In October, 2004, Dutch entrepreneurs and amateur racers Ivo Breukers and Gerrie Willems first visited the Dubai Autodrome to attend a round of the FIA GT Championship. Impressed by the facility, Breukers immediately came up with idea to stage a 24-hour race there. His associate Willems looks back upon an exciting and successful five-year period: “We started in 2005 with the idea to host a 24h GT- and touring car race in Dubai. As endurance races become more and more popular, together with the impressive facilities of Dubai Autodrome the idea was turned into a concrete plan. The sunny weather, Dubai as a fascinating city and the challenging 5,39 km track, turned out to be attractive ingredients for an international 24-hour race.
Several visits to Dubai Autodrome and meetings with the cooperative circuit management brought the plan to the next stage. A final meeting with the chairman of the Dutch DNRT race organisation, Mr. Huub Vermeulen, encouraged us even more and the first-ever 24-hour race for touring and GT-cars in the Middle East was born”.
Thus, the inaugural 24H of Dubai took place in January, 2006. “We had a total of 67 entrants for our first race and we were quite pleased with that. During the 2005 season, we had promoted our event at other race meetings and we received positive reactions”, says Willems. “After that, our event has shown steady progress.” The second running in 2007 already attracted 77 competitors and 87 cars took part in the race in 2008. Challenging economic conditions meant that the grid was slightly down at 77 cars for 2009. “But to have 80 cars on the grid for the fifth anniversary edition in January is something to be very proud of” says Willems.
In only five years’ time this event has grown to one of the most international 24-hour club races in the world. Teams are coming from all over the world: apart from almost all European countries, there are also teams and drivers coming from Australia, Japan, China, Russia, Tanzania, Canada, USA, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, El Salvador, Malaysia and New-Zealand, a total of 39 different nationalities.
Last month, in total 58 40ft containers with cars and equipment have been shipped, most of them from the port of Antwerp in Belgium. Other teams are sending their containers from various ports in Italy, Great Britain, Spain, Australia, Japan and China. The first activity for teams and drivers in Dubai is the traditional Welcome Party at “The Address” hotel with view of the Burj Dubai. Track action for the Dunlop 24H of Dubai starts on Thursday, January 14th, with free practice, qualifying and night practice. The 24-hour race will start on Friday, January 15th, at 2 pm. The “Superkart” series, the official support category of the Dunlop 24H of Dubai, will have three races.
Organisation Dunlop 24h dubai 2010 very active in promoting this race
Apart from the fact we have a good atmosphere, the sportive battle increases every year and teams are keen to bring the victory of this international race to their home country. With teams and drivers from 39 countries all over the world competing in one event, the Dunlop 24H of Dubai is probably the most international 24-hour race of the world.
Promotion of the event, improving every year
Also the international press has noticed this 24hrace and last year we had over 100 journalists from all over the world. Apart from some national TV-stations, we had last editon a 50minutes TV-production on Motors-TV, broadcasted in 42 countries.
To celebrate the 5th anniversary we have already started to improve this event even more and workout
Quattro Media. They will be providing a 52 minute worldwide TV production. German TV producers Quattro Media are specialised in sport- cultural- and lifestyle events and are professionals when it comes to shooting atmosphere and experiences.
Besides coverage of the complete event and the City of Dubai, all teams will be broadcasted!
What to expect? Detailed shots of the pitlane and pitbox, qualification, training and the 24H during race, together with interviews and an inside look of the teams. Especially valuable for the sponsors and partners of all participating teams.

Distribution of this event on numerous TV channels across the globe:
Amongst these channels are:
Pan European: Motors TV;
Germany: DSF, Display in McDonalds restaurants, Infoscreens in German train & subway stations;
United Kindom: Five sport magazine, BT Pay TV, Sky Sports
Italy: Odeda, SkySports, Sport Italia, TeleItalia, TRM
USA: Fox Sports World, MenTV
Asia / Pacific: ESPN Star Sports, Fox1 Sports, TVNZ 7
Various channels: Dubai Sports (Middle-East), ABTO
(Russia), ORF Sport plus (Austria) EXQI
Sport (Belgium), Sport 3 (Scandinavia)