Having staged races in Dubai, Spain, Hungary and Italy, Dutch agency CREVENTIC will be organising and promoting an endurance race in The Netherlands for the first time in May this year. On May 30 and 31, the famous Circuit Park Zandvoort, beautifully located in the dunes along the North Sea coast, will be hosting the inaugural Dunlop 12H ZANDVOORT, the third round of the 2014 24H SERIES powered by Dunlop. “It will be special for us to hold a race in our own country,” says Gerrie Willems on behalf of CREVENTIC. “Of course, we are working together again with our partner DNRT, who has a lot of experience at Zandvoort. Moreover, we are getting a lot of support from the circuit management as well. Everybody involved is very enthusiastic about the first international endurance race for GTs, touring cars and 24H Specials ever to be held at Circuit Park Zandvoort. Hopefully, this year’s race will mark the start of a tradition.”
Opened in 1948, the Zandvoort circuit was a regular fixture on the Formula 1 World Championship calendar from 1952 till 1985. In the more recent past, the circuit regularly hosted the German DTM touring car series, FIA GT series, ADAC GT Masters and the prestigious annual ‘Masters of Formula 3’ race held every year since 1991. With its undulation and its many fast and blind corners, Zandvoort is often characterised as a drivers’ circuit. Located right next to the beach, with the attractive Zandvoort city centre at walking distance and the Dutch capital of Amsterdam only a 30 minutes’ drive away, Zandvoort is also ideally suited for a weekend off combined with the joy of a motor racing event.
The provisional entry list for the event already includes over 50 teams in the various classes for GTs, touring cars and 24H Specials. Among the entrants are Swiss team, Hofor Racing, the winners of the 2013 24H BARCELONA, and Dutch team, V8 Racing, that claimed pole position for this year’s Dunlop 24H DUBAI. The Dunlop 12H ZANDVOORT will also mark the first-ever 12-hour race for the Dutch-built Hansen sports car while the Australian-built MARC Focus GTC will make its debut in Europe after its successful first outing in the Bathurst 12 Hours. With identical classes and technical regulations as in Dubai and a fixed early entry fee of 3,500 Euros per car, valid until February 28, teams still have the possibility to enter for the inaugural Dunlop 12H ZANDVOORT. After that date, the entry fee will be increased to 4,500 Euros. A central fuel station will be available for refuelling while Dunlop is the exclusive tyre supplier for the event.
“Teams can set up on Thursday, May 29, which is a public holiday in The Netherlands and most of Europe,” Gerrie Willems explains. “Free practice, qualifying and the first three hours of the race will be held on Friday, May 30, followed by a parc fermé. The remaining nine hours of the race will be run on Saturday, May 31. We expect a lot of interest from Dutch fans, who will have a great view of the action from the dunes and the grandstand. Television coverage is planned on Motors TV.” More information about the Dunlop 12H ZANDVOORT and the other rounds of the 24H SERIES powered by Dunlop can be found at: www.24hseries.com.