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12 January 2010
Build-up 3: Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai
Dubai Autodrome is a hive of activity in preparation for this weekend’s race
Racing teams from thirty different countries are “setting up shop” at Dubai Autodrome as final preparations are underway for this weekend’s Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai, on 14, 15 and 16 January 2010, which is being held under the patronage of His Highness Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Over 100 tons of equipment, belonging to 78 teams from across the globe, has been unloaded into the Dubai Autodrome pit garages. Mechanics and engineers have spent the day rebuilding their race cars and preparing their pits for the demands of the 24 hours endurance race.
Also arriving in Dubai over the past few days have been over 1000 team personnel, including drivers who will be taking part in the fifth edition of this the first international road race of the 2010 global motorsport calendar.
Rubbing shoulders with the international contingent are a number of Dubai based teams who are taking this event very seriously. One of these teams is the Emirati squad, Lap 57, which features a contingent of UAE national drivers headed up by 2009 UAE Touring Car Champion Mohammed Al Owais. Lap 57 have built a special Honda for this event and enter the battle field with great confidence, “For some of us this will be our first 24 Hours race, but we are all very motivated and our goal is to win our Class.”
Other local teams in the field include last years SP2 Class winners DXB Racing, Duel Motorsport, AUH Racing, First Racing, Zengo Dubai Team Motorsport and Premier Racing.
Of the international contingent the defending champions Land Motorsport return with their Porsche 997 GT3 and are out to retain their title, something no team has done namely win back to back 24 Hours of Dubai races. They face a concerted challenge from fellow Porsche teams Besaplast Racing Team, ARC Bratislava, Jetalliance Racing to name a few.
Aiming to dethrone the Porsche dominance of the event will be a couple of Ferrari’s in First Motorsport and AF Corse team colours.
Track action for the Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai starts on Thursday, 14 January with free practice, qualifying and night practice. The race will start on Friday, 15 January at 2 pm and finish 24 hours later. Entry to the event is free with invitations available for download http://www.dubaiautodrome.com
Click here to download race weekend timetable
11 January 2010
Build-up 2: Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai
Emirati drivers and UAE based teams set to make their mark
Under the patronage of His Highness Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai, which takes place at Dubai Autodrome this weekend, on 14, 15 and 16 January 2010, will provide an international stage for Emirati drivers and UAE based teams to make their mark.
At the forefront of the UAE onslaught is the Lap 57 team who have entered a specially built 2009 Honda for the event. The team consists of 2009 UAE Touring Champion Mohammed Al Owais, 2009 UAE Driver of the Year Mohammed Al Falasi, 2010 UAE Touring Cars front runners Omran Al Owais and Umair Khan. The outfit means business as Khan explains, “We have some 24 hours experience through Omran and Al Falasi who did the 24 Hour a couple of years ago. We have built our car specially for the event and our aim is for a class win.”
Mohammed Al Owais shares the commitment, “Personally I am excited and a little nervous as it is my first time in a 24 hour race. But this is a challenge for us and our intention is to grow our experience in motorsport. Also we aim to show Emirati’s what racing is all about.”
Last year one of the biggest sensations of the 24 Hours of Dubai was the SP2 Class victory by Dubai based DBX Racing. This year they are back again as reigning champions and are keen to uphold UAE and team honour and retain their title in the 2010 race.
“Team DXB Racing is immensely proud to again be entering our locally prepared car and UAE resident drivers in this prestigious and high profile event which attracts over 300 talented and highly experienced racers from across the Globe,” commented Jonathan Simmonds driver and team principal of DXB Racing.
However the team do not underestimate the scale of the challenge ahead as they know the competition will be very strong and that the wild card element of 24 Hour motor racing can easily affect the outcome.
“This year the grid is again very strong but we relish the opportunity of competing with several other similar Aston Martin Vantage GT4’s entered in this race. Our immediate goal is to be the first of the Vantages, which will not be easy, but we are of course also keen to retain our class title if at all possible,” added Simmonds.
The driver line up will be made up of DXB Racing’s three full-time team members Frederic Gaillard, Jonathan Simmonds and Julian Griffin, ably supported by pro-drivers and team regulars Phil Quaife and Rob Barff.
Duel Racing made their mark at the recent Barcelona 24 Hours with the Dubai based brothers Ramzi, Sami and Nabil Moutran at the wheel of a Renault Clio Cup. For the Dubai race they are joined by one of Bahrain’s top drivers Sheikh Salman Bin Rashid Al Khalifa. With their Spanish experience to tap into, they enter the Dubai 24 Hours with the aim to finish strongly, with a podium result in their sights. Sami Moutran says, “It is great to be part of this event and especially to be part of a strong UAE contingent. Finishing is our primary goal and our ambition is to make it on to the podium in our Class.”
A racing team that has made a big impact on the local UAE racing scene this year is AUH Motorsport. They have been dominant in the 2009/2010 Gulf Radical Cup in their distinctive white blue and yellow liveried cars and now have gone a step further by purchasing two Aston Martin GT4s to partake in this weekend’s Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai.
The Dubai race is the first major endurance race that the team has participated in, but is part team principal Carl Rolaston’s vision, “This is a big learning curve for us as we will be making our 24 hour debut and it is great to be part of a big event on our “home turf.” We intend this to be our first step towards a European campaign in the FIA GT4 Championship and selected European 24 Hour races. The team intends providing an international platform for UAE based competitors to race abroad.”
AUH Racing were out turning laps in testing at Dubai Autodrome this past weekend in preparation for the race weekend. They are in the throes of finalising their driver line-up, however they have confirmed some formidable names already, including: 2009 Gulf Radical Cup Champion Bassam Kronfli, 2010 Gulf Radical Cup championship leader Jordan Grogor, former Speedcar driver Eric Charles and UAE regular racer Humaid Al Masaood.
Track action for the Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai starts on Thursday, 14 January with free practice, qualifying and night practice. The race will start on Friday, 15 January at 2 pm and finish 24 hours later. Entry to the event is free with invitations available for download http://www.dubaiautodrome.com
Click here to download race weekend timetable
6 January 2010
Build-up: Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai
All systems go for Dubai 24 Hours with free entry for race fans
Under the patronage of His Highness Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the countdown to the Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai has begun. Eighty teams, five hundred drivers from twenty six different countries, over a thousand team crew members and tons of equipment are scheduled to arrive at Dubai Autodrome this weekend, for the race on 14, 15 and 16 January 2010.
The 24 Hours of Dubai will be running for the fifth year and His Highness, in a message in the race programme, said, “This event has become a fixture of our city’s sporting calendar. We expect around 80 entries from 26 countries which is the perfect way to start the year’s international motor racing calendar.”
The race marks the start of the international 2010 road racing season and has grown in stature to become one of the biggest 24 hour races of its kind. Dubai Autodrome Chairman Saeed Khalfan commented, “It is known that last year, perhaps due to global economic conditions, similar 24 hour races in Europe failed to attract big fields. In fact some were actually cancelled. With eighty teams coming to Dubai we are very proud that our venue still has the ability to attract top motor racing teams and drivers. Our event, in the UAE, is one that no one wants to miss.”
Of the eighty teams to do battle in the grueling 24 hours endurance race, eleven have UAE roots and include a large number of locally based drivers. Teams include the likes of Lap57 Racing, AUH Motorsport, DXB Racing, Zengo Dubai Team Motorsport and Duel Racing. Al Faisal Racing will be making the trip from Saudi Arabia.
Emirati drivers who will be in the thick of the action include: the Al Owais brothers Mohammed and Omran, Saeed Al Mehairi, Humaid and Al Masaood. While UAE Based drivers who are regular campaigners in the local UAEW National Championships include: Julian Griffin, John Simmonds, Carl Rolaston, Frederic Gaillard, Umair Khan and the Moutran clan Ramzi, Sami and Nabil. Several more drivers are likely to be signed up closer to the time.
The 24 Hours of Dubai has become an annual tradition and invariably throws up some major challenges to the competitors. Conditions can be fierce, with rain a distinct possibility. Teams that are well prepared and plan for all eventualities, who can couple this to a fast and consistent pace will no doubt feature in the final reckoning.
The event organisers, Creventic BV and Dubai Autodrome, have focused on making the race a family friendly affair with many off track attractions to keep fans entertained. Also for the first time there will be a Superkarts support race, which will be making their debut at the circuit.
Chairman Khalfan explains, “We want families to come out and enjoy the two days of action. Of course we cannot expect people to stay all 24 hours but personally I highly recommend that spectators make the effort to be here at the 2pm start because the sight of 80 cars in full flight in the opening stages of the race ranks up there as a spectacle in the mould of the 24 hour classics such as Le Mans and Daytona. And of course the finish the following day is always an emotional affair. In between, fans have easy access to the teams and drivers while a myriad of off-track activities in the paddock and grandstand area will keep everyone entertained.”
Track action for the Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai starts on Thursday, 14 January with free practice, qualifying and night practice. The race will start on Friday, 15 January at 2 pm and finish 24 hours later. Entry to the event is free with invitations available for download http://www.dubaiautodrome.com
• Click here for provisional race weekend Timetable
• Click here for provisional Entry List
22 December 2009
Cars and equipment on route to UAE for Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai
From various ports all over the world, cars and equipment are currently being shipped to Dubai for the fifth anniversary edition of the Dunlop 24H of Dubai (January 14th till 16th), the annual 24-hour race for GT and touring cars and 24h specials.
“We will have 80 cars on the grid for the race”, says Gerrie Willems on behalf of Dutch agency Creventic BV, promoters and organisers of the Dunlop 24H of Dubai.
In October, 2004, Dutch entrepreneur and hobby racer Ivo Breukers first visited the Dubai Autodrome to attend a round of the FIA GT Championship. Impressed by the facility, Breukers immediately saw the opportunity to stage a 24-hour race there. “Ivo and I had raced together in several endurance events, so he asked me to join him”, recalls Gerrie Willems.
In January, 2005, Breukers and Willems visited the Dubai Autodrome together for the first time and discussed the possibility to have a race there early in 2006. “Circuit management and local authorities were enthusiastic about our plans and we received a lot of support from them”, says Willems.
Thus, the inaugural 24H of Dubai took place in January, 2006. “We had a total of 67 entrants for our first race and we were quite pleased with that. During the 2005 season, we had promoted our event at other race meetings and we received positive reactions”, says Willems. “After that, our event has shown steady progress.”
The second running in 2007 already attracted 77 competitors and 87 cars took part in the race in 2008. Challenging economic conditions meant that the grid was slightly down at 77 cars for 2009, but Willems is expecting 80 cars for the fifth anniversary edition in January.
Ever since the inaugural race in 2006, Creventic has enjoyed a close and successful co-operation with DNRT, organisers of many endurance events in The Netherlands.
“The DNRT staff, first and foremost its chairman Huub Vermeulen and its secretary Ria Waterreus, has a vast experience in organising race events and they have been very helpful for us over the years”, says Gerrie Willems. “Special features like the ‘code-60’ instead of safety car interventions in case of an accident are among the contributions that DNRT has made to our event and our participants really appreciate that.
Last week, 35 containers with cars and equipment have been shipped from the port of Antwerp in Belgium. Other teams are sending their containers from various ports in Italy, Great Britain, Spain, Australia and Japan. The first activity for teams and drivers in Dubai is the traditional Welcome Party at “The Address” hotel with view of the Burj Dubai.
Track action for the Dunlop 24H of Dubai starts on Thursday, January 14th, with free practice, qualifying and night practice. The 24-hour race will start on Friday, January 15th, at 2 pm. The “Superkart” series, the official support category of the Dunlop 24H of Dubai, will have three races.
Click here for Provisional Entry List for 2010 Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai
15 November 2009
Motorsport News
Huge interest for fifth anniversary edition Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai in January 2010
From 14 to 16 January 2010, the Dubai Autodrome will again host the annual 24-hour race for GT and touring cars and 24h specials. Next year’s running of the race will mark the fifth anniversary edition of the Dunlop 24H of Dubai and already now, the organisers from Dutch agency Creventic BV have received many registrations. “Currently we already have 75 
entries, so we expect a full grid again. All the cars and equipment of the teams will be shipped to Dubai, December 8th from Antwerp in Belgium. So, last minute, teams still have a possibility to enter for the race. However, there are only few places left”, says Creventic’s Gerrie Willems.
After the four successful previous editions, the Dunlop 24H of Dubai has become firmly established on the global motorsport calendar as the first international endurance race of the year. For next year’s fifth anniversary edition, teams from Europe, Australia, Japan, China and the United Arab Emirates have already signed up. “It is positive to see the steady increase in the number of participants from the Emirates”, says Gerrie Willems. “That is a clear sign that motorsport is becoming more and more popular in the Gulf region, too. Moreover, with more teams from Australia and Asia joining us for next year, the worldwide appeal of our event is clear.”
A varied entry with GT and touring cars
The provisional entry lists includes a wide array of competition machinery. Top of the bill are of course the thoroughbred sports cars like Ascari KZ1 R GT3, Aston Martin Vantage N24, BMW Z4 M Coupé, Brokernet Silversting, Ferrari F430, Donkervoort, Dodge Viper, Lotus Exige, Marcos Mantis, Saker and Ginetta and, of course, a large quantity of Porsche 996 and 997 RSR and Cup cars. However, one of the assets of the Dunlop 24H of Dubai is that the race is also open to smaller, less expensive cars like Renault Clio, SEAT Leon Supercopa, Volkswagen Golf and BMW 1- and 3-series, both with petrol and with diesel engines. The event concept with various different classes allows all types of cars to compete for class honours.
“When you look at the entry list, there are at least 20 contenders for overall victory”, says Gerrie Willems. “The winners of the 2009 edition, Land Motorsport, are back with their Porsches, but so are the second- and the third-placed teams, Al Faisal Motorsport with the BMW Z4 and Besaplast Racing with the Porsche. Of course, the Hungarian Bovi Motorsport’s Brokernet Silversting was very strong in the 12H of Hungary while the Petronas Syntium Team from Japan have also joined us with a pair of BMW Z4 Coupés. There is a works-entry from Dutch sports car brand Donkervoort and the Maserati GT4 will also race for the first time in our event. And then there are many, many more.”
Click here for Provisional Entry List for 2010 Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai
Spectacular Superkarts as the official support category
Next to the GT and touring cars that will feature in the 24-hour race, there will be some more powerful machinery on the track: the spectacular International Superkart Series are the official support category for the fifth edition of the Dunlop 24H of Dubai. The programme for the Superkarts includes one free practice session, two qualifying heats and no less than three races! With its wide Asphalt-covered run-off areas, the Dubai Autodrome is perfectly suited for the fast Superkarts that can reach speeds of up to 250 km/h! More information can be found at www.24hdubai.com, the official website of the event.
Press Release by Creventic BV
E-mail : willems@creventic.com
Web: www.24hseries.com