Pista – 24H SERIES title fight intensifies heading into 2024 Hankook 24H PORTIMAO

The Hankook 24H PORTIMAO makes a welcome return on 10-11-12 May, with the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve providing a similarly fitting venue for round three of this year’s 24H SERIES powered by Hankook championship fight.

Following a frenetic weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, six category leaders head into the sixth edition of the Hankook 24H PORTIMAO looking to increase their championship lead at CREVENTIC’s first 24-hour event of the year in Europe. Something that, given the close on-track action synonymous with Portimão, a circuit layout that tests the mettle of even the most experienced drivers, and the Algarve’s notoriously intense heat, will be far easier said than done.

Peter Freij, CREVENTIC operational manager: “We’re very pleased to be welcoming the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve back to the 24H SERIES calendar for 2024. Since the first edition in 2017, the Hankook 24H PORTIMAO has proven one of the toughest challenges for our teams and drivers, both physically and mentally, and we’ve no doubt that will continue to be the case on 10-11-12 May. A test that will see the cream of the endurance crop rise to the surface in Portugal.”

GT3
With a podium at Mugello already under its belt, and having shown front-running pace last time out at Spa-Francorchamps, 2017 Overall GT Teams’ ‘Continents’ champion Herberth Motorsport (#91) will hope for a similarly impressive run for its Porsche 992 GT3 R at the Hankook 24H PORTIMAO. An event the Bavarian team won outright in 2020.

Hofor-Racing (#11) will look to bounce back from a difficult start to its 2024 European program with its Mercedes-AMG GT3 at Portimão, at which the Swiss team finished 3rd overall en-route to the 2017 Overall GT Teams’ ‘Europe’ crown.

Fresh from its GT3-Pro/Am win at Spa-Francorchamps, E2P Racing (#90) heads the category’s title standings going into its first Hankook 24H PORTIMAO, and will want to keep that momentum going with its Porsche 991.2 GT3 R. Similarly, Spa runner-up Saintéloc Junior Team (#18) will be looking to secure another podium finish in the Algarve with its Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II to close the points gap.

Australia’s Grove Racing (#10) makes its first European start of the season in Portugal, and will look to improve on a difficult weekend in Dubai on its Hankook 24H PORTIMAO debut with the Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.

Series newcomer Blackthorn (#35) rounds out the GT3 contender thus far. The British GT Championship frontrunner will field an Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 on the British marque’s first 24H SERIES outing since Dubai in 2022.

992
992 Teams’ standings leader Red Ant Racing headlines the provisional 992 field for the 2024 Hankook 24H PORTIMAO. The Belgian team, already with two class wins to its name this season, finished 1-2 finish in-class in 2022, securing an overall podium in the process. Success Red Ant will no doubt hope to replicate with its two Porsche 992 GT3 Cups (#903 and #904).

Like Red Ant Racing, the Orchid Racing Team has also registered two Porsche 992 GT3 Cups for its Hankook 24H PORTIMAO (#917 and #963), and will be looking to secure its second 992 podium of the season in Portugal.

24H SERIES staples HRT Performance (#967) and MRS GT-Racing (#988) return to action with CREVENTIC in the Algarve, the former, currently at the top of the 992-AM Teams’ standings, looking to strengthen its championship advantage, the latter hoping to replicate the podium it secured at Portimão in 2019.

Reigning 992-AM Teams’ champion RPM Racing (#907) topped an impressive comeback at Spa by finishing 3rd in-class, and will be looking to repeat its class win with CREVENTIC last year in Portugal. Similarly, Red Camel-Jordans.nl (#909) will hope its run of bad luck at the Hankook 24H PORTIMAO will finally come to a close in 2024.

Holmgaard Motorsport (#902) is the final 992 entrant confirmed thus far. Securing the first category podium for its new Porsche 922 GT3 Cup could be at the top of the reigning TCR Teams’ champion’s to-do list in the Algarve.

GTX, GT4 and TCE
Vortex V8 (#701) secured the first category win for its brand-new ‘2.0’ lightweight sports car at Spa-Francorchamps. Heading into the Hankook 24H PORTIMAO, the result has propelled the French independent now leads the GTX standings by just four points.

Buggyra ZM Racing (#416) and Lionspeed GP (#424) are set to continue their GT4 championship dual in Portugal. Buggyra, last year’s GT4 Teams’ runner-up, now holds an eight-point advantage over its German rival, the #416 Mercedes-AMG GT4 having led the #424 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport home at both Mugello and Spa.

Tellingly though, while Buggyra ZM Racing makes its Hankook 24H PORTIMAO debut on 9-10-11 May, Lionspeed GP took a GT4 podium at the event in 2022.

Simpson Motorsport (#438), a long-time class leader at Spa-Francorchamps, has also registered an entry for Portugal. A successful weekend could see the #438 ‘G82’ BMW M4 GT4 pick up its first class win since December’s Hankook 12H KUWAIT.

GSR Motorsport (#405) is set to make its first start with CREVENTIC since last year’s Hankook 24H BARCELONA. The Lithuanian team has registered a Ginetta G56 GT4 in the hopes of securing its first podium since 2022.

Series debutant W Autosport Garage (#491) rounds out the GT4 entries thus far, and has registered the field’s only Toyota GR Supra GT4.

France’s PR-V (#125) and Britain’s CWS Engineering (#178) are set to go one-on-one for TCE victory in Portugal. PR-V, back for its first race with CREVENTIC in more than two years, has registered a Peugeot 308 Racing Cup, a model that, fittingly, took TCR class victory at Portimão in 2017. Former SP3 and TCX Teams’ champion CWS meanwhile will field its trusted Ginetta G55.