GTX1 Category Confirmed for Gulf 12H

Photo: Gulf 12H

This year’s Gulf 12 Hours will see the return of Cup class machinery, with organizers confirming the addition of the GTX1 category that will join GT3 cars for the 15th edition of the Yas Marina Circuit enduro on Dec. 14.

As first revealed by Sportscar365 last December, Cup cars from Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren and Porsche will be eligible in GTX1, with Driving Force Events Limited set to work with data recording company Emotag to supply teams with a dedicated data-logger, enabling a Balance of Performance that considers both car setup and pit stop duration.

It will not mark the first time single-make machinery have competed in the race, with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car having made several appearances in the early years of the event.

GT3, meanwhile, will remain the premier class, although with refined Bronze driver rules.

The Am class will now be reserved exclusively for Bronze-rated drivers, who will be allowed to work with a professional driver during free practice only for setup purposes.

Both the Pro and Pro-Am classes, meanwhile, will require at least one Bronze in each lineup, with varying drive time requirements.

Bronzes in Pro will be required to complete at least three hours of drive time, while six hours will be required in Pro-Am.

An initial list of GT3 teams invited to take part in the enduro was released in March, with further updates expected to be made in the coming weeks.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John