Car Collection Motorsport closed out a successful campaign with the 24H SERIES powered by Hankook in the United Arab Emirates with a class podium, its 11th at the event to-date 

With overall victory at the previous week’s Hankook 6H ABU DHABI already under its belt, Car Collection Motorsport came into the Hankook 24H DUBAI, an event it also won outright in 2019, as both an event frontrunner and a contender for the GT3 Teams’ title in the 24H SERIES Middle East Trophy. The German team confirmed its Porsche 992 GT3 R would once again be driven by Abu Dhabi victors Dennis Marschall and Dustin Blattner, who would be joined in Dubai by Sebastian Gorga, Lebanon’s Fuad Sawaya and Mark Wallenwein, the latter back for his fifth Hankook 24H DUBAI after previous runs in TCR and 991. Gorga, Sawaya and Wallenwein were all contesting GT3 for the first time. 

After qualifying a solid 11th overall and 6th in the GT3-Pro/Am class, the Car Collection Porsche remained in the overall top six for much of the first third of the event – even leading its class for the second and third hours – and was 2nd only to GT3-Pro/Am leader Herberth Motorsport after eight hours. 

A delay caused by traction control issue knocked the #96 Porsche briefly out of the top 10 and off the GT3-Pro/Am class podium, though a double night stints by Marschall meant Car Collection was back up to 8th overall and 3rd in-class shortly after half-distance. The former event winner would improve to 6th overall at the chequered flag. In its three starts thus far in the 24H SERIES – the first being at last year’s Hankook 24H BARCELONA – the team’s new Porsche 992 GT3 R has now finished all three inside the top six.

The result means Car Collection Motorsport also finished 3rd in the overall GT3 Teams’ 24H SERIES Middle East Trophy standings and joint-2nd in GT3-Pro/Am. Impressively, the German team, which has contested all but two of the Hankook 24H DUBAIs held since 2006 (see sidebar), has now finished on the podium nine times in its 11 most recent outings.

Having avoided on-track collisions and time penalties, Peter Schmidt was full of praise for his team’s efforts in the UAE.

“After the victory last weekend in Abu Dhabi, to be back on the podium here in Dubai is great,” the team principal explained in an official team statement. “We knew that it would be tougher here than in Abu Dhabi, so I’m all the more proud of the performance of the entire team. The drivers did a great job: the car didn’t have a single scratch! Without the small technical problem, we could have done even better.”

Following an encouraging Middle East program, Car Collection Motorsport has registered entries for both the Hankook 12H MUGELLO on 22-23-24 March and the Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS on 19-20-21 April. Discussions for a full European season with CREVENTIC are on-going.