Dubai 24hr 2023

[courageous]

Right then, that's quite enough of that winter break rubbish - time to go racing again.


Race day has moved to Saturday/Sunday - flag at 11:00 UK time
Practice/Qualifying on Friday

With just 55 cars, entry is well down on previous years - especially in the lower classes but quality is still high especially in GT3
(although I'd much rather the wildcard SPX/TCX over 20 porsche cup cars)


Entry list
https://www.24hseries.com/pdf/entryl...24h-dubai-2023

Live timing
https://livetiming.getraceresults.co...screen-results

Whole race & qualifying will be on youtube & audio stream from radio le mans

And if you are in the area, tickets are free but you need to register
https://dubaiautodrome.ae/motorsport/hankook-24h-dubai/

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by courageous

Right then, that's quite enough of that winter break rubbish - time to go racing again.


Race day has moved to Saturday/Sunday - flag at 11:00 UK time
Practice/Qualifying on Friday

With just 55 cars, entry is well down on previous years - especially in the lower classes but quality is still high especially in GT3
(although I'd much rather the wildcard SPX/TCX over 20 porsche cup cars)


Entry list
https://www.24hseries.com/pdf/entryl...24h-dubai-2023

Live timing
https://livetiming.getraceresults.co...screen-results

Whole race & qualifying will be on youtube & audio stream from radio le mans

And if you are in the area, tickets are free but you need to register
https://dubaiautodrome.ae/motorsport/hankook-24h-dubai/

I think its safe to say that gone are the days of novelties and wildcards, we are very much in the era of GT3/GT4/Cup/TCR for these kinds of racing.

It just makes so much more financial sense to the smaller guys to run these larger manufacturer packages.



While the numbers are down this year, the quality is certainly high, and 55 is more than enough for a good race. GT3's will find themselves an easier first half of the race this year with slightly less traffic to contend with. It will start to feel a little less full perhaps by sunrise when attrition has taken a good chunk of cars out. Hopefully it doesnt end up with 25-30 cars running around at the end... Attrition is always high at this race, but the lower grid count might help that a touch

[tux]

Only way WRT dont win the race is a mistake imo, their driver line ups are stunning for a race like this.

Also i think this is the first "GT3" outing for Harry King.

[tux]

1/4 of the way through the race and WRT have a 4 lap lead.

Not to mention the almost endless Code 60.

[tux]

Originally Posted by tux

1/4 of the way through the race and WRT have a 4 lap lead.

Not to mention the almost endless Code 60.

Must have been a timing issue or a quirk of code 60 because an hour later it’s down to 1 and a half lap lead.

[MGDavid]

Both HRT Mercs are out.
At half distance there's about a lap and a half between the WRT BMW M4 and the Herberth 911 in 2nd. The other WRT M4 is 15 seconds behind them. HAAS RT Audi 4th with 911s in 5th 6th and 7th.
Just so good to start the new year with proper racing. Roll on Daytona and Bathurst. Busy month!

[E.B]

Under 4 hours to go and WRT BMW running 1st and 3rd with a Herberth Porsche splitting them. Then very pleased to see a local Melbourne set up, Grove Racing, running 4th overall in their Porsche GT3R. Driven by Father and son (Stephen and Brenton) Grove, with Andre De Pascale (V8 Supercars driver) and Earl Bamber.

[MGDavid]

BMW just shaded it, as the 911 needed a splash and dash :-(
Great effort by Grove, how did they manage to recruit Bamber, a real asset?
Super race all round, as Hindy said it's really the pinnacle of club racing for a lot of the entries.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

Great effort by Grove, how did they manage to recruit Bamber, a real asset?
Super race all round, as Hindy said it's really the pinnacle of club racing for a lot of the entries.

He has been in with the Groves for years.... he had a class win at the Bathurst 12 hour with them back in 2013. The Groves (in those days just Father Steve) have always run Porsches since they started racing Sports cars. Another class win with them in the 2016 12 hour which was with Stephen Grove and at the time V8SC newcomer now Indycar race winner Scott McLaughlin.

He also co drove in our Super 2 (V8SC Feeder /Junior series) with Brenton Grove in that series Bathurst 250k co-driver race.

In fact he was due to race alongside Andre Heimgartner in the Kelly Grove (as it was before the Groves bought out the Kelly's and it became Grove Racing last year).Mustang for the 2021 Bathurst 1000 but had to drop out after the Bathurst race shifted date from Oct to Dec due to Covid and then clashed with a Porsche works gig..

So yeah he has a long history with them and is mates with the family.

Edit: I forgot the fact that Earl Bamber Motorsport ran a car last year in the Aus Carrera Cup series..... with Matthew Payne driving the car. Payne was a Grove protégé and this year will drive for Grove in V8SC

[chavez]

Originally Posted by E.B

He has been in with the Groves for years.... he had a class win at the Bathurst 12 hour with them back in 2013. The Groves (in those days just Father Steve) have always run Porsches since they started racing Sports cars. Another class win with them in the 2016 12 hour which was with Stephen Grove and at the time V8SC newcomer now Indycar race winner Scott McLaughlin.

He also co drove in our Super 2 (V8SC Feeder /Junior series) with Brenton Grove in that series Bathurst 250k co-driver race.

In fact he was due to race alongside Andre Heimgartner in the Kelly Grove (as it was before the Groves bought out the Kelly's and it became Grove Racing last year).Mustang for the 2021 Bathurst 1000 but had to drop out after the Bathurst race shifted date from Oct to Dec due to Covid and then clashed with a Porsche works gig..

So yeah he has a long history with them and is mates with the family.

Edit: I forgot the fact that Earl Bamber Motorsport ran a car last year in the Aus Carrera Cup series..... with Matthew Payne driving the car. Payne was a Grove protégé and this year will drive for Grove in V8SC

Yes, but how did they manage to recruit Bamber?

[E.B]

Originally Posted by chavez

Yes, but how did they manage to recruit Bamber?

Must have used his "Phone a friend" lifeline option....

[Bcarr6]

I thought EBM were the ones running the Grove car at Dubai? That would explain Earl in the car