Hankook 12H MUGELLO celebrates 10th edition in just over two weeks! 40-plus entries confirmed

On 22-23-24 March, CREVENTIC and the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello will host the 10th edition of the Hankook 12H MUGELLO, making the Italian endurance event the third most tenured race on the 24H SERIES powered by Hankook calendar.

To help both the Dutch promoter and the Tuscan circuit celebrate this remarkable achievement, more than 40 entries have already been registered for the 12-hour endurance event, still the longest motor race held annually at the Ferrari-owned circuit.

With registration for teams still open, the provisional entry list includes reigning and former overall and class champions, former winners of the auspicious Hankook 24H DUBAI, and a multiple record holder at the Hankook 12H MUGELLO. So far, more than a dozen different nationalities and manufacturers will be represented on the grid.

GT3
Can Herberth Motorsport seal a record-breaking fourth win?
Two-time event winner Ferrari to be represented by Kessel Racing and
Italian debutant Pellin Racing.
Hofor-Racing / E2P Racing kickstart full European season in Mugello.

2017 Overall GT Teams’ ‘Continents’ champion Herberth Motorsport (#91) heads into this year’s Hankook 12H MUGELLO with a record three wins to its name. The Bavarian outfit won overall in 2015 (on its 24H SERIES debut, no less) and back-to-back in 2020 and 2021, and will be hoping to extend its record to four in 2024 with its 992-generation Porsche GT3 R.

Like Herberth Motorsport, Car Collection Motorsport (#12), winner of this year’s Hankook 6H ABU DHABI and the Hankook 24H DUBAI in 2019, has registered its new Porsche 992 GT3 R for Mugello. Porsche’s new GT3 flagship will also be represented on the grid by GP-Elite (#32). A prominent competitor at the Hankook 24H DUBAI, the Dutch team is set to make its Hankook 12H MUGELLO debut on 22-23-24 March.

Hofor-Racing (#11), the 2017 Overall GT Teams’ ‘Europe’ champion, makes its full-time return to the 24H SERIES at Mugello. The Swiss team has previously finished on the event’s overall podium three times (one of only three teams ever to do so across nine editions), is a two-time class winner in Tuscany, and will be looking to secure a third with its Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Like Hofor-Racing, E2P Racing (#90) starts a full 24H SERIES campaign in Mugello, doing so for the second successive year with its Porsche 991.2 GT3 R.

The USA’s Heart of Racing continues its affiliation with SPS automotive performance at the Hankook 12H MUGELLO, at which the Heart of Racing by SPS Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo (#27) took its first overall series podium last year.

Italy’s MP Racing (#58) and defending GT3-Am Teams’ champion CP Racing (#85) have also confirmed Mercedes-AMG GT3s for the event. Interestingly, the American team and the Italian team previously finished together on the overall Hankook 12H MUGELLO podium in 2020, at which CP Racing also took its first outright series pole position.

Juta Racing is the only team currently representing Audi Sport – winner of last year’s Hankook 12H MUGELLO – in the GT3 class. The Lithuanian team has confirmed two, ‘EVO II’ generation Audi R8 LMS GT3s for Tuscany (#71 and #72), and will hope to secure its first overall series podium since 2021.

Lithuanian compatriot RD Signs – Siauliai racing team (#69) makes the jump across to GT3, the reigning GTX Teams’ champion having confirmed a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 for the full European campaign with CREVENTIC in 2024. This marks the first time that the Raging Bull will be represented in the 24H SERIES’ GT3 class across a full season.

Italian debutant Pellin Racing (#29) and long-time Ferrari customer Kessel Racing will both represent the Prancing Horse in Tuscany. Kessel Racing, which finished in the overall top eight on its most recent event entry in 2022, has registered both a 488 GT3 in collaboration with Lualdi Racing (#5) and a 296 GT3 with Boem (#8). Pellin Racing will also compete with a 488 GT3.

Fittingly, Kessel Racing’s Ferrari 488 GT3 still holds the fastest race lap at the Hankook 12H MUGELLO: a 1m 47.806s set by David Fumanelli in 2022.

Poulsen Motorsport (#14) currently rounds out the GT3 field, and is set to make its first 24H SERIES start since last year’s Hankook 24H DUBAI with its BMW M4 GT3. Consequently, SIX different manufacturers – BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche, Lamborghini and Audi – will be on the GT3 grid alone in Mugello.

992
2023 Overall GT Teams’ champion to make ‘992’ debut in Mugello.
Multi-car entries for HRT Performance, Orchid Racing Team and Ebimotors; can the Italian team win in-class for a fourth time?
Reigning 992-AM Teams’ champion RPM Racing starts title defense in Mugello.

2022 992 Teams’ ‘Europe’ champion Red Ant Racing (#903) starts its third consecutive 24H SERIES campaign in Mugello on 22-23-24 March. The Belgian team has an impressive record at the Hankook 12H MUGELLO, having finished 1st and 3rd in 992-Am on its first event outing in 2022, and followed that up with 3rd place in ‘992’ in 2023.

Last year’s Overall GT Teams’ champion Atlas BX Motorsport, which competed in GT4 in 2023, will step across to ‘992’ for its first campaign with the new Porsche 992 GT3 Cup. In deference to its primary backer, the South Korean team will compete as ‘Hankook Competition’ (#911).

Fresh from its 992-AM Teams’ win in the 2023/2024 24H SERIES Middle East Trophy with the Qatar Motor and Motorcyle Federation, HRT Performance is one of three teams to have entered two Porsche 992 GT3 Cups for the Hankook 12H MUGELLO (#928 and #967). The German team previously took GTX class victory in Tuscany in 2021, and has twice finished on the 911-only podium in 2016 and 2022.

Like HRT Performance, Ebimotors has also registered Cup cars (#973 and #974) for its home event. Aptly, the Italian team is a multi-time class winner at the Hankook 12H MUGELLO, having secured 991/992 class honours with Willi Motorsport in 2021 and 2023. Ebimotors also finished 1-2 in 991 in 2022.

Orchid Racing Team will also field a two-car ‘992’ entry for Mugello (#917 and #963), and is set to begin a full 24H SERIES campaign for the first time. The Swiss team was sandwiched by Red Ant Racing on the 992-Am podium on its only previous event entry in 2022, and also finished 2nd in GT4 that year with its Porsche 718 Cayman.

Reigning 992-AM Teams’ champion RPM Racing (#908) begins its European title
defense in Mugello. The German team began its 2023 campaign strongly in Tuscany with a podium in 992-Am.

Alongside Red Ant Racing, Red Camel-Jordans.nl (#909), and Ebimotors, Speedlover (#979) is another former class winner confirmed for this year’s Hankook 12H MUGELLO. Notably, the Belgian team took its first series class victory at the event – in SP2 in 2017 – and repeated the win in 2020 in the 991 class.

NKPP Racing (#992) resumes its affiliation with Bas Koeten Racing in Mugello, and will hope to add to its A3T class win in 2015, its SP3 podium in 2016, and its TCR podiums at the event in 2020 and 2021.

Neuhofer Rennsport (#985) impressed with front-running pace, on debut, at last year’s Hankook 12H MUGELLO (the German team took its first podium later in the year at Monza), and will hope to battle at 992’s sharp end once again in Tuscany. Alongside the Hankook 12H MUGELLO, Neuhofer Rennsport has also registered two entries for the inaugural 992 Endurance Cup by Porsche Motorsport on 6/7 September.

After a solid run in the UAE, Seblajoux Racing continues its affiliation with former CUP1 Teams’ champion DUWO Racing (#908) at the Hankook 12H MUGELLO. Like Neuhofer, the French team has expressed an interest in further rounds of the 24H SERIES in 2024 as well as the 992 Endurance Cup at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

Porsche Baltic (#993), which made its debut with CREVENTIC in Tuscany last year, and Centri Porsche Ticino (#912) make their series returns at Mugello, with the latter no doubt hoping to replicate its 2023 992-Am win.

GTX and GT4
2021 GTX Teams’ champion Vortex starts first European campaign with new ‘2.0’
Overall GT Teams’ title contender Buggyra ZM Racing back for second shot at the crown.
Aston Martin is back on the GT4 grid in 2024 with the debuting StreetArt!

24H SERIES stalwart Vortex V8 starts its first full campaign with the new Vortex 2.0 in Mugello. A fitting venue, certainly: the French independent, which has entered two examples for the race (#701 and #702), took its first GTX-class win at the Hankook 12H MUGELLO in 2021.

Vortex V8 will go head-to-head with 9und11 Racing (#719) in GTX on 22-23-24 March. The German team, a two-time series class winner, has entered a Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup MR for its series return.

Following its return last year in Barcelona, 2018 Overall TCE Teams’ champion Hofor Racing by Bonk (#432) will be among the headliners in GT4. As it did in Catalunya, the Swiss team has entered a G82-generation BMW M4 GT4 for Tuscany, and is in discussion to contest the full European season with CREVENTIC in 2024. This, potentially, would be Hofor Racing by Bonk’s first full campaign with the Dutch promoter since – aptly – winning the GT4 Teams’ ‘Europe’ crown in 2019.

Last year’s GT4 Teams’ runner-up Buggyra ZM Racing (#416) returns for a second successive full 24H SERIES season. The Czech-based, UAE-entered team will hope the Mercedes-AMG GT4, which finished on the podium in Mugello last year, will be in the title fight once again in 2024. Like Buggyra, Spain’s PCR Sport (#418), a TCR winner at Mugello in 2016, will also compete with Mercedes-AMG at it looks to secure its first GT4 series podium.

Also like Buggyra(!), Lionspeed GP (#424) will contest the full 24H SERIES European season in 2024 and will do so with a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. This marks the first time the German outfit will compete as a standalone entity.

StreetArt Racing (#455), from Belgium, rounds out the GT4 entrants thus far, and will be the first team to compete in the 24H SERIES with a GT4-spec version of Aston Martin’s Vantage AMR since 2021. A model that, coincidentally, made its series debut at the Hankook 12H MUGELLO in 2019.

Hankook 12H MUGELLO. Did you know…?
SIX teams have won the Hankook 12H MUGELLO overall since the first edition in 2014. Of those six, FIVE of them – AF Corse (2014), Herberth Motorsport (2015), V8 Racing (2016), ST Racing (2022) and Haas RT (2023) – won a 24H SERIES event outright for the first time. Scuderia Praha, which won in 2017 and 2019, is the sole exception.

Herberth Motorsport has not only won the most races overall at the Hankook 12H MUGELLO since the first edition in 2014, but has also secured the most outright podiums (four) and has led the most laps, collectively (691).

Hofor-Racing is one of only three teams to have finished more than once on the overall Hankook 12H MUGELLO podium. The others are three-time winner Herberth Motorsport and two-time winner Scuderia Praha.

No team has ever taken more than one overall pole position at the Hankook 12H MUGELLO. In the nine editions to-date, pole has been won once each by Stadler Motorsport (2014), Black Pearl Racing by Rinaldi (2015), GRT Grasser Racing Team (2016), Scuderia Praha (2017), SPS automotive performance (2019), CP Racing (2020), Equipe Verschuur (2021), Phoenix Racing (2022) and Herberth Motorsport (2023).

Two Hankook 12H MUGELLO event records were set at the first edition back in 2014: AF Corse set the current distance record en-route to victory that year (349 laps) by the smallest winning margin to-date (5.417 seconds). The latter remained the closest overall finish for any 24H SERIES event until the 2023 Hankook 12 KUWAIT, almost 10 years later!