Just a few weeks after the twelfth running of the 24H DUBAI as the successful season opener of the 24H SERIES powered by Hankook, the focus is shifting towards the next two rounds of the season that will take teams and drivers to central Europe.

Next up is the  12H MUGELLO (17-18 March) in Italy’s beautiful Tuscany region, followed by the first event of the year at a venue that is new for CREVENTIC’s series: the 12H RED BULL RING (7-8 April) at the eponymous Grand Prix circuit in Spielberg, Austria. Both races are split up into two parts, with four hours of racing on the Friday and the remaining eight hours on the Saturday, giving all team members the possibility to have some time off in between the action. Entries for both rounds are still open, with the second early entry for the Hankook 12H RED BULL RING closing on 10 February.

A new addition to the event programme for both races is the GT Retro Series, a series for GT cars built before 2015. All races will have live streaming in HD quality on the series’ website with commentary by Radiolemans.com as well as live broadcasts on Motor Trend.

Held for the first time in 2014, the 12H MUGELLO has become a regular fixture on the calendar of the 24H SERIES. The challenging circuit that is the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello is a popular venue among drivers and teams, with the many benefits Italy and Tuscany have to offer.

Last year’s race saw Dutch team, V8 Racing, taking victory in the race with its Renault RS01 FGT3, driven by father-and-son pairing Luc and Max Braams, Miguel Ramos and Nicky Pastorelli. The V8 Racing team succeeded after the Optimum Motorsport Audi, that had led the race for most of the time, retired with gearbox failure with less than 90 minutes remaining. A total of 63 cars took the start of the race at Mugello last year and a similarly-sized grid is expected for this year’s event. Teams wanting to take part in the race can still submit their entries.

24H SERIES continues endurance racing tradition in Austria

Austria will be host country for the third round of the season, the inaugural 12H RED BULL RING. Originally built as the Österreichring, the race circuit in the rolling hills of Styria was opened in 1969. The track was the venue of the Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prix from 1970 till 1987 and, after it was shortened, again from 1997 till 2003.

After another reconstruction, the track was re-opened in 2011 and Formula 1 returned there in 2014. From 1969 till 1976, the Österreichring 1000km race was a round of the world sportscar championship, so in a way, the 12H RED BULL RING revives the tradition of endurance racing at the circuit. For this race, teams can enter as well, with a reduced early entry fee still applicable until the second early entry closes on 10 February.

GT Retro Series as a new support class

Starting with the race at Mugello, the GT Retro Series will be joining the 24H SERIES event package as a new support class. The series is open for GT cars built to GT2 and GT3 regulations as well as Specials built before 2015. After Mugello, the GT Retro Series will also be present at the 24H SERIES rounds at the Red Bull Ring, Circuit Paul Ricard, Imola and Portimao.