24H Dubai Postponed, Creating Rolex 24 Clash

The Hankook 24H Dubai has been postponed by two weeks, creating a new date clash with the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

After originally being scheduled to take place on Jan. 13-14, a date change for the Middle Eastern enduro has seen the event moved to Jan. 27-28.

This creates a direct clash with the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship opener at Daytona International Speedway, which is set to take place on the same weekend.

Sportscar365 understands that the postponement is the result of significant shipping delays triggered by safety concerns around the Bab El Mandab Strait, an area that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden where Yemen’s Houthi rebels have launched attacks on cargo vessels in recent weeks.

The attacks have caused major shipping lines to temporarily pause shipping through the Red Sea amid fears of further attacks.

A spokesperson for event organizer Creventic told Sportscar365 that ships carrying equipment for the 24H Dubai have diverted away from the Suez Canal and the Red Sea and have instead opted for an alternative route around South Africa to avoid the affected area.

As a result, the primary container vessel containing critical cargo such as cars, tires, equipment and other essential items isn’t set to arrive until Jan. 16, several days after the event’s original date.

The organizer went on to say that it explored several options, including the possibility of unscheduled stops with charter air freight, but that circumstances beyond its control have forced it to postpone the event.

While an entry list with drivers is yet to be released, it is likely that the date change will affect several drivers that were originally planning to take part in both events.

The Heart of Racing, which has entered its Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo under the Heart of Racing by SPS banner for the Dubai event, is likely to face difficulties as drivers Ian James, Roman De Angelis and Mario Farnbacher have all been named for its Daytona lineup as well.

Additionally, as previously reported by Sportscar365, Mercedes-AMG factory driver Luca Stolz will join SunEnergy1 Racing’s GTD Pro lineup at Daytona but is also slated to team up with Anthony Bartone, Martin Konrad and Fabian Schiller at GetSpeed Performance for Dubai.

The postponement has also changed Creventic’s schedule for its Middle East Trophy powered by Hankook, of which the Dubai enduro was originally planned to be the second round.

It is now set to be the finale of the three-round championship, with round two now the Hankook 6H Abu Dhabi on Jan. 20-21.

This story was updated at 10:45 a.m. CET (4:45 a.m. ET) to include additional information and statements issued by Creventic.