HUGHES SPEEDWORKS TO TACKLE DUBAI 24H

The Hughes/Speedworks partnership will once again take to the track in the Dubai Autodrome for a second crack at podium glory and to tackle the 10th Anniversary edition of the 24 hour race from 8th – 10th January 2015, this time ‘powered by Hankook’.

The team will once again be piloting the Ginetta that they took to SP3 (GT4) class victory at the 2014 running of the race, though there will be a few new faces behind wheel of the beautiful G50 to attempt to defend their crown.

Former British Touring Car Championship racer, and Team sponsor, Stockport’s Tony Hughes will again be joined by Warburtons Bakery Executive Director, and Historic racer Ross Warburton. The line-ups familiarity ends there however as the duo are joined by BTCC racer Oli Jackson and Ginetta GT Supercup race winner Tom Oliphant.

Oli Jackson, who competed in the BTCC in 2014 with Welch Motorsport has history with the team after pedalling a Toyota Avensis for the Hughes/Speedworks Team in 2013, Jackson is also familiar to sportscars following outings in the Porsche Carrera Cup, British GT, and Caterhams.

Tom completes the quartet on the back of a season in the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup, having scored an array of podiums and a race win during 2014, dovetailed with a part season in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship driving a Ginetta G55.

Team principal Christian Dick, who was part of the driver line-up that lifted the SP3 winners’ trophy in 2014, is still recovering from the effects of his monster shunt at the Zandvoort 12H in Holland, though he will be on hand, taking a more ‘managerial’ role – overseeing the team that will also be fielding an Aston Martin for former Fun Cup racer John Gilbert. Gilbert will be joined by erstwhile BTCC ace-turned commentator; Paul O’Neill.

Left: Hughes Speedworks toppeed the podim in 2014’s Dubai 24H

Commented Hughes:

“We’re incredibly excited about returning to Dubai to try and defend our crown. We went there in 2014 with ambitions of simply finishing the race, then obviously surpassed all of our dreams by topping the podium.

“I think we have a strong line-up that can do the same again – or reach the podium at the very least.

“The car’s great, the team will do a great job, and despite us missing Christian behind the wheel, he’ll still be on hand to mastermind the operation”.

The Hankook Dubai 24H endurance race has become a mainstay of the UAE’s prestigious sporting calendar and is the first major road racing event on the global calendar of any given year. The 2015 event has attracted no less than 95 cars from teams all over the world, representing manufacturers including Mercedes, Ferrari, Peugeot, Nissan, Porsche, VW and many more.

British supporters of the event will be able to see coverage of the event LIVE on Motors TV, whilst live streaming and radio commentary will be available through the series organisers’ website: www.24hdubai.com