The Dubai 24 Hour has become an important international endurance race over the years, with the 20th running of the race this year featuring the largest GT3-class field in its history. BMW won the first Dubai 24 Hour race 20 years ago, with BMW legends Hans Stuck and Dieter Quester sharing a Duller Motorsport M3 CSL with Toto Wolff (yes, that Toto Wolff) and Philipp Peter. BMW won again this year in the debut race for the new M4 GT3 EVO.
There were two BMW entries in the top GT3 class. The #777 Almanar Racing by Team WRT M4 GT3 EVO (shown in top photo) was driven by works drivers Dan Harper and Max Hesse along with Darren Leung, Al Faisal Al Zubair, and Ben Tuck. As the team’s name suggests, the program was run by BMW M Team WRT. The #991 Paradine Competition M4 GT3 EVO was driven by Toby Sowery, Ahmad Al Harthy, Simon Traves, and Darren Leung, who was doing double-duty in both BMWs. There were also two M4 GT4 entries in the GT4 class, from WS Racing and AGMC Racing by Simpson Motorsport.
Paradine Competition won the Am class and finished fifth overall.
After qualifying, the BMWs lined up in fourth (#777) and seventh (#991) on the grid for the race, with the pole going to the #92 Pure Rxcing Porsche 911 GT3 R. Race organizers Creventic thought the Porsches were a little too fast and gave all of them a 20kg weight increase before the race. The BMW teams put two of their fastest drivers in the cars for the start of the race, with Toby Sowery (who drove in the INDY NXT championship last year) starting in the #991 and Max Hesse starting the #777. By 38 minutes into the race, Sowery had moved to the lead with Hesse in third, with Hesse getting past Sowery and into the lead at around the one-hour mark.
As the race progressed, both M4 GT3 entries stayed either at the front or in the top four, with the #777 leading six hours into the race and in second at the halfway point. Both BMWs traded positions with the top Porsche teams throughout the race, with the Dinamic Porsche leading halfway through. The pole-sitting Pure Rxcing Racing Porsche suffered a tire puncture overnight that effectively took it out of the running for the lead, as the #777 BMW ran a trouble-free race.
A decisive moment in the race took place on Sunday morning when Max Hesse got by the Dynamic Porsche with four hours left and built a lead that was held until the end. The Dubai win was the fourth for WRT and the first 24-hour race win for all the drivers in the #777, including works drivers Hesse and Harper. “My debut with the BMW M4 GT3 EVO, debut in a 24-hour race with Team WRT and debut for Al Faisal with BMW M Motorsport,” said Dan Harper. “A great victory! The whole team had a perfect race and made no mistakes. The strategy was set up perfectly by the team and all the drivers did their job. It was a fantastic race and I’m so glad to get my first 24 hour-race victory under my belt! Hopefully many more to come!”
Almanar Racing by Team WRT drivers (left to right) Al Faisal Al Zubair. Dan Harper, Darren Leung, Max Hesse and Ben Tuck celebrate the win.
Joining the BMW team onto the podium were the Pure Rxcing Porsche team in second and the Dinamic team in third. The #991 Paradine Competition M4 GT3 EVO finished a strong fifth overall and first in the Am class, giving Darren Leung two trips to the podium. BMW team AGMC Racing by Simpson Motorsport also won the GT4 class with their M4 GT4, after two other GT4 contenders, including the #470 WS Racing M4 GT4, caught fire during the race and had to retire.
AGMC Racing by Simpson Motorsport won the GT4 class.
The performance of the M4 GT3 EVO bodes well for the Turner Motorsport and Paul Miller Racing entries in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, which is coming up on the weekend of January 24th-26th. One week after the Daytona race is the Bathurst 12-Hour race in Australia, which will be contested by two entries from BMW M Team WRT.
—David Haueter
[Photos by Gruppe C Photography and courtesy 24H Series]
