The Dubai 24 Hour Race is both a
sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
and
touring car
Touring car and tourer are both terms for open cars (i.e. cars without a fixed roof).
"Touring car" is a style of open car built in the United States which seats four or more people. The style was popular from the early 1900s to the 1930s.
Th ...
automobile endurance race held annually at the
Dubai Autodrome
The Dubai Autodrome is an FIA sanctioned motorsports circuit located in Dubailand, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The architects of the project were Populous and the circuit was designed by Clive Bowen of Apex Circuit Design.
Opened in October ...
. It was inaugurated in 2006.
Entrants and participants
![Dubai Autodrome--Grand Prix Course](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Dubai_Autodrome--Grand_Prix_Course.svg)
As with all races in the
24H Series
The 24H Series is a sports car racing and touring car racing series developed by Creventic and with approval from the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It features GT3-spec cars, GT4-spec cars, sports cars, touring cars and 2 ...
, promoted by Dutch promoter Creventic, they are open to both professional and semi-professional teams. There are both local competitors from the
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
and surrounding nations in the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
as well as a host of international teams particularly from European nations.
Unlike the
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
in France whereby teams are invited by the organizers to compete, the Dubai 24 Hour is solely made up of teams who have registered prior to the commencing of the actual race. Entrants must file in a registration application in order to have a chance at competing. Entry and registration fees also apply for competitors.
Class structure
The race features both a variety of
Grand tourer
A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving, due to a combination of performance and luxury attributes. The most common format is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with either ...
(GT), touring cars as well as specially built
silhouette cars from a wide range of
marques which are eligible to enter. These range from small-engined
Super 2000
Super 2000 is an FIA powertrain specification used in the World Rally Championship, the British Touring Car Championship, the World Touring Car Championship, and other touring car championships. The engines were originally 2 L naturally aspirate ...
hatchbacks (such as the
Renault Clio
The Renault Clio () is a supermini car (B-segment), produced by French automobile manufacturer Renault. It was launched in 1990, and entered its fifth generation in 2019. The Clio has had substantial critical and commercial success, being consis ...
and
Honda Civic
The is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1972. Since 2000, the Civic has been categorized as a compact car, while previously it occupied the subcompact class. , the Civic is positioned between the Honda Fit/City and Honda Acc ...
) to racing-bred sport cars (such as the
Porsche 911 GT3
The Porsche 911 GT3 is a high-performance homologation model of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is a line of high-performance models, which began with the 1973 911 Carrera RS.
The GT3 has had a successful racing career in the one-make national ...
&
Marcos Mantis GT
The original Marcos Mantis is a sports car produced by the British car company Marcos Engineering. It was formally introduced in 1968, although it appears that production was slow to start.
Announced as being officially released for sale in ...
).
A method of performance-balancing by the organisers of the event is existent throughout many of the classes featured in the Endurance Race. An example of this can be witnessed in the A2 Class whereby
Super 1600
Super 1600, also known as S1600, is a rally car formula that was primarily used in the Junior World Rally Championship between 2001 and 2010, as well as international rallycross championships and various national rally championships. Any automobil ...
cars race alongside
Super 2000
Super 2000 is an FIA powertrain specification used in the World Rally Championship, the British Touring Car Championship, the World Touring Car Championship, and other touring car championships. The engines were originally 2 L naturally aspirate ...
and run on equal performance as the 1,600 cc cars are allowed to carry less weight. Other factors such as a larger fuel tank and also the tire manufacturer for specific classes or ensure even competition.
Classes
A1
This is class restricted for
subcompact car
Subcompact car is a North American classification for cars smaller than a compact car. It is broadly equivalent to the B-segment (Europe), supermini (Great Britain) or A0-class (China) classifications.
According to the U.S. Environmental Prote ...
s. Cars with a maximum engine displacement of 1,300 cc can run on a minimum weight of 750 kg and an 80-litre fuel tank while cars with displacements up to 1,600 cc are run with a minimum weight of 820 kg and a 90-litre fuel tank. Cars that can feature in this class include the
Honda Jazz
The Honda Jazz nameplate has been used by the Japanese manufacturer Honda to denote several different motorized vehicles since 1982:
* 1982–1986 — The first generation Honda City when marketed in Europe, as Opel owned the City name
* ...
,
Toyota Echo
The is a supermini/subcompact car sold by Toyota since 1999, replacing the Toyota Starlet, Starlet and Toyota Tercel, Tercel.
Up to 2019, Toyota had used the Yaris nameplate on export versions of various Japanese-market models, with some marke ...
,
Nissan Tiida
The is a compact car produced by the Japanese manufacturer Nissan since 2004 through three generations. Depending on the market, the Tiida was also marketed as a subcompact car, particularly in the Americas for the first-generation model as the ...
as well as other makes.
A2
The A2 class features a host of
Super 1600
Super 1600, also known as S1600, is a rally car formula that was primarily used in the Junior World Rally Championship between 2001 and 2010, as well as international rallycross championships and various national rally championships. Any automobil ...
and
Super 2000
Super 2000 is an FIA powertrain specification used in the World Rally Championship, the British Touring Car Championship, the World Touring Car Championship, and other touring car championships. The engines were originally 2 L naturally aspirate ...
vehicles. These cars generally feature
hatchback
A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...
and small sedan vehicles. The engine displacement range in this class is between 1,600 cc and 2,000 cc and turbocharging for performance enhancement is not allowed. 1,600 cc to 1,800 cc vehicles can have a minimum weight of 900 kg while 1,800 cc to 2,000 cc cars are to have a minimum weight of 980 kg.
Compact car
Compact car is a vehicle size class — predominantly used in North America — that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars. "Small family car" is a British term and a part of the C-segment in the European car classification. However, p ...
s generally make up the field for the A2 Class with the most common makes being the
Clio Renault Sport
The Clio Renault Sport (or Clio RS for short) is a hot hatch produced since 1998 by Renault Sport, the high-performance division of French automaker Renault. It is based on the Clio supermini.
The engine remained the same since the first Clio ...
and the
Honda Civic Type R
The is a series of high-performance hatchback/ sedan models based on the Civic, developed and produced by Honda since September 1997. The first Civic Type R was the third model to receive Honda's Type R badge (after the NSX and Integra). Ty ...
.
A3T
This class is specifically for cars with
engine displacement
Engine displacement is the measure of the cylinder volume swept by all of the pistons of a piston engine, excluding the combustion chambers. It is commonly used as an expression of an engine's size, and by extension as a loose indicator of the ...
up to 2,500 cc their engine is enhanced by a
turbocharger
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
. In other words, only vehicles which are turbocharged are eligible to compete in the class. All cars in this class run on 100-litre fuel tanks regardless of engine displacement or car weight.
In the 2009 version of the race, the class was mainly made up of
Turbo-diesel
The term turbo-diesel, also written as turbodiesel and turbo diesel, refers to any diesel engine equipped with a turbocharger. As with other engine types, turbocharging a diesel engine can significantly increase its efficiency and power output, ...
or TDI
compact car
Compact car is a vehicle size class — predominantly used in North America — that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars. "Small family car" is a British term and a part of the C-segment in the European car classification. However, p ...
s such as the
SEAT León Super Copa and the
Volkswagen Golf R-Line.
A4
The A4 Class is made-up entirely of
mid-size car
Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in t ...
s with an engine displacement between 2,000 cc and 3,000 cc. Due to the wide nature of eligibility of this class, there are certain restrictions on larger engine vehicles. Cars between 2,000 cc and 2,500 cc can have a minimum weight of 1,000 kg while cars between 2,500 cc and 3,000 cc are to have a minimum weight of 1,100 kg.
In the 2009, Dubai 24 Hour, the class featured three
BMW 130i
The BMW 1 Series is a range of subcompact executive cars (C-segment) manufactured by BMW since 2004. It is the successor to the BMW 3 Series Compact and is currently in its third generation. Positioned as the entry level model in BMW range of pr ...
, a
BMW Z4 Coupe and a
Porsche 964 Carrera.
A5
The A5 class pits genuine FIA-GT4 category cars against each however, the cars in this class are to have a maximum displacement of 3,500 cc. Most of the vehicles in this class are
sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
coupe
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
s with V8, 3.0L+ engines. All cars are required to weigh at least 1,200 kg and utilise a 120-litre fuel tank which are standard across the category.
The 2009 24 Hour Race saw an entire field of a number of makes from the German manufacturer
BMW ranging from
Z4 Coupes to modified
M3 GT-Rs.
A6
This is the highest echelon of Petrol-driven vehicles in the race and is also the quickest category in the race. It features a host of
FIA-approved GT3 Category cars from across the globe. The vehicles must have at least 3,500 cc of
engine displacement
Engine displacement is the measure of the cylinder volume swept by all of the pistons of a piston engine, excluding the combustion chambers. It is commonly used as an expression of an engine's size, and by extension as a loose indicator of the ...
and cannot exceed 4,000 cc. Due to the vehicles with 3,750 cc to 4,000 cc having an acceleration and top-speed edge than the makes below 3,750 cc, they must carry at least 1,300 kg of weight, thus being the heaviest of the entire race and can only have tanks capable of carrying 90 litres of fuel.
Vehicles below this, can have a minimum weight limit of 1,150 kg and a 120-litre fuel tank.
991 & 997 Class
Class 997 Porsche 997 Cup Cars* (models 2007..2013)
Class 991 Porsche 991 Cup Cars* (models 2014..2017)
D1
The first of the diesel powered-car classes, this class aims at drawing together an array of vehicles driven on diesel for the full duration of the race. D1 features vehicles with Engine displacements up to 2,000 cc, which is ideal for smaller-sized hatchback TDI vehicles.
This is why the 2009 grid saw an array of European hatchbacks including the
Volkswagen Scirocco R
The Volkswagen Scirocco is a three-door, Front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout, front-engine, front-wheel-drive, sport compact hatchback manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen in two generations from 1974 to 1992 and a third generation from 2008 ...
,
SEAT León TDI and
BMW 120d.
D2
The D2 class caters for diesel-powered vehicles exceeding the limit of 2,000 cc in D1. Generally,
mid-sized &
full-sized cars occupy the grid. Turbocharging is permitted in this class but handicaps apply to higher
displacement
Displacement may refer to:
Physical sciences
Mathematics and Physics
*Displacement (geometry), is the difference between the final and initial position of a point trajectory (for instance, the center of mass of a moving object). The actual path ...
vehicles. For example, cars with 2,500 cc to 3,000 cc must meet the minimum limit of 1,200 kg while cars below that displacement have a minimum weight limit of 1,100 kg.
A number of
BMW 120d makes featured in the class in the 2009 race as well as a
BMW 320d
The BMW 3 Series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the 02 Series and has been produced in seven generations.
The first generation of the 3 Series was only avail ...
.
SP1
The SP1 class is the first of the Special Cars class and houses
silhouette
A silhouette ( , ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhou ...
petrol-driven racing cars which have a
chassis
A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
modified from their
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
counterparts. SP1 sees a mix of uniquely designed vehicles built specifically for high-powered
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a motorsport road racing competition with heavily modified road-going cars. It has both similarities to and significant differences from stock car racing, which is popular in the United States.
While the cars do not move ...
. The vehicles in this category often vary in great lengths in engine size, power and
vehicle weight
Vehicle weight is a measurement of wheeled motor vehicles; either an actual measured weight of the vehicle under defined conditions or a gross weight rating for its weight carrying capacity.
Curb or kerb weight
Curb weight (U.S. English) or kerb ...
, therefore, vehicles who fit the ''Solution F'' category
can have a minimum weight of just 950 kg and a 120-litre fuel tank. Other silhouette cars with engines up 3,200 cc of displacement can have a minimum weight of 975 kg and are restricted to a 100-litre fuel tank. Cars with 3,200 cc to 3,600 cc must have a weight of at least 1,050 kg and a fuel tank with a capacity of 100L.
SP2 GT3-A
This is a class reserved for
FIA GT3
Group GT3, known technically as Cup Grand Touring Cars and commonly referred to as simply GT3, is a set of regulations maintained by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) for grand tourer racing cars designed for use in various au ...
entrants whose vehicles surpass the 4,000 cc Engine displacement limit for the A6 cars and also for GT3 cars which have 6+
cylinders.
SP3 GT4-A
This is a class similar to the SP2 GT3-A category and it is reserved for
FIA GT4
The GT4 European Series is a sports car championship created and organised by SRO Motorsports Group. It is a pro/am championship which followed a formula similar to the FIA GT3 European Championship, which was itself derived from the FIA GT Cham ...
-spec vehicles. There are performance balancing measures enforced by the racing organizers to balance out the field in the class. Depending on the Engine displacement of the vehicle an entrant will be assigned a minimum weight limit of either 750 kg or 1,200 kg and also a fuel tank capacity limit of either 120 litres or 100 litres.
SP4
This is the newest class for the race and is solely for
hybrid vehicle
A hybrid vehicle is one that uses two or more distinct types of power, such as submarines that use diesel when surfaced and batteries when submerged. Other means to store energy include pressurized fluid in hydraulic hybrids.
The basic princip ...
racing cars and
electric-powered race cars.
It will be running for the first time in 2010 edition of the Dubai 24 Hour. There are currently no performance balancing measures for the class.
Race winners
Manufacturer title wins
See also
*
24H Series
The 24H Series is a sports car racing and touring car racing series developed by Creventic and with approval from the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It features GT3-spec cars, GT4-spec cars, sports cars, touring cars and 2 ...
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Series organized by Creventic
24H Series
Auto races in the United Arab Emirates
Sports car races
Touring car races
Endurance motor racing
Recurring sporting events established in 2006
2006 establishments in the United Arab Emirates