The new 2018-2019 ‘Gulf Sportscar Championship’ is now officially launched further yesterday’s signature of a decisive agreement between Dubai Autodrome and Driving Force Events.
The Championship will consist of 10 rounds distributed over five weekends. Each round will host two 50-minute races. Teams and drivers can take advantage of three hours of track time per weekend, plus several hours of non-compulsory private practices before the race day.
The first three race weekends of the championship will take place at Dubai Autodrome, the final two at Yas Marina Circuit. This is the provisional calendar:
16 November 2018
Dubai Autodrome
Round 1 & 2
7 December 2018
Dubai Autodrome
Round 3 & 4
25 January 2019
Dubai Autodrome
Round 5 & 6
8 February 2019
Yas Marina Circuit
Round 7 & 8
22 February 2019
Yas Marina Circuit
Round 9 & 10
The Gulf Sportscar Championship will be open to GT cars, LMP3 cars (under ACO licence) and a selection of carbon-monocoque prototypes. The entrants will have a choice to run either a single driver or two drivers.
The classification at the end of the season will be determined by the best six results of each entrant over the 10-round season – consider the lowest four finishing positions as dropped scores.
All teams who enter at least one car in the Gulf Sportscar Championship will be entitled to a discounted entry package in the 8th edition of the Gulf 12 Hours, programmed at Yas Marina Circuit on 15 December.
The promoter has arranged a full logistics package covering the transportation of cars and equipment from Europe to the United Arab Emirates. The package also includes low-cost and fast transportation of cars and equipment between Dubai Autodrome and Yas Marina Circuit in less than two hours.
The entire programme is designed to be very easy and inexpensive for teams and drivers. Teams will benefit from safe storage and workshop facilities at Dubai Autodrome for a four month period and will be able to arrange unlimited private test sessions in warm and stable weather conditions for the entire four month period.
In addition to the five race weekends of the Gulf Sportscar Championship, teams will be able to take part, with no extra logistics cost, in two main endurance races, Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi and the Dubai 24 Hours.
An official press conference for the national media of the United Arab Emirates will be held at Dubai Autodrome in the next few days and will be announced in a due course.
