Anticipation is growing for CREVENTIC’s third annual endurance event at the Hockenheimring following an energetic start to the 2022 24H SERIES European championship this past weekend in Mugello.
2022 Hankook 12H HOCKENHEIMRING
The home of the Formula 1 German Grand Prix will host the third championship round of this year’s 24H SERIES powered by Hankook on 13-14-15 May and already boasts the strongest provisional field yet in its three-year history. So far, just under 40 teams representing over a dozen different nationalities and 10 manufacturers have already registered for the 2022 Hankook 12H HOCKENHEIMRING.
Ole Dörlemann, CREVENTIC sporting coordinator: “The Hankook 12H HOCKENHEIMRING is fast becoming one of the most significant events on our calendar. It’s a ‘home race’ for so many of our dedicated German teams and drivers – something we at CREVENTIC feel privileged to provide for the third consecutive year – and the Hockenheimring is another world-class racing venue happy to build a solid working relationship with the 24H SERIES. That this year’s European championship already looks like it will produce an epic fight in both divisions means the 13-14-15 May weekend is one we’re all looking forward to immensely.”
Hosted for the first time in an exploratory 16-hour format, the Hockenheimring became the first German venue to host an official round of the 24H SERIES in 2020. Interestingly, in both the 2020 and 2021 editions of the event, first time outright series winners have been crowned with NKPP Racing by Bas Koeten (2020) and Haegeli by T2 Racing (2021), a record that could continue into 2022.
Hometown entries, and the GT3 field
Unsurprisingly, several German teams – many of whom are a mainstay of the 24H SERIES – have already signed up for their home event on 13-14-14 May.
2019 Overall GT Teams’ ‘Continents’ champion Leipert Motorsport (#710) returns to 24H SERIES action at Hockenheim with its Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo, one year on from the German team’s overall podium finish in the GT3 division.
Car Collection Motorsport (#3 and #34), a former A6 Teams’ champion and overall winner of the 2019 Hankook 24H DUBAI, has entered its customary two-car Audi R8 LMS line-up in the GT3 class. A consistent run saw the Car Collection Audis finish 6th and 7th overall at the event last year, and, having finished 4th in-class at Mugello, the Walluf-based outfit is well in contention for GT3 European championship honours.
Despite a tough series return in Dubai, Heide-Motorsport (#411) continues its 2022 campaign with an Audi R8 LMS GT4 in Baden-Württemberg, while Porsche Zentrum 5 Seen (#5), the German marque’s official dealership in Gilching-Argelsried, makes its series debut at Hockenheim with the GT field’s only 911 GT3 R.
Huber Racing (#924) returns to the 992 ranks after a spirited outing at the Hankook 24H DUBAI, while Yeeti Racing (#208) will be looking to repeat its Dubai class podium with its TCX-entered BMW M2 CS Racing.
Finally, Phoenix Racing (#18) is the latest German entrant. The Nürburgring-based outfit completed a sensational recovery drive to secure 2nd overall at the Hankook 12H MUGELLO, and will be hoping to go one better at its home event with the Audi R8.
JT Motorsport (#2) completes the GT3 line-up so far, and, gearbox and differential issues at Mugello notwithstanding, the Dutch team will be hoping to repeat the kind of pace its BMW M6 GT3 used to secure a fighting 2nd overall at this year’s non-championship Hankook 6H ABU DHABI.
GTX and GT4
Alongside Leipert Motorsport, RD Signs – Siauliai racing team (#720), which followed up its class win at last year’s Hankook 12H HUNGARORING with the runners-up spot in Mugello, will also compete with a Lamborghini Huracán at Hockenheim. Mugello podium finisher, and reigning GTX Teams’ champion, Vortex V8 has once again entered at least two of its eponymous lightweight 1.0 sports cars for the Hankook 12H HOCKENHEIMRING, a competitive mindset that earned the French team the radiolemans.com ‘Spirit of the Race’ trophy in Mugello.
Having already claimed an overall podium finish on its series debut in Abu Dhabi, Saalocin by Kox Racing (#748) – the family outfit of father-daughter duo Peter and Stephane Kox – make their first start at the Hankook 12H HOCKENHEIMRING with their KTM X-BOW GTX.
Hankook 12H MUGELLO GT4 winner Veidec Racing by JJ Motorsport (#422) continues its collaboration at Hockenheim with the BMW M4 GT4, and is set to share the garage once again with US sister team TEAM ACP – Tangerine Associates (#421), the former Hankook 24H DUBAI class winner that makes the step up to the GT division for 2022.
CWS Engineering rounds out the GT4-class entrants thus far. The former SP3 / TCX Teams’ champion continues its development program with the brand-new, V8-powered Ginetta G56 at Hockenheim. As the event’s reigning TCX-class winner, the British team has also entered its tenured Ginetta G55 (#278) in the TCE division.
991 and 992
Two car line-ups will be the story of the Porsche-exclusive categories at this year’s Hankook 12H HOCKENHEIMRING. Having made its return to the series in Mugello with two brand-new 992-gen Porsche 911 GT3 Cups, multi-time 991 Teams’ champion Porsche Lorient Racing enters its first Hankook 12H HOCKENHEIMRING on 13-14-15 May. As indeed does Red Ant Racing, the eponymous Belgian squad of the Redant family team that has also entered two Porsche 992s and which made a commanding start to its European championship campaign with a 1-3 finish in-class in Mugello.
Speed Lover is the third team to have confirmed a two-car Porsche line-up for Hockenheim. But unlike its contemporaries, the former 991 / SPX Teams champion will split its entries across two categories: the Belgian squad’s #979 Cup will compete for 992 honours, while the elder #978 911-II Cup will race in the 991 class.
Reigning 991 Teams’ champion Willi Motorsport by Ebimotors (#955) is sure to be among the frontrunners at the Hankook 12H HOCKENHEIMRING, having qualified on category pole position and led the class outright in Mugello before retiring with collision damage.
Despite an accident during private testing preventing the team from making its 24H SERIES debut in Mugello, Spain’s E2P Racing (#910) will return to endurance-racing action in Hockenheim. Finally, fresh from its 992 class win in Tuscany, Red Camel-Jordans.nl (#909) continues its strong run of form with its 992-gen Porsche at Hockenheim, and rounds out the Porsche entrants thus far.
TCR and TCX
BBR (#159) thus far has a clean sweep of TCE victories to its name in 2022, courtesy of commanding TCR wins in both Dubai and Mugello. The Thai team will look to extend its championship lead with its CUPRA Leon Competición TCR in Germany.
Wolf-Power Racing (#116), a three-time Overall TCE Teams’ champion in the 24H SERIES alongside Autorama Motorsport, continues its program with the brand-new Audi RS 3 LMS, with which the Swiss team finished 3rd overall in the TCE division in Mugello. Holmgaard Motorsport (#102) meanwhile looked on course to take its first 24H SERIES class podium in Mugello only for front splitter issues to fell the Volkswagen Golf GTi. A top three finish must surely be the goal for the Danish team in Germany.
Wimmer Motorsport (#124) brings a five-year series hiatus to a close at the Hankook 12H HOCKENHEIMRING, the Austrian team having last competed at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in 2017. Similarly, Sweden’s Lestrup Racing Team has registered two Volkswagen Golf GTis (#110 and #120) for its first series outing since the Hankook 24H DUBAI in 2020. A multi-time class podium finisher in the 24H SERIES, the Swedish team will be keen to record its first win with CREVENTIC at Hockenheim.
Completing the TCX line-up alongside CWS Engineering and Yeeti Racing, Denmark’s Sally Racing (#219) makes its third start of the season in the 24H SERIES, the Danish team having inched ever-closer to a maiden podium finish in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Support races, and live coverage
Following Free Practice and Qualifying on Friday 13 May, the green flag for the Hankook 12H HOCKENHEIMRING will be flown on Saturday 14 May. After CREVENTIC’s now traditional overnight intervention, the final 6.15 hours of racing will continue on Sunday 15 May.
As always, live coverage of each qualifying session and the race proper will be readily available on the official 24H SERIES YouTube channel, complete with commentary from radiolemans.com. With more expansive coverage available in 2022, live broadcast partners for the Hankook 12H HOCKENHEIMRING will be announced during the week of the event.
An impressive line-up of support races has also been confirmed for the 13-14-15 May weekend, with two races of both the VRM BMW M2 Cup and Supercar Challenge confirmed for both the Saturday and the Sunday. Round two of the 2022 ADAC Formula 4 Germany will also be hosted at the Hockenheimring. All race action will be streamed live. Further details regarding the 2022 24H SERIES calendar and championship standings can be found at www.24hseries.com
