Record 31-Car Entry for Gulf 12H

A record 31 cars will take part in the Gulf 12 Hours at Yas Marina Circuit on Dec. 15.

The number is the highest in the event’s eight-year history, with five more cars than last year and 17 entered across the different GT3 classes.

This year’s edition will mark the official race debut of the McLaren 720S GT3, as well as a customer debut for the new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and the first long-distance race for the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo.

The top GT3 Pro class features six entries, with an Audi each for Attempto Racing and Car Collection Motorsport, as well as two Aston Martins run by R-Motorsport and Oman Racing by TF Sport.

McLaren’s anticipated 720S entry will be an in-house operation, while defending winner Kessel Racing is returning with a Ferrari 488 GT3.

A full list of drivers has yet to be released, although the Audi and Aston Martin crews have already confirmed their lineups independently.

A seven-car field of two Audis, two Ferraris, an Aston and single-car Lamborghini Huracan GT3 and Porsche 911 GT3-R entries are confirmed in GT3 Pro-Am, while four cars including an AKKA-ASP Mercedes-AMG GT3 are listed in GT3 Am.

LMP3 cars will return to the Gulf 12 Hours this year, with two Ligier JS P3 Nissans and a Norma M30 Nissan confirmed.

Graff will enter both types of car, while the French squad’s European Le Mans Series rival Scuderia Villorba Corse has a Ligier to its name.

Villorba also has two Maseratis MC GT4s listed in the GT4 category, with competition from a trio of Mercedes-AMG entries from Bullitt Racing’s two-car team and Cicely Motorsport.

They will be joined on the grid by the new-generation Aston Martin Vantage GT4, which is set to make its global competition debut.

There is also a five-car presence in the GT Cup class.