Dubai: The 2012 Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai race gets under way today with free practice followed by qualifying.
Teams will have more than eight hours of track time at Dubai Autodrome to prepare themselves for the race, which starts at 2pm tomorrow.
About 74 cars are set to begin the seventh running of the day-long race this year and the field is of the highest standard ever.
Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, Audi, Mercedes, Lotus, Lamborghini, Ginetta and Aston Martin are just some of the legendary marques set to do battle.
Free entry
Entry is free for fans throughout the entire weekend, with access to superb views from the main grandstand and free admission to the paddock area, where they can get close up to the teams, drivers and the machines.
For families there is a myriad of activities on the sidelines of the race, including food and beverage points, a UAE heritage village and a wide variety of entertainment.
At 8pm tomorrow night, six hours into the race, there will be a spectacular fireworks display. The race will end at 2pm on Saturday afternoon and will be followed by the podium presentation for the overall winners and class winners.
Mohammad Bin Sulayem, FIA vice-president and ATCUAE president, said: "We in the UAE are privileged to have two great races in the country. Of course the Abu Dhabi GP is a fantastic event, then we have the Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai which has a huge field and the atmosphere is fantastic.
"I really enjoy coming here during the 24 hours weekend. It makes me wish that when I was racing there were facilities such as this for me to race."
