Down to the wire! Hankook 24H DUBAI is the 24H SERIES Middle East Trophy finale

After two dazzling rounds at Kuwait Motor Town and the Yas Marina Circuit, the 2023/2024 24H SERIES Middle East Trophy will be decided this weekend at the 19th annual Hankook 24H DUBAI.

Hosted for the second season in a row, CREVENTIC’s three-round, Middle East program – featuring two races in the UAE and a ‘flyaway’ in Kuwait – draws to a close at the Dubai Autodrome on 26-27-28 January, and will see nine category titles decided. So close is the title fight, four of the protagonists go into the Hankook 24H DUBAI level on points.

Manamauri Energy by Ebimotors went into the 2024 Hankook 6H ABU DHABI four points behind reigning 24H SERIES GT3-AM Teams’ champion CP Racing, having finished 2nd to the American team by a microscopic half a second at December’s Hankook 12H KUWAIT. A meticulous run to 3rd place overall in Abu Dhabi, three places ahead of CP Racing, means Ebimotors has leapfrogged its American rival, and now heads into the Hankook 24H DUBAI finale with an eight point cushion, 68 points to 60.

Teammates Sabino de Castro, Sergiu Nicolae, Fabrizio Broggi and Cosimo Papi hold a similar eight-point advantage over CP Racing teammates Charles Putman, Charles Espenlaub, Joe Foster and Shane Lewis. The latter four took GT3 Drivers’ honours with CP Racing in 2022/2023.

Overall victory for Car Collection Motorsport at this past weekend’s Hankook 6H ABU DHABI means the German team has moved to 3rd in the GT3 Teams’ standings, 20 points behind CP Racing. Century Motorsport meanwhile, 3rd overall in Kuwait and a classified 5th in-class in Abu Dhabi after a troubled run, are just four further points behind.

With ‘scratch’ results permitted for this three-round regional championship, and with each of the teams registered to compete at the Dubai Autodrome this weekend (26-27-28 January), fans of the 24H SERIES can expect a four-way fight for the GT3 title at the Hankook 24H DUBAI.

Alongside overall GT3 honours, Century Motorsport leads the GT3-Pro-Am standings, thanks to its class win in Kuwait, which also put Lewis Plato and Jack Barlow at the top of the drivers’ standings. CP Racing meanwhile, victorious in Kuwait and 3rd in-class in Abu Dhabi, currently holds the lead in GT3-Am.

GT3 Teams’ standings
Manamauri Energy by Ebimotors (#95, Porsche 992 GT3 R) – 68 points
CP Racing (#85, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo) – 60 points
Car Collection Motorsport (#96, Porsche 992 GT3 R) – 40 points

GT3 Drivers’ standings
Fabrizio Broggi / Sergiu Nicolae / Sabino de Castro / Cosimo Papi – 68 points
Charles Putman / Charles Espenlaub / Joe Foster / Shane Lewis – 60 points
Loek Hartog / Dennis Marschall / Dustin Blattner – 40 points

GT3-Pro/Am Teams’ standings
Century Motorsport (#22, BMW M4 GT3) – 64 points
Car Collection Motorsport (#96, Porsche 992 GT3 R) – 40 points
Manamauri Energy by Ebimotors (#95, Porsche 992 GT3 R) – 36 points

GT3-Am Teams’ standings
CP Racing (#85, Mercedes-AMG GT3) – 72 points
Baron Motorsport (#86, Ferrari 488 GT3) – 40 points
Herberth Motorsport (#91, Porsche 992 GT3 R) – 36 points

Red Camel-Jordans.nl strengthened its lead in the 992 Teams’ title chase in Abu Dhabi with a second consecutive class win, and now holds a 12-point advantage over RABDAN by FULGENZI. 2019 Overall TCE Drivers’ ‘Europe’ champion Fabian Danz similarly leads the 992 Drivers’ championship with Breukers father and son Ivo and Luc.

Keen to secure the Emirati team a title victory on home turf, RABDAN Motorsport team owner Saif Alameri, with Christopher Zöchling, is only 12 points behind the Red Camel-Jordans trio, with 40 points up for grabs in Dubai.

KKrämer Racing, in its first international endurance racing campaign, is 3rd in the 992 Teams’ standings, just eight points behind RABDAN by FULGENZI, thanks to a class podium in Kuwait. Still mathematically in contention for the 992 title, the second KKrämer Racing Porsche 992 GT3 Cup will hope to secure its first overall 992 podium in Dubai.

The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation secured its fourth 992-Am podium with HRT Performance in Abu Dhabi, the QMMF by HRT Porsche having finished 3rd in-class behind Red Camel-Jordans and RABDAN by FULGENZI. The Qatar-German alliance took the 992-Am win at Yas Marina, and in the process, is now level-pegging with KKrämer Racing – 992-Am victor in Kuwait – on 40 points heading into Dubai. Interestingly, Abdulla Ali Al Khelaifi, Ghanim Al Ali, Ibrahim Al Abdulghani and Julian Hanses have eked out a four-point lead in the drivers’ rankings, as Kkrämer’s Michele Di Martino and ‘Selv’ competed in ‘992’ in Abu Dhabi.

992 Teams’ standings
Red Camel-Jordans.nl (#909, Porsche 992 GT3 Cup) – 80 points
RABDAN by FULGENZI (#971, Porsche 992 GT3 Cup) – 68 points
KKrämer Racing (#936, Porsche 992 GT3 Cup) – 60 points

992 Drivers’ standings
Ivo Breukers / Luc Breukers / Fabian Danz – 80 points
Saif Alameri / Christopher Zöchling – 68 points
Michele Di Martino / ‘Selv’ – 60 points

992-Am Teams’ standings
QMMF by HRT (#931, Porsche 992 GT3 Cup) – 40 points
KKrämer Racing (#937, Porsche 992 GT3 Cup) – 40 points
RABDAN by FULGENZI (#971, Porsche 992 GT3 Cup) – 36 points

992-Am Drivers’ standings
Abdulla Ali Al Khelaifi / Ghanim Al Ali / Ibrahim Al Abdulghani / Julian Hanses – 40 points
Saif Alameri / Christopher Zöchling / Salem Alketbi – 40 points
Alexej Veremenko / Fidel Leib / Michele Di Martino / ‘Selv’ – 32 points

Having taken the maiden win for its brand-new 2.0 sports car in Abu Dhabi, and after finishing 3rd in-class in Kuwait, Vortex V8 now leads the GTX Teams’ standings after leapfrogging early leader razoon – more than racing.

razoon – more than racing, last year’s GTX winner in the 24H SERIES Middle East Trophy, recovered to finish 4th in Abu Dhabi after losing its right rear wheel on-track. This drops the KTM X-BOW GTX eight points behind Vortex V8, and gives Artur Chwist and Daniel Drexel a similar deficit to overcome to catch Vortex’s Arnaud and Olivier Gomez, Philippe Bonnel, and Lionel Amrouche.

Though felled by engine failure in Abu Dhabi, Toro Verde GT’s GTX win at the Hankook 12H KUWAIT keeps the British team, plus drivers Lawrence and Freddie Tomlinson, and Mike Simpson, in GTX title contention.

GTX Teams’ standings
Vortex V8 (#701, Vortex 2.0) – 72 points
Razoon – more than racing (#714, KTM X-BOW GTX) – 64 points
Toro Verde (#795, Ginetta G56 Cup) – 40 points

GTX Drivers’ standings
Lionel Amrouche / Arnaud and Olivier Gomez / Philippe Bonnel – 72 points
Artur Chwist / Daniel Drexel – 64 points
Lawrence and Freddie Tomlinson / Mike Simpson – 40 points

A superb, grandstand finish at this past weekend’s Hankook 6H ABU DHABI means Century Motorsport and AGMC Racing by Simpson Motorsport head into the Hankook 24H DUBAI level-pegging at the top of the GT4 Teams’ standings.

Century Motorsport’s BMW M4 GT4 passed the AGMC Racing by Simpson Motorsport BMW at the very last corner in Abu Dhabi to take GT4 class victory. Delayed by a tie rod problem, Century finished 2nd to Simpson in Kuwait, meaning the British compatriots have both scored 76 points so far.

Things are equally as tight in the drivers’ standings, with Century’s Ravi Ramyead and Charlie Robertson, and Simpson’s Fabian Duffieux all equal on 76 points. Vasily Vladykin and Andrey Solukovtsev meanwhile, who took victory with Century in Kuwait and finished 4th in Abu Dhabi aboard Continental Racing’s Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo, are just eight points further back.

GT4 Teams’ standings
Century Motorsport (#429, BMW M4 GT4) – 76 points
AGMC Racing team by Simpson Motorsport (#438, BMW M4 GT4) – 76 points

GT4 Drivers’ standings
Ravi Ramyead / Charlie Robertson / Fabian Duffieux – 76 points
Vasily Vladykin / Andrey Solukovtsev – 68 points

Alongside its GT4 title shot, Simpson Motorsport also goes into this weekend’s Hankook 24H DUBAI at the head of the TCR Teams’ standings, thanks to its class win in Kuwait and runners-up spot to AC Motorsport in Abu Dhabi. The latter, which did not compete in Kuwait, has plenty of work to do, but as a two-time Hankook 24H DUBAI winner, is more than capable of an upset win at the Autodrome.

Ironically, British Touring Car Championship legend James Kaye, after racing with Simpson Motorsport in Kuwait and AC Motorsport in Abu Dhabi, has amassed 80 points, and is already 40 points clear of his Hankook 12H KUWAIT teammates, Ricky Coomber, Henry Neal and Jack Lemmer, and Hankook 6H ABU DHABI teammate Ivars Vallers.

Both of CWS Engineering’s Ginetta G55s meanwhile will battle for the TCX Teams’ title in Dubai. The British team’s #278 entry leads the sister #277 Ginetta 76 points to 40, the former having finished 2nd to the latter in Abu Dhabi, but won in Abu Dhabi. Team boss Colin White meanwhile, victorious in both Kuwait and Abu Dhabi, looks set to take the TCX Drivers’ title, but will be chased hard (ironically) by CWS teammate Neale Muston. Dale Albutt, also in contention, is set to drive the #278 G55 alongside Colin White.

TCR leader Simpson Motorsport and TCX leader CWS Engineering will also fight for the overall TCE Teams’ title in Dubai as well, the former having pulled eight points clear of the latter after taking the outright TCE win in Kuwait and finishing 3rd overall in Abu Dhabi, just behind the CWS Engineering Ginetta. James Kaye again heads the TCE standings, albeit by a much closer eight points over both Colin White and Ricky Coomber.

TCE Teams’ standings
Simpson Motorsport (#138, Audi RS 3 LMS TCR) – 72 points
CWS Engineering (#278, Ginetta G55) – 64 points
AC Motorsport (#188, Audi RS 3 LMS TCR) – 40 points

TCE Drivers’ standings
James Kaye – 80 points
Ricky Coomber – 72 points
Colin White – 72 points

TCR Teams’ standings
Simpson Motorsport (#138, Audi RS 3 LMS TCR) – 76 points
AC Motorsport (#188, Audi RS 3 LMS TCR) – 40 points

TCR Drivers’ standings
James Kaye – 80 points
Ricky Coomber / Henry Neal / Ivars Vallers / Jack Lemmer – 40 points

TCX Teams’ standings
CWS Engineering (#278, Ginetta G55) – 76 points
CWS Engineering (#277, Ginetta G55) – 40 points

TCX Drivers’ standings
Colin White – 80 points
Neale Muston / Christian Broberg / Dale Albutt / Owen Hizzey – 40 points