into Dubai. Interestingly, Abdulla Ali Al Khelaifi, Ghanim Al Ali, Ibrahim Al Abdulghani and Julian Hanses have eked out a four-point lead in the drivers’ rankings, as Kkrämer’s Michele Di Martino and ‘Selv’ competed in ‘992’ in Abu Dhabi. 

Having taken the maiden win for its brand-new 2.0 sports car in Abu Dhabi, and after finishing 3rd in-class in Kuwait, Vortex V8 now leads the GTX Teams’ standings after leapfrogging early leader razoon – more than racing. 

razoon – more than racing, last year’s GTX winner in the 24H SERIES Middle East Trophy, recovered to finish 4th in Abu Dhabi after losing its right rear wheel on-track. This drops the KTM X-BOW GTX eight points behind Vortex V8, and gives Artur Chwist and Daniel Drexel a similar deficit to overcome to catch Vortex’s Arnaud and Olivier Gomez, Philippe Bonnel, and Lionel Amrouche. 

Though felled by engine failure in Abu Dhabi, Toro Verde GT’s GTX win at the Hankook 12H KUWAIT keeps the British team, plus drivers Lawrence and Freddie Tomlinson, and Mike Simpson, in GTX title contention. 

A superb, grandstand finish at this past weekend’s Hankook 6H ABU DHABI means Century Motorsport and AGMC Racing by Simpson Motorsport head into the Hankook 24H DUBAI level-pegging at the top of the GT4 Teams’ standings. 

Century Motorsport’s BMW M4 GT4 passed the AGMC Racing by Simpson Motorsport BMW at the very last corner in Abu Dhabi to take GT4 class victory. Delayed by a tie rod problem, Century finished 2nd to Simpson in Kuwait, meaning the British compatriots have both scored 76 points so far.

Things are equally as tight in the drivers’ standings, with Century’s Ravi Ramyead and Charlie Robertson, and Simpson’s Fabian Duffieux all equal on 76 points. Vasily Vladykin and Andrey Solukovtsev meanwhile, who took victory with Century in Kuwait and finished 4th in Abu Dhabi aboard Continental Racing’s Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo, are just eight points further back. 

Alongside its GT4 title shot, Simpson Motorsport also goes into this weekend’s Hankook 24H DUBAI at the head of the TCR Teams’ standings, thanks to its class win in Kuwait and runners-up spot to AC Motorsport in Abu Dhabi. The latter, which did not compete in Kuwait, has plenty of work to do, but as a two-time Hankook 24H DUBAI winner, is more than capable of an upset win at the Autodrome. 

Ironically, British Touring Car Championship legend James Kaye, after racing with Simpson Motorsport in Kuwait and AC Motorsport in Abu Dhabi, has amassed 80 points, and is already 40 points clear of his Hankook 12H KUWAIT teammates, Ricky Coomber, Henry Neal and Jack Lemmer, and Hankook 6H ABU DHABI teammate Ivars Vallers. 

Both of CWS Engineering’s Ginetta G55s meanwhile will battle for the TCX Teams’ title in Dubai. The British team’s #278 entry leads the sister #277 Ginetta 76 points to 40, the former having finished 2nd to the latter in Abu Dhabi, but won in Abu Dhabi. Team boss Colin White meanwhile, victorious in both Kuwait and Abu Dhabi, looks set to take the TCX Drivers’ title, but will be chased hard (ironically) by CWS teammate Neale Muston. Dale Albutt, also in contention, is set to drive the #278 G55 alongside Colin White.

TCR leader Simpson Motorsport and TCX leader CWS Engineering will also fight for the overall TCE Teams’ title in Dubai as well, the former having pulled eight points clear of the latter after taking the outright TCE win in Kuwait and finishing 3rd overall in Abu Dhabi, just behind the CWS Engineering Ginetta. James Kaye again heads the TCE standings, albeit by a much closer eight points over both Colin White and Ricky Coomber.

Following CREVENTIC’s track days on both the Tuesday and the Wednesday, plus private test sessions on the Thursday, the 19th Hankook 24H DUBAI kicks properly into gear with official Free Practice on Friday 26th January at 10.00 hrs local time. This will be followed by an unprecedented NINE qualifying sessions – incorporating TCE and GT4, GTX and 992, and GT3 respectively – between 14.40 hrs and 17.45 hrs. Night Practice between 19.15 hrs and 20.45 hrs brings a full day of track activity to a close. 

After a 30-minute warm-up session between 09.30 hrs and 10.00 hrs, the green flag for the Hankook 24H DUBAI is scheduled to fly at 13.00 hrs local time on Saturday 27 January, with the race running uninterrupted until 13.00 hrs on Sunday 28 January. Further information can be found HERE