-
Home
- TV Shows
- TV Schedule
- NASCAR
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
GT Racing
GT: 24H Dubai Preview
John Dagys previews this weekend’s 8th running of the Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai...
The Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai marks the first international sports car race of 2013. (Photo: John Dagys)
Sports car teams from around the world will be ringing in the New Year in the Middle East this week, as the 8th running of the Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai is set to take the green on Friday.
Considered the now-annual kick-off to the international endurance racing season, 82 teams from 18 countries, representing more than two-dozen car manufacturers, have descended upon the Dubai Autodrome for the around-the-clock marathon in the Arabian desert.
The 2013 edition is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing yet, with new rules in A6, the top GT category, allowing for professional and semi-pro driver lineups to fight for the overall win without running to lap time restrictions.
To accomplish this, race organizers, Creventic, have split the GT3-based category into A6-Pro and A6-Am, with Balance of Performance measures such as weight and fuel adjustments, to be given to teams opting not to adhere to minimum reference times, now only enforced for A6-Am entrants.
Competitors in the A6 class will be assigned their sub-category following qualifying on Thursday. In theory, the revised system will give both professional and amateur lineups an equal chance of overall victory.
Twenty-seven cars are due to take part in A6, featuring GT3 machinery from Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche and last year’s winners Mercedes-Benz, which scored a 1-2-3 sweep with its SLS AMG GT3s.
Team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon have returned to defend its title, with Jeroen Bleekemolen, Sean Edwards and Khaled Al Qubaisi being joined by Mercedes factory driver Bernd Schneider this year, in what’s considered to be one of the favorites for the overall victory again.
Their primary opposition will likely come from the pair of BMW Z4 GT3s entered by Saudi Falcons Team Schubert. BMW aces Dirk Muller, Joerg Muller and Claudia Hurten are joined by Abdulaziz AIFaisal and Faisal Binladen in the German squad’s No. 24 entry, with Dominik Schwager, Dominik Baumann and Dirk Adorf leading efforts in the sister entry.
Fresh off victory in last month’s Gulf 12 Hours, AF Corse also brought two Ferrari 458 Italia GT3s to the fight, with the No. 16 entry led by Mika Salo and Marco Cioci likely being contenders, as well as the Lapidus Racing McLaren MP4-12C, which took victory in last year’s Barcelona 24 Hours.
Dubai will also see the debut of two new teams. RAM Racing will campaign a Ferrari for sports car veterans Guy Smith, Johnny Mowlem, Gunnar Jeannette and Indian driver Cheerag Arya, while the Elton Julian-owned DragonSpeed squad will be flying the flag for the U.S. with its Audi R8 LMS ultra for Enzo Potolicchio, Eric Lux, Pierre Ehret, Hideki Francis Onda and Peter Aronson.
In addition to Jeannette, Lux and Aronson, there more than a half-dozen other American drivers entered, including endurance veterans Shane Lewis and Vic Rice (Lotus Evora GT4), Frankie Montecalvo and Robert Nimkoff (Aston Martin Vantage V8 GT4), Steve Foldin, Scott Finlay and Toto Lassally (BMW 120D) and Steve Doherty, the 2012 Nissan GT Academy winner, who will be driving a SP3-class Nissan 370Z.
A four-hour optional test session kicks off track activities on Wednesday, followed by a full day of practice and qualifying on Thursday. The 8th annual Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai gets underway Friday at 2 p.m. local (5 a.m. ET) with live video and commentary, hosted by Radio Le Mans, available at http://www.24hdubai.com/
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
Considered the now-annual kick-off to the international endurance racing season, 82 teams from 18 countries, representing more than two-dozen car manufacturers, have descended upon the Dubai Autodrome for the around-the-clock marathon in the Arabian desert.
The 2013 edition is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing yet, with new rules in A6, the top GT category, allowing for professional and semi-pro driver lineups to fight for the overall win without running to lap time restrictions.
To accomplish this, race organizers, Creventic, have split the GT3-based category into A6-Pro and A6-Am, with Balance of Performance measures such as weight and fuel adjustments, to be given to teams opting not to adhere to minimum reference times, now only enforced for A6-Am entrants.
Competitors in the A6 class will be assigned their sub-category following qualifying on Thursday. In theory, the revised system will give both professional and amateur lineups an equal chance of overall victory.
Twenty-seven cars are due to take part in A6, featuring GT3 machinery from Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche and last year’s winners Mercedes-Benz, which scored a 1-2-3 sweep with its SLS AMG GT3s.
Team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon have returned to defend its title, with Jeroen Bleekemolen, Sean Edwards and Khaled Al Qubaisi being joined by Mercedes factory driver Bernd Schneider this year, in what’s considered to be one of the favorites for the overall victory again.
Their primary opposition will likely come from the pair of BMW Z4 GT3s entered by Saudi Falcons Team Schubert. BMW aces Dirk Muller, Joerg Muller and Claudia Hurten are joined by Abdulaziz AIFaisal and Faisal Binladen in the German squad’s No. 24 entry, with Dominik Schwager, Dominik Baumann and Dirk Adorf leading efforts in the sister entry.
Fresh off victory in last month’s Gulf 12 Hours, AF Corse also brought two Ferrari 458 Italia GT3s to the fight, with the No. 16 entry led by Mika Salo and Marco Cioci likely being contenders, as well as the Lapidus Racing McLaren MP4-12C, which took victory in last year’s Barcelona 24 Hours.
Dubai will also see the debut of two new teams. RAM Racing will campaign a Ferrari for sports car veterans Guy Smith, Johnny Mowlem, Gunnar Jeannette and Indian driver Cheerag Arya, while the Elton Julian-owned DragonSpeed squad will be flying the flag for the U.S. with its Audi R8 LMS ultra for Enzo Potolicchio, Eric Lux, Pierre Ehret, Hideki Francis Onda and Peter Aronson.
In addition to Jeannette, Lux and Aronson, there more than a half-dozen other American drivers entered, including endurance veterans Shane Lewis and Vic Rice (Lotus Evora GT4), Frankie Montecalvo and Robert Nimkoff (Aston Martin Vantage V8 GT4), Steve Foldin, Scott Finlay and Toto Lassally (BMW 120D) and Steve Doherty, the 2012 Nissan GT Academy winner, who will be driving a SP3-class Nissan 370Z.
A four-hour optional test session kicks off track activities on Wednesday, followed by a full day of practice and qualifying on Thursday. The 8th annual Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai gets underway Friday at 2 p.m. local (5 a.m. ET) with live video and commentary, hosted by Radio Le Mans, available at http://www.24hdubai.com/
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
FIA GT Nogaro
LATEST HEADLINES: AUTO-RACING
-
V8: Nissan Coming To Grips With New Altima
John Dagys explores Nissan's new factory venture in V8 Supercars… -
V8: COTA Saturday Notebook
John Dagys explores some of the storylines from Saturday’s… -
V8: Whincup Sweeps Saturday's Rounds At COTA
Red Bull Racing goes 1-2 in opening rounds of V8 Supercars at Circuit… -
ELMS: TDS Oreca-Nissan Wins Imola
Mathias Beche, Pierre Thiriet claim victory in second round of European… -
INDYCAR: Ed Carpenter Scores Shock Indy 500 Pole At 228.782 MPH
Carpenter had the Brickyard in a state of rapture as he knocked off… -
V8: Coulthard, Whincup On Top In Qualifying At COTA
Brad Jones Racing and Red Bull Racing Australia end up on top for… -
PHOTOS: V8 Supercars COTA Gallery
UPDATED: View more than 90 photos from Austin as V8 Supercar drivers… - More News
