New for 2024! Sporting Regulations get revamp ahead of next year’s 24H SERIES

In a bid to further improve the show for competitors and fans alike, CREVENTIC is pleased to announce a raft of changes to its sporting regulations for next year’s 24H SERIES powered by Hankook.

Set to once again feature a championship chase for overall and category honours alike, the 24H SERIES will include a more layered strategic element in 2024 courtesy of changes made to CREVENTIC’s penalty system, driver line-up requirements, category structure, the dissolution of the 24H SERIES’ dual-division system, and even the introduction of drive-through penalties for the very first time. All tweaks were made possible by feedback from the Dutch promoter’s established competitors.

Gerrie Willems, CREVENTIC Sporting Coordinator: “We’re very excited to finally share our revised Sporting Regulations for the 24H SERIES powered by Hankook in 2024. Each modification has been made possible thanks to the invaluable feedback we receive from our competitors – new and established alike – across every season, and these are changes we feel can only help improve the show for our GT and TCE teams, our drivers and our fans all over the world.”

2024 Sporting Regulations
Overview of regulation changes 24H SERIES 2024
GT and TCE divisions disbanded for 2024; introducing TCCR!
Just one overall polesitter, one overall grid, and one overall winner.‘TCE’ division is no more; GT3-esque TCE umbrella class to be introduced.Introducing the new ‘Touring Car CREVENTIC Racing’ class for turbocharged, 2-litre touring cars.

In a significant shift for 2024, the 24H SERIES powered by Hankook will dispense with its GT and TCE divisions for the first time since 2016. Consequently, just one overall polesitter, one collaborative starting grid and one overall winner will be declared.

This decision does not, however, mean the end of ‘TCE’ in the 24H SERIES powered by Hankook. Inspired by CREVENTIC’s one-off ‘GTTC’ umbrella class – an exploratory move that combined the TCR and GT4 classes at this year’s Hankook 12H MONZA to shore up further competition – ‘TCE’ will be refashioned as an all-encompassing category, incorporating TCR, TCX, TC and the newly-introduced ‘TCCR’ class (more on that shortly).

While ‘TCE’ division championships will no longer be awarded in 2024, TCR, TCCR, TCX and TC will have the opportunity to race against each other for outright ‘TCE’ honours at individual races, akin to GT3-Am and/or GT3-Pro/Am teams racing for an overall ‘GT3’ win at each race (it should be noted that no team will compete exclusively as ‘TCE’). It is hoped, with balance of performance regulations amended accordingly, this move will further encourage inter-class competition between TCR, TCCR, TCX and TC.

Furthermore, in much the same way that GT3-Pro/Am and GT3-Am standings are combined at the end of the year to determine a separate, all-encompassing ‘GT3’ class title winner (the GT3-Pro/Am-entered Phoenix Racing for example won the GT3 Teams’ ‘Europe’ title in 2022), a new TCE-class title will also be presented to the highest points scoring team and drivers in TCR, TCCR, TCX and/or TC.

As in years gone by, class championships will continue to be awarded – by team and per driver – in TCR, TCCR, TCX and TC.

Alongside the revised TCE umbrella class, a new category – ‘Touring Car Creventic Racing’ (TCCR) – is set to be introduced for 2024. Touring cars powered specifically by a turbocharged 2-litre powerplant, but which do not necessarily adhere to full TCR technical specifications (including the 340-350hp output, and a 1,200-plus kg kerb weight) will be eligible to compete, throwing the 24H SERIES door open to more teams specialising in touring car competition.
Multiple championships to play for in 2024
A minimum of THREE rounds required for championship eligibility in 2024.New ‘Hankook Trophy’ to be awarded to team title winners.2023 points system deemed a success; continues into 2024.

The 24H SERIES power by Hankook title chase is expected to be as compelling as ever in 2024, with class championships available for teams and drivers alike. To show its appreciation for the long-term support of 24H SERIES partner Hankook Tires, CREVENTIC will present team title winners per class with the recently introduced ‘Hankook Trophy.’

Teams and drivers are expected to compete in at least THREE rounds (one more than previous years) for championship eligibility. To ensure the title chase remains close across the full season, ‘scratch results’ will continue in 2024, with each team’s lowest scoring event removed from their championship total.

While the Junior Cup will no longer be awarded in 2024, Ladies Cup honours will be awarded per class rather than overall, with female drivers that earn the highest number of points in their class declared the winner.

The new points structure introduced for the 2023 season carries over into 2024. 40 points will be awarded to the winner of either a 12-hour or 24-hour endurance event, and 36 and 32 points will go to 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. At 24-hour races, half points will also be allocated after the opening 12 hours, with 20 going to the leader, and the teams in 2nd and 3rd after 12 hours receiving 18 and 16 points respectively.
Code 60 penalties and refuelling revisions
Refuelling rate under Code 60 drops from 50 per cent to 25 per cent.More than five seconds of total penalty time? Serve it during the race!Drive-through penalties to be introduced to the 24H SERIES for the very first time.

A hallmark of the 24H SERIES, Code 60 procedures are set to be revised for 2024 in an effort to keep strategic gamesmanship fresh without artificially affecting race results.

Refuelling rates under the purple flags for example have now been cut from 50 per cent of each team’s allotted amount (confirmed pre-race) to 25 per cent, a move it is hoped will see teams torn between hyper-miling their cars and/or gambling on multiple fuel stops during caution periods. As in 2023, refuelling during a Code 60 is only officially deemed to have started once the fuel pump has been activated.

Should the track state change while a team is refuelling – i.e. from green flag running to Code 60, or vice versa – the fuelling allocation will now be updated accordingly – i.e. from 100 per cent to 25 per cent, or vice-versa. This contrasts previous years, where the fuel rate, once refuelling had begun, would remain constant regardless of track conditions.

Similarly, and unlike before, starting to serve a penalty under Code 60 is no longer applicable for 2024, and must instead be served during green flag racing. This replaces the previous stipulation, in which time penalties could be served under Code 60, albeit with the time doubled in lieu of reduced speeds on-track. Teams already in the penalty box when a Code 60 is thrown may continue to serve, and complete, their penalty without reprimand from race control.

After an exploratory roll-out during the 2023 Hankook 6H ABU DHABI, the decision has also been made not use safety car periods in the 24H SERIES in 2024, with competitors and fans alike overwhelmingly in favour of the more strategically-flexible Code 60s.

CREVENTIC’s mandated ‘two-hour’ rule – which states that two hours after a penalty has been handed down by race control, it must have been served – remains in place for 2024. However, should a prolonged Code 60 prevent a team from serving its penalty in the allotted time, a team must do so during its next green flag pit stop.

In a further modification, time penalties amassed during a race that, as a sum-total, are equal to or more than five seconds must now be served in the penalty box before the chequered flag is flown. This removes the possibility of teams adding smaller penalties to their overall race time post-event, creating further strategic hurdles.

For the first time in the 24H SERIES, drive-through penalties can now be handed down by the race director for track limit violations.
Driver line-ups and drive time requirements receive shake-up

Driver line-up restrictions removed; GT3 and 992 teams can now request sub-class at least 10 days before each event.Minimum race time for ‘Am’ drivers amended for 2024.BoP Advantage introduced for 992-Am.

In one of the biggest restructures for 2024, driver line-up requirements for the GT3 and 992 classes – and the sub-classes therein – have been removed. In 2023 for example, teams entering GT3-Am and/or 992-Am were expected to field at least two Am / Am+ drivers, with up to one SEMI-PRO driver and no PROs. In the 24H SERIES next season however, teams registering for a CREVENTIC event can now choose their class regardless of their driver line-up, and need only abide by driver time requirements.

Teams participating in GT3 and/or 992 will be required to confirm their sub-class (GT3-Pro/Am, GT3-Am, or 992-Am) to CREVENTIC 10 days before the event.

Alongside this, minimum driving times will be tweaked in 2024 in accordance with new Balance of Performance regulations. Among the big headlines is the introduction of ‘Am-Advantage’ balance of performance for the 992-Am class, a follow-up to the similarly Am-focused BoP put in place in GT3-Am a number of seasons ago. In an effort to keep parity for SEMI-PRO and PRO line-ups, those teams running an all-‘Am’ / ‘gentlemen’ line-up in 992-Am in 2024 can benefit from performative Code 60 fuel-flow rates (‘Am-Advantage’ does not affect Porsche 992 GT3 Cup-specific balance of performance regulations).

Additionally, while teams must feature a minimum of two drivers on their line-up and a maximum of five, the regulation stating that only two PRO drivers are allowed per team has now been removed. Teams competing in all but GT3-Pro and 992-Pro must continue to field at least one Am or Am+ driver. A team running no ‘Am’ drivers at all will not be permitted to include a PRO driver on its line-up, and will thus compete according to SEMI-PRO BoP restrictions.

Minimum driver times for ‘gentlemen’ competitors have also been clarified for next season. While the durations themselves remains unchanged – ‘Am’ drivers must complete at least 30 minutes of a six-hour event, one hour of a 12-hour race, and/or at least two hours during a 24-hour event – CREVENTIC has specified that Am drivers must now complete one-twelfth of the initially-stated race duration. This is to avoid possible confusion should an endurance event hosted by the Dutch promoter be longer than the 24H SERIES’ standard six or 12 hours, or shorter than its hallmark 24 hours.

In the case of a red flag, and in an effort to avoid confusion over potential penalties, maximum driver times will not be adjusted, and teams must abide by the initially stated race distance.
Box, box, box!

In CREVENTIC’s continued bid to improve safety at all 24H SERIES powered by Hankook events, a maximum of four mechanics will be allowed behind the white line (which separates a team’s pitbox from its garage) during a pitstop. Whereas previously, team personnel were required to wear yellow and/or green vests – dependent on whether they were working on the car or assisting with the driver change – they will now wear yellow/green armbands provided by the promoter. This reduces the risk of billowing material interfering with a mechanics work.

Red armbands will be distributed by the promoter to ‘car controllers’ (those individuals responsible for the safe stopping and safe release of the car) behind the lollypop or the pit board. A dedicated ‘windshield washer’ will no longer be permitted during pit stops, as the job of cleaning the windshield and the headlights will now be performed by car controllers (red armband), Driver Assists (green armbands), or mechanics.

As before, team personnel behind the white line are not permitted to hand over, or take, any tools or parts to the mechanics performing a pit stop, either before or during the stop itself. Upon completion of the pit stop, the team must evacuate the working lane immediately.

Finally, CREVENTIC would also like to confirm that teams registered for a 24H SERIES event will no longer by allowed to test their car, or a similar model, at the same circuit during the seven days leading up to an official CREVENTIC event. This restriction does not apply to ‘unofficial test days’ organized by the Dutch promoter on the run-up to a 24H SERIES race weekend.

Exceptions to these restrictions, or explanations in cases of doubt, can be sought directly from CREVENTIC. Unauthorized testing at the circuit on the run-up to a 24H SERIES race weekend will be penalized by a starting position at the back of the grid.
Further details regarding sporting and technical regulations can be sought directly from CREVENTIC via info@creventic.com and/or +31 485 471 166. Additional information can also be found HERE

Entries are also still being accepted for the final European round of this year’s 24H SERIES powered by Hankook – the 24th Hankook 24H BARCELONA – which is scheduled to take place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on 15-16-17 September. Interested parties can speak with CREVENTIC directly via the phone and/or at teams@creventic.com.