> IGTC’s season finale will also solely feature GT3 cars
Gulf 12 Hours organisers have confirmed that its 2023 event – which also stages the Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli season finale – will take place on December 8-10.
It will also exclusively feature GT3 cars thanks to unprecedented demand and creation of the new Yas Island 6 Hours support race.
The race at Abu Dhabi’s world-class Formula 1 venue closed out this year’s globe-trotting IGTC campaign for the first time-ever last weekend when AF Corse’s Ferraris scored a one-two finish and Dani Juncadella (Mercedes-AMG) wrapped up the drivers’ title.
SRO Motorsports Group confirmed in July that Gulf 12 Hours would also be part of Intercontinental’s 2023 schedule. And now the race’s promoter, Driving Force Events, has confirmed the 12th edition – and 11th to be held in Abu Dhabi – will retain the same weekend.
The success of 2022’s race, which successfully combined manufacturer-supported Pro entries with Gulf 12 Hours’ traditional Pro-Am and Am contingent, has already generated unprecedented demand for spaces next season.
As such, organisers have created an entirely new additional race, the Yas Island 6 Hours, which is inspired by the Gulf 12 Hours’ roots as a multi-class contest that was originally and predominantly targeted at amateur drivers.
The inaugural Yas Island 6 Hours will take place under lights on the Saturday evening when Cup cars, such as the Porsche 911 GT Cup (992), KTM X-Bow GTX, Lamborghini Super Trofeo and Ligier JS2R are eligible to fight for overall victory.
Andrea Ficarelli, head of Driving Force Events, said: “It is fantastic to see how the event has evolved into a continuous 12-hour race, with the highest quality GT3 field ever which is thanks also to our great cooperation with SRO. At the same time, it is also important to create something equally special for other types of cars, such as those which participated in previous Gulf 12 Hours. So, to a certain extent, we are going back to our roots with the Yas Island 6 Hours, which will add to the spectacle of the 2023 Gulf 12 Hours.”
An attractive entry package, including efficient logistics solutions, will be announced shortly for the inaugural Yas Island 6 Hours. Teams, drivers, media, and all those interested in the event can register for further information via gulf12hours.com/info/.
2023’s IGTC campaign gets underway at Bathurst on February 3-5.