Bas Koeten Racing has been a specialist in endurance racing for years, a well-known fact. The team has completed more than 100 12h/24h races in its 20-year history. A new chapter begins with the upcoming edition of the 24h Dubai: the team will field two Porsche 992 GT3 Cup cars for this traditional 24-hour race taking place in January. This marks the team’s fifteenth participation in this special event.
Bas Koeten Racing’s roots in long-distance racing date back to 2003. Jelle Koeten states, “Without exception, endurance races have been on our annual race calendar. In recent years, we have achieved success in four popular categories in the 24h Series: TCR, Porsche 991, GT3, and GT4. The recent addition of two Porsche 992 GT3 Cup cars represents a significant step forward for our team. This week, the cars are being transported to Dubai after thorough preparation in our workshop. In January, we will compete against over 20 identical Cup Porsches. The result depends on teamwork: the ultimate collaboration between the crew and drivers in often challenging conditions. We always aim to excel in that, and this forward step aligns with our growing sporting ambitions.”
Intense Competition with Porsche 992
Bas Koeten adds, “In addition to the 24h Series, the 24h Nürburgring (2018) and 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (2022) are on our CV. In recent years, we have also participated in a large number of endurance fun races at the club racing level. Unfortunately, in 2023, we were not able to participate in enough international long-distance races. However, as a counterbalance, we performed very well again last season in sprint championships. An overall 1-2-3 in the final standings of the BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Benelux, champion in Supercar Challenge (Supersport), and P3 in the Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup.
In 2024, we will once again focus heavily on endurance. The choice for the Porsche 992 GT3 Cup was therefore not difficult: strong competition without Balance of Performance and a very fast car that is fundamentally reliable. In Dubai, we will drive both cars in the AM category.”
Over 20 Porsches
The driver line-ups for 24H Dubai are already confirmed. One car (#925), registered under the team name Team Captain America by Bas Koeten Racing, consists of a quintet, with the last four mentioned being from America. They are guided by Kay van Berlo, also residing in America, who made his Porsche debut with Bas Koeten Racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux in 2019:
- Kay van Berlo
- Grant Talkie
- Curt Swearingin
- Richard Edge
- Pedro Torres
The second car (#992) is registered under the team name NKPP Racing by Bas Koeten Racing. Four veterans are found in this line-up:
- Bob Herber
- Gijs Bessem
- Harry Hilders
- Kari Pekka Laaksonen
24h Dubai 2024 officially kicks off on Thursday, January 11, at the Dubai Autodrome. Over 70 participants are expected, including more than 20 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup cars.
Full focus
Joris de Wolf, responsible for logistics, concludes: “The logistical operation and preparation of both cars were completed at the end of November. The cars, spare parts, tents, and tools are already loaded into the container and are heading to Dubai via Rotterdam. Creventic, the organizer of the 24h Series, will ensure that the sea container is placed behind our pit box on-site. It’s a straightforward process; after all, we’ve done this before, but attention to detail and thinking a few steps ahead are essential. That can make a difference on-site. Fourteen crew members will fly in early January for an 8-day stay around this event. With full focus, we will do everything together to score!”