Team Razoon Racing is all set to take on a new challenge following a successful maiden season in the ADAC GT4 Germany. Dominik Olbert’s team has previously focused its energies on sprint racing. The best result in the history of the team from Eggersdorf near Graz came at the ADAC GT4 Germany round at the Hockenheimring last year, a tactical masterstroke and outstanding drives by Leo Pichler and Leon Wassertheurer handed the squad overall victory.
But now the ambitious team from Styria will be making their first appearance in endurance racing at the Dubai 24 Hours. It will be the first time that either the team or the drivers have competed in a 24-hour race. “We are delighted to be travelling to the UAE as an Austrian team and with a strong Austrian manufacturer and five Austrian drivers,” says Team Principal Dominik Olbert. “We would like to thank our sponsors, Milwaukee and Brebeck Composite, without whom we simply wouldn’t be here.” Olbert, a former professional alpine skier, has huge respect of the task ahead: “We will be determined and professional in our approach. I trust this fantastic team and our squad of highly motivated drivers. Our aim will be to cross the finish line after 24 hours of hard racing, gather as much experience as possible and represent the red and white of Austria and the black and orange of KTM as best we can.”
Alongside the team principal himself, who competed in the GT4 European Series in a KTM X-BOW GT4 in 2019, four other drivers will also be handling driving duties. The team includes Andreas Höfler, who knows the KTM X-BOW GTX well from his time competing in the TCO Austrian amateur series. Another driver with experience in the TCO series is Daniel Drexel, who will also be driving in Dubai and looking to gain some valuable experience ahead of a busy season of racing in Europe in 2022. The line-up is rounded off by rally driver Kevin Raith, who made his FIA WRC debut in 2021, and Robert Schiftner. For Schiftner, who made his on-track debut as part of the X-BOW Cup Europe in 2020, participation in the Dubai 24 Hours is undoubtedly the highlight of his career so far.
The Dubai 24 Hours marks the curtain-raiser for this year’s 24H Series. The action kicks off on Thursday, 13 January with free practice and night practice, as well as qualifying at 15:30 local time (12:30 CET). Warm-up is on Friday, 14 January at 10:30 (7:30 CET), followed by the green flag for the 24-hour race at 15:00 local time (12:00 CET) with the chequered flag flying at the same time on Saturday, 15 January. The provisional entry list includes over 80 of the best racing machinery out there, divided into a total of ten classes.
One of the main features of the race around the 5.39 km Dubai Autodrome is the extended period of night-time running and the comparatively high temperatures. This, coupled with the large entry list, will pose a significant challenge to the Razoon Racing squad. Fans can follow all the action live on the event’s official website, which features extensive live coverage and live onboard streams.