Dunlop Dubai 24 Hours the driver’s view

By Sam TickellRace Reviews
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The start of the 2014 Duabi 24 Hours (Photo: 24H Series)
The start of the 2014 Dubai 24 Hours (Photo: 24H Series)
Swiss team Stadler Motorsport has won the ninth running of the Dunlop 24H DUBAI with its Porsche 997 GT3 R. After 603 laps at the Dubai Autodrome, equalling a total distance of 3,250.17 kilometres, Swiss Rolf Ineichen drove the winning car with starting number 20 across the finish line to take the chequered flag. Ineichen shared driving duties with his compatriots Mark Ineichen, Marcel Matter and Adrian Amstutz, as well as German Christian Engelhart. “For us, the event started off with some troubles in practice, but the race was perfect. The car ran like clockwork, there isn’t even a single scratch on it, all the team members have done a fantastic job. We are really proud of this success,” Ineichen said. This is the first-ever race win in the Dunlop 24H DUBAI for a Swiss team and the fourth victory for Porsche after earlier race wins in 2008, 2009 and 2010, making the brand from Stuttgart the manufacturer with the most overall wins in history of the race. Two Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 cars finished second and third. The ALLINKL.COM Münnich Motorsport team ended up second with drivers René Münnich, Rob Huff and Marc Basseng in the gullwing sportscar with starting number 38 while the Team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon was classified third with its number 2 car, driven by Khaled Al Qubaisi, Jeroen Bleekemolen, Abdulaziz Turki Al Faisal, Hubert Haupt and Adam Christodoulou.

1. The chairs are important in a 24 hour race

2. A 24 hour race is a tough mistress. Not to be trifled with!

3. But the races can be rewarding, both personally and on the score sheets

4. And winning is a fantastic achievement

Winner, Mark Ineichen

“This is incredible. It was a great race. We recovered from a practice accident. We drove steadily and when it mattered we took command. Although it was very tense throughout because there were some big teams chasing us. We kept it together and we won. It is a fantastic victory for our team.”

 

5. Being there is an achievement and all should be proud.

Third place Khaled Al Qubaisi

“To be honest it’s a consulation for the team. It is not what we came here for, but considering all the problems we had during the course of the race, even with the second car, third place is a good result. These things happen in a long race so it is out of our hands.”

 

6. It offers some great photography and interesting landscapes

7. We agree and we can’t wait for the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hours to hear them in action again (and of course more endurance racing!)

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