Dutch organisation Creventic will take over the running of the Silverstone 24 Hours for the 2016 after they acquired the rights to the race from Britcar Chairman James Tucker, the man responsible for the running of the Dunlop 24 Hours at Silverstone that returned to the Northamptonshire Grand Prix track earlier this year.
Creventic are behind the successful 24H Series, a season of six endurance races, including January’s 24H Dubai and the 24H Barcelona, due to take place this weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix circuit with an entry list that features ten GT3 cars. However, the new Silverstone race – scheduled for April 1-3 and branded as the Hankook 24H Silverstone – will be a stand-alone race for touring cars, the decision echoing the plans that Britcar had to make GT4 the premier class for the race in future years.
Helen Roukens of Creventic said; “We are determined to make the Hankook 24H Silverstone even more firmly established in the international motor racing world and to further increase the profile of the event.”
“I am delighted that Creventic has reached a deal to take over the running of the annual 24 hour race at Silverstone,” said Stuart Pringle, Sporting Director for the company that owns the circuit. “They run some excellent endurance races in Europe and further afield and I look forward to them bringing a very healthy entry to Silverstone in 2016 and beyond.”
The news comes days after the MSA Britcar Dunlop Endurance Championship races at Snetterton, the Norfolk track previously home to the Willhire 24 Hour, the race that James Tucker initially set out to emulate when he organised the Britcar 24 Hours in 2005. A return to a touring car based race will evoke memories of the Snetterton race, which ran from 1980 until 1994.
The classes outlined for the event will cater for touring cars of up to 3.5 litres, with categories for cars built to TCR regulations as well as both Young Times and Classic machinery.
