2020 has certainly been a memorable season.

Turn back to the clocks to the Hankook 24H DUBAI, the 15th edition of CREVENTIC’s blue ribbon event, and history was made in more ways than could possibly by predicted. Black Falcon extended its win tally at the event to five, simultaneously establishing Jeroen Bleekemolen, Hubert Haupt and Khaled Al Qubaisi as the first three-time winners of the Hankook 24H DUBAI, and securing a record-equalling fifth win for Mercedes-AMG. That the 2020 edition would also become the shortest Hankook 24H DUBAI on record was an inevitability, monsoon-like rain having led to the race being red flagged and unable to restart after just seven hours of running.

Worldwide ‘problems’ – which you certainly don’t need us to go into – meant round two of the 2020 24H SERIES eventually took place six months later at Portimão. The extended hiatus would prove historical though, as the Hankook 24H PORTIMAO became the first international motorsport event to be hosted as lockdown restrictions in Europe began to relax. In the scorching temperatures, Herberth Motorsport took a commanding win to get its championship challenge off the mark. The Bavarian team did so again one round later on CREVENTIC’s first official visit to Monza, becoming the first GT team to ever lockout the overall podium at a 24H SERIES event in the process.

Of course, conversation more readily fell to the biblical rainstorm that led to the inaugural Hankook 12H MONZA being red flagged (again?!) shortly after half distance. Mercifully, hard-working teams and drivers, who only days earlier had driven along Monza’s vaunted oval, were able to race to the chequered flag to much fanfare. Little surprise that the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, like the Autódromo do Algarve, is on the calendar again in 2021.

Eleventh hours logistical issues meant the Hankook 24H BARCELONA was postponed, allowing the Hockenheimring to make its maiden appearance on the 24H SERIES calendar in early September. Those who scoffed that ‘more cars’ were needed were proven immediately wrong when the hard-charging Equipe Verschuur and CP Racing fell by the wayside, allowing NKPP Racing by Bas Koeten Racing to become the first ‘991’ class team to ever secure an outright victory in the 24H SERIES.

In October, a 39-year break was brought to a close when the ‘Coppa Florio’ name was revived at the Autodromo di Pergusa. After a troubled year, the inaugural COPPA FLORIO 12H Sicily was a weekend of celebration, cultural appreciation, and, most importantly, close racing, a Gulf Racing-clad GPX Racing signing off a spectacular run to secure its first outright win in the 24H SERIES while, further back, Autorama Motorsport by Wolf-Power Racing successfully defended its TCE crown after another strong season.

For better or worse, 2020 truly has been a memorable year in the 24H SERIES. One we’ve every confidence the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello will close out in style this weekend!