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
@Mig_elfaisca chilling before his next stint in the @GTAcademy Number 123 car in the #Dubai24hr @24HSERIES pic.twitter.com/8dlPM6BndZ
— Paul Crawford (@Paul87Crawford) January 10, 2014
#Typical #24HourRacing pose ! @GTAcademy had the best chairs in town… ( photo credit my team-mate @Ash_Oldfield ) pic.twitter.com/pOqIrDWZAA
— Karun Chandhok (@karunchandhok) January 12, 2014
2. A 24 hour race is a tough mistress. Not to be trifled with!
Disappointed to finish p10 overall at #24HDUBAI car and team were mega but contact during the night cost us 20 laps to repair damage
— Dane Cameron (@danecameron19) January 11, 2014
Gutted we had to retire from the Dubai 24 hour ! Was a constant battle but the team did an awesome job! #thankyou pic.twitter.com/eE6Yzu8bVQ
— Jake Rattenbury⛄️ (@JakeRattenbury) January 11, 2014
Also problems on car 2 now. Both cars too far down to win. But we'll keep going.. #1 exhaust problem, #2 suspension problem 🙁
— Jeroen Bleekemolen (@jbleekemolen) January 10, 2014
3. But the races can be rewarding, both personally and on the score sheets
Having a blast at @24hdubai with @RamRacingCom. Check out my thoughts about the race at https://t.co/SqFFmPbUo7 #Dubai24H
— Jan Magnussen (@janmagnussen) January 10, 2014
First race of the year and first podium with @GTAcademy at the Dubai 24 hours ! A real roller coaster after changing g'box through the night
— Karun Chandhok (@karunchandhok) January 11, 2014
Plenty of dramas in the #Dubai24hr but great work by everyone @gtacademy to get the car to the finish!! pic.twitter.com/eSHq4HnsgX
— James Moffat (@J_Moffat) January 12, 2014
The remains of our Dubai 24 hour Podium finishing car. Never gave up, and took us to 3rd overall. What… http://t.co/62xY1ftfLc
— Adam Christodoulou (@AdamChristo) January 12, 2014
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.”
So victory in the 2014 Dubai 24 goes to the Stadler Porsche team pic.twitter.com/8JZbuow2Bx
— Endurance Sportscar (@EnduranceSport) January 11, 2014
We won the @24hdubai race! Unbelieveable, did nearly every 2nd stint! Great start of season #tired lets carry on @Rolex24Hours in 2 weeks
— ChristianEngelhart (@EngelhartChris) January 12, 2014
Stadler @Porsche Wins Attrition-Filled 24 Hours of Dubai. http://t.co/KkCvAfosqy @24HSERIES #24HDubai pic.twitter.com/c304qu1s5m
— Sport Auto Live (@SportAutoLive) January 11, 2014
#24HDubai winners @EnglehartChris & Rolf Ineichen will be in Konrad/@GoDempseyRacing Porsche for @Rolex24Hours #IMSA pic.twitter.com/FFRlGmmXA9
— Sportscar365 (@sportscar365) January 11, 2014
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.”
“I feel like a bit of a broken man,” says @huffsport after spending 10 hours in the car w/ no sleep: #24HDUBAI pic.twitter.com/cgE647sPS9
— Peter Leung (@BaronVonClutch) January 11, 2014
The Team. #24HDubai #ginetta #g50 @GinettaCars @leemowle pic.twitter.com/zVB7wunFWi
— OG Media Works (@MediaOG) January 11, 2014
6. It offers some great photography and interesting landscapes
Mega, @RamRacingCom lead @24HSERIES Dubai at the half way point, amazing team to work with, keep it going… pic.twitter.com/P276LtYeMD
— Drew Gibson (@drewgibsonphoto) January 10, 2014
The Dubai Autodrome is an interesting place. Lots of unfinished buildings sit in slow decay. pic.twitter.com/whYZNNgHak
— John Dagys (@johndagys) January 11, 2014
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!)
@radiolemans Outstanding coverage once again for the #dubai24hr Sleepless night. May give up France for Dubai next year!
— Nick Allen-Miles (@NickRedditch) January 11, 2014
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