2022 [Creventic] Dubai 24 hours

[erwin greven]

Dubai Wednesday Notebook

John Dagys’ first notebook from Dubai Autodrome paddock ahead of Hankook 24H Dubai…
by John Dagys, January 12, 2022


Photo: John Dagys

***The No. 67 Dinamic Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R of Matteo Cairoli led the way in Wednesday’s Unofficial Private Test in preparation for this weekend’s Hankook 24H Dubai. Cairoli reeled off a best lap of 1:58.008 in the first of two sessions, which held up as the quickest of the day.

***Both sessions were marred by numerous red flag periods for stoppages and incidents. RESULTS: Private Test 1/Private Test 2

***While the official entry list has not yet been updated, a total of 79 cars turned laps in the afternoon session. Eighty-four cars were listed on the pre-event entry list, including 28 GT3 entries spread between the overall, Pro-Am and Am categories.

***A parade featuring all race entries was canceled and turned into a group photo on the start/finish straight Wednesday evening.

***At least three drivers have been ruled out of the event after testing positive for COVID-19, the highest profile being Mikhail Aleshin, who was due to drive the No. 13 CapitalRT -YADRO Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. The HRT-run entry has switched to the GT3 Am class as a result and will rely on a three-driver lineup of Victor Shaytar, Denis Remenyako and Sergey Stolyarov.

***A similar change has been made to the No. 95 Duel Racing with TF Sport Aston Martin Vantage GT3, with Sam De Haan remaining in the UK to “observe COVID-19 protocols” according to a statement from the British team. He will be replaced by team regular Ahmad Al Harthy, which moves the car to the GT3 Am class.

***Stephane Lemeret also tested positive for COVID-19, with the Belgian replaced by Stephane Perrin in the No. 188 AC Motorsport Audi RS 3 LMS TCR DSG alongside Mathieu Detry, Miklas Born and Yannick Mettler.

***A handful of teams, including The Heart of Racing, utilized spare cars during today’s sessions to prevent collecting mileage on its race chassis. Event regulations do not prohibit the use of spare cars in unofficial sessions.

***GT3 Am class entries have received power increases and reduced minimum weight compared to the Pro-Am and overall categories, which has caused some concern among pro drivers. The Mercedes, for example has a 3 mm larger air restrictor and 30 kg less weight in GT3 Am configuration compared to the top class.

***SunEnergy1 by SPS Automotive Performance’s Jules Gounon told Sportscar365: “The issue is that even if you have a good exit against an amateur at the end of the straight, there is 50 meters. It makes the whole thing complicated for us.”

***ST Racing, which along with Schubert Motorsport is giving the BMW M4 GT3 its customer racing debut, has received increased support from BMW M Motorsport this weekend. Team co-owner/driver Samantha Tan said: “We have a couple of the BMW guys that helped develop this car working on our team this weekend.”

***Heart of Racing team principal Ian James hasn’t ruled out additional 24H Series appearances this year but admitted they have a “pretty stacked” calendar between its full-season IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and SRO America commitments.

***The team now has a total of four Aston Martin Vantage GT4 cars to go along with its three GT3-spec Astons. Its race car this weekend contested GT America powered by AWS last year with Gray Newell, with its chassis from the 24H Sebring back at its workshop in Florida being prepared for the upcoming SRO America season.

***All four current models from Audi Sport customer racing will be competing in the same race for the first time. It includes the 24-hour debut of the Audi R8 LMS GT2 car, entered by PK Carsport in GTX, as well the new-gen Audi RS 3 LMS TCR car that is now available to customers worldwide after contesting FIA WTCR last year.

***Audi Sport customer racing has brought one of its European-based parts trucks to Dubai, with the German-registered transporter one of the few in the paddock amid 70-plus sea-freight containers that nearly all teams are working out of.

***Four cars that took part in last weekend’s Gulf 12 Hours at Yas Marina Circuit are competing this weekend, including both SPS Automotive Performance Mercedes, Attempto Racing’s Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo and a Century Motorsport BMW M4 GT4.

***Century is also supporting the No. 450 RHC Jorgensen-Strom BMW of Daren Jorgensen, Brett Strom, Danny ban Dongen and Nathan Freke.

***Three-time 24H Dubai overall winner Jeroen Bleekemolen has been a last-minute addition to the No. 909 Red Camel-Jordans.nl Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car in the 992-Pro class. The Dutchman joins fellow countrymen Ivo Breukers and Morris Schuring and Lithuanian racer Julius Adomavičius.

***The 24H Dubai marks the debut of the 992 classes for Type-992 Porsche Cup car machinery. It is divided between Pro and Am categories. Other notables taking part in the classes include Jos Verstappen (Team GP-Elite – Pro) and former professional road bicycle racer Tom Boonen (Red Ant Racing – Am).

***Newly named Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich will be competing in two 24-hour races this weekend, with the German driver entered in Huber Racing’s No. 923 Porsche in 992-Am while also taking part in the Virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans in a factory Porsche 911 RSR-19.

***The Lumirank system makes its debut in 24H Series competition this weekend. Utilized in SRO events and other major endurance races, the position display system has become a popular way for fans and competitors to follow the action trackside.

***2022 marks the return of the 24H of the Continents championship. It brings together the 24H Dubai, 24H Sebring and a team’s best result from a 24H Series European round. A car must complete at least 50 percent of the laps of the winning car in its category in order to score points in the championship.

***While fans will be allowed in the grandstands, the paddock has been closed off to competitors only as part of the event’s COVID-19 protocol. Dubai Autodrome has employed “COVID Patrol” officers that are in the paddock to enforce safety measures such as mandatory mask-wearing.

Laurent Mercier contributed to this report

https://sportscar365.com/other-series/2 ... otebook-4/

[Everso Biggyballies]

I know @erwin greven will be aware of this but for the benefit of others the live timing link for the Dubai 24 is

https://livetiming.getraceresults.com/2 ... en-results

Good to see Anton De Pasquale of V8SC still running in 6th overall and the leading Porsche at the moment in the #92 Herberth Motorsport Porsche GT3 he is driving with the V8SC Team owner Grove Brothers and Sven Muller.


I know Erwin has posted the link on the Forum chat but here is the live stream link again (I know I sometimes miss things in forum chat)

[Everso Biggyballies]

The two WRT Audis are still doing the job in Dubai, leading 1-2, the leader with 2 laps over their 2nd place teamates. The next 4 places all Mercedes AMG GT3's and the Grove 911 GT3 car driven by De Pasquale, the Grove Bros and Muller in 7th. They had an issue with rubbing bodywork a while ago, requiring a couple of stops to remedy, when they were running 5th. The leading Porsche though so a good performance.

Into the last 4 hours now.

Edit: Just as I posted I see the Grove car got a 60 second penalty for overtaking a car under yellow, so that will likely drop them a place or two. Steven Grove the culprit .

[erwin greven]

WRT Dominates 24H Dubai

Commanding run for Belgian squad with 1-2 finish in pair of Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evos…
by John Dagys, January 15, 2022



Team WRT has scored a dominant 1-2 sweep in the Hankook 24H Dubai, led by the Saudi-entered, MS7-backed Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo of Dries Vanthoor, Christopher Mies, Thomas Neubauer, Axcil Jefferies and Mohammed Saud Fahad Al Saud.

Mies took the No. 7 Audi to a one-lap victory over the sister full WRT-badged No. 31 entry of Frederic Vervisch, Benjamin Goethe, Arnold Robin, Maxime Robin and Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer in an action-packed 24H Series season-opener.

After an early charge from several Porsche entries that led early, the Belgian Audi squad took control of the race from the sixth hour, although came under challenge from the No. 77 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo, bidding to become the first non-German car to win the race in its 17-year history.

However, those hopes faded when the British-run Lamborghini was forced into retirement with five hours to go with terminal issues while running third.

It gave clear sailing for the pair of Audis, which finished three laps ahead of its closest competition.

WRT claimed its second 24H Dubai overall win following its triumph on debut in 2016, while it marked Audi’s third win in the race and first since Car Collection Motorsport’s victory in 2019.

Dubai-based Zimbabwean Jefferies, who was a last-minute call-up to replace the COVID-19 positive Michael Vergers, meanwhile, scored back-to-back overall wins after taking top honors in a GPX Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R last year.

Both WRT cars gained time in the early stages of the race after making strategic pit stops under Code 60s for fuel, benefitting from its track position compared to the Barwell Lamborghini and No. 4 Abu Dhabi Racing by HRT Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.

The HRT Mercedes, on at least one occasion, was forced to bypass the refueling station due to a large queue at the fuel pumps during the race neutralizations, in the largest field in four years.

A late fuel stop by Raffaele Marciello gave the final overall podium position to the No. 75 SunEnergy1 by SPS Automotive Performance Mercedes of Mikael Grenier, Maro Engel, Jules Gounon and Kenny Habul.

It came after a hard-fought battle between Engel and the No. 4 HRT entry of Manuel Metzger, who passed the factory driver with less than three hours to go.

However, those positions were reversed with less than ten minutes to go, courtesy of a fuel conservation run by Grenier, who finished just 7.797 seconds ahead of Marciello’s HRT Mercedes, which came home fourth.

Mercedes-AMG picked up GT3 Am and Pro-Am class honors, thanks to runs by CP Racing and MP Motorsport, respectively.

Charlie Putman, Charles Espenlaub, Shane Lewis and late addition Phil Quaife drove the nearly all-American effort to an eighth place overall finish after briefly leading outright in the opening hours.

The No. 92 Grove-backed Herberth Motorsport Porsche, anchored by Sven Mueller and Repco Supercars Championship star Anton De Pasquale, was classified sixth overall ahead of the No. 99 Attempto Racing Audi in seventh.

Top class honors in the new 992-Pro category went to the No. 934 Team GP-Elite Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car of the all-Dutch lineup of Lucas Groeneveld, Jesse van Kuijk, Daan van Kuijk and Max van Splunteren while PK Carsport’s Audi R8 LMS GT2, in its 24-hour debut, won the GTX class with drivers Peter Guelinckx, Bert Longin, Stienes Longin and Stijn Lowette.

Goethe-Led Dragon Squad Picks Up GT4 Class Honors

Dragon Racing’s Mercedes-AMG GT4 of father-and-son pairing Roald and Oliver Goethe, Stuart Hall and Jordan Grogor came out on top in the GT4 class, one lap ahead of The Heart of Racing’s Aston Martin Vantage GT4 which came home second in class.

The No. 159 BBR Cupra TCR DSG of Kantadhee Kusiri, Kantasak Kusiri, Anusorn Asiralertsiri, Tanart Sathienthirakul and Pasarit Promsombat was the highest-placed finishing TCE entry in 36th overall, winning the TCR class as a result.

TCX class honors went to the series pole-sitting Les Deux Arbres Ligier JS2 R of Steve and Patrick Zacchia, Antoine Lepesqueux, Christophe Bouchut and Larbre Competition team boss Jack Leconte, in his final race as a driver.

In addition to the Barwell Lamborghini’s retirement, several other high profile GT3 cars failed to finish, including the two Dinamic Motorsport Porsches, which both crashed out by Friday evening.

The three BMW M4 GT3s, which were making its customer racing debuts, all had challenging runs, including an accident in the fifth hour for the No. 30 Schubert Motorsport entry and overheating issues for the pair of ST Racing entries.

The No. 28 ST BMW was the best placed M4 GT3 at the end in 21st overall.

RESULTS: 24H Dubai

https://sportscar365.com/other-series/2 ... 24h-dubai/

[Ian-S]

What does “Creventic” mean?

[erwin greven]

I don't know. Can't find any explaination.

[Everso Biggyballies]

What does “Creventic” mean?

AFAIK Creventic is the Series Organiser /Promoter who specialise in GT and Sports car racing primarily Endurance races.. All I know is they are Dutch. Im not sure it has any meaning beyond being the organisation name.

Edit: This tells their story
https://www.24hseries.com/about

[Ian-S]

Oh wow thanks, I thought it was something that got lost in translation or something like that, cheers.

[erwin greven]

Oh wow thanks, I thought it was something that got lost in translation or something like that, cheers.

Thought you meant the name "Creventic".

[erwin greven]

Also seen at Dubai.