The first long endurance race of the new year will take place this weekend (January 14–15) with the Hankook 24H Dubai race, which is the opening round of the 2022 Creventic 24H Series. The race will be the competitive debut for the new M4 GT3 and there are three entered in the race.
Samantha Tan Racing has two entries, one in the top GT3 class for drivers Jon Miller, Chandler Hull, Nick Wittmer, and Louis-Philippe Montour, and a second car for Samantha Tan, Bryson Morris, Antony Lazzaro, Harry Gottsacker, and Tyler Maxson in the Pro/Am class. “It’s going to be a new year, with a new car, in a new class!” said Samantha Tan. “It’s a bit overwhelming to think about, but we also went into 2021 with the same mindset to manage expectations and do the best we can to win. We did just that and came away with six championship titles. It will once again be a steep learning curve next season, but I know that this past year has given us the learning experiences needed to execute and perform well once again.”
Longtime BMW team Schubert Motorsport also has an M4 GT3 entered in the top GT3 class for BMW Motorsport works driver Nick Yelloly, along with Jordan Witt, Marcel Lenerz, and Jens Liebhauser. Overall, there are thirteen entries in the top GT3 class, eight in the GT3 Pro/Am class, and seven entries in GT3 Am.
There are also four BMW M4 GT4 entries in the GT4 class, including American team RHC Jorgensen-Strom with support from British team Century Motorsport and drivers Daren Jorgensen, Brett Strom, Danny Van Dongen, and Nathan Freke. Finally, there are also three M2 CS Racing cars in the TCX class.
The last time a BMW won the 24-hour Dubai race overall was in 2011, when Schubert Motorsport took first place with a Z4 GT3. You can watch this year’s race on the series’ YouTube channel, or you also visit the series website to get more information or follow live timing.—David Haueter
[Photo courtesy Schubert Motorsport]
