Scheduled as a three-round UAE national championship once again, CREVENTIC’s second Middle East Trophy is the result of positive feedback from fans and competitors alike. It is set to provide motor racing entertainment across Europe’s winter off-season at three of the Gulf region’s most distinctive racing venues.

David Vink, CREVENTIC, event manager:“We’re very pleased that our inaugural Middle East Trophy garnered sufficient interest to warrant a second program in 2023/2024. In tandem with the European-focused 24H SERIES powered by Hankook, CREVENTIC’s Middle East Trophy provides an ideal opportunity for our European and overseas competitors to experience several jewels in the region’s crown during the winter, with the esteemed Hankook 24H DUBAI as the main event.”

The 2023 / 2024 Middle East Trophy kicks off with only the second ever international motor race to be held at Kuwait Motor Town – the Hankook 12H KUWAIT on 7-8-9 December – after a popular inaugural running of the event last year. CREVENTIC’s headline event of every year, the annual Hankook 24H DUBAI on 12-13-14 January, will be hosted at the Dubai Autodrome for the 19th year in a row, and is the second round of the season. Finally, one week later on 19-20-21 January, the 2023 / 2024 Middle East Trophy concludes with the Hankook 6H ABU DHABI at the Yas Marina Circuit. 

As in 2022/2023, titles will be awarded to the highest point-scoring team and driver(s) in their respective category, with a championship celebration set to be held at the completion of the Hankook 6H ABU DHABI. A winner of the Ladies Cup will also be crowned in each class where applicable. 

To be eligible for a championship, competitors must enter at least two rounds of the Middle East Trophy. Unlike the 2024 24H SERIES, no ‘scratch results’ will be permitted and all points scored count towards the Middle East Trophy standings. 

CREVENTIC’s established scoring system will continue to be used for the Middle East Trophy in 2023/2024, with 40 points being awarded to class winners at all three events, 36 to 2nd place and 32 to 3rd. As in 2023, points will not be allocated at half-distance during the Hankook 24H DUBAI. 

Also as in 2023/2024, championship trophies will be awarded to the top three, highest-point scoring teams and drivers per category. A bespoke trophy, authenticated by series partner Hankook Tires, will be awarded to each category’s respective Teams’ champion. 

Podium celebrations close each of the three events in the Middle East Trophy, again with individual trophies being awarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd-placed teams and drivers, while the victorious team and drivers of each event overall will receive a unique 24H SERIES garland. In a new move for 2023/2024, the top three finishers in the GT3-Pro class will receive medals, a nod to a similar accolade presented to podium finishers at CREVENTIC’s first 6H Qualifying Race at Estoril. 

Significantly, in a bid to offer its ‘gentlemen’ competitors more track time, the minimum driver rest time is no longer in effect for the Hankook 6H ABU DHABI. Each maximum stint length remains limited to two hours.

Transportation of each team’s car and equipment will be handled exclusively by CREVENTIC and its partner, Share Logistics. Registered teams can select one of three different transport packages, which range from overseeing transport of a competitor’s container directly from Rotterdam port (alternative locations are available), to containers being driven directly to a team’s facility for loading prior to shipping. CREVENTIC personnel will be present at customs, with teams required only to supply requisite paperwork ahead of time.

Transportation costs for a shared container are included as part of a race entry fee, while, in a special deal, teams that sign up for the full Middle East Trophy program will get exclusive use of a full container for all three rounds.  

·      Three different teams – CP Racing, Team WRT and Pure Rxcing – and three different manufacturers – Mercedes-AMG, BMW and Porsche – took outright victory during last year’s Middle East Trophy events. 

·      CP Racing made history by becoming the first overall winner of the Hankook 12H KUWAIT. Fittingly, ‘Team Kuwait’ finished 2nd overall and set overall pole position for its international race debut.

·      Long-time Audi customer Team WRT made its debut as an official BMW M Motorsport customer at the 2023 Hankook 24H DUBAI, doing so with nine-time Grand Prix motor racing champion Valentino Rossi on its driver line-up. 

·      In an extraordinarily close finish, Pure Rxcing, Herberth Motorsport and Haas RT, who finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively at the 2023 Hankook 6H ABU DHABI, were separated by just 10 seconds at the chequered flag. 4th-placed Phoenix Racing was only 11.8 seconds further adrift.