Following the successful inaugural editions of the twelve-hour races at the circuits of Mugello in Italy and Zandvoort in The Netherlands this year, Dutch agency CREVENTIC, organisers and promoters of the 24H SERIES powered by Hankook, will add another event to the series for 2015. The Hankook 24H PAUL RICARD, to be held from 3 till 5 July, 2015, will mark the series’ first event in France. “We received many requests from teams and drivers for a race in France and finally, we were able to realise this for next year,” says Gerrie Willems on behalf of CREVENTIC. “Now, with a total of six races for our 24H SERIES powered by Hankook, three 24-hour races and three twelve-hour races, we really have a great portfolio! Our calendar for 2015 is complete. We are delighted to have our partners Hankook as the official title sponsor and tyre supplier and our friends from the Dutch National Racing Team DNRT on board for this event as well.”
France is considered as the birthplace of motor racing, having hosted the first motor race from Paris to Rouen in 1894, the first-ever Grand Prix to be held on a regular basis, starting in 1906 in Le Mans, and, of course, the world’s most famous endurance race, the Le Mans 24 Hours, first held in 1923. The Paul Ricard circuit, located in the south of France near the Mediterranean Sea, was opened in 1970. Its construction was initiated by Mr Paul Ricard, famous for creating his eponymous pastis brand. For a total of 14 times, the Paul Ricard circuit hosted the French Formula 1 Grand Prix between 1971 and 1990, its winners including such famous drivers as Sir Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, James Hunt, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet. After the current owner took over in 1999, the track was rebuilt and, thanks to its state-of-the-art facilities, is now officially referred to as Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track (HTTT). This year, the track hosted a round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship. The calendar also includes GT, single seaters and truck races.
The Paul Ricard circuit is beautifully located on the French Riviera, near world-famous harbour villages like Cassis and Bandol and other tourists’ destinations like Aix-en-Provence nearby. The region can easily be reached through the airports of Marseille and Nice while Le Castellet airport, mainly serving chartered and private planes, is located next to the circuit. For the inaugural Hankook 24H PAUL RICARD, the longest track configuration of 5.861 kilometres will be used, making it the longest circuit on the calendar of the 24H SERIES powered by Hankook. With wide asphalt-covered run-off areas, high safety standards and perfectly equipped pit boxes, the circuit ranks among the best facilities worldwide. “With the date for our race on the first weekend of July, teams and drivers can look forward to a great summer event,” Gerrie Willems says.