Toyota Gazoo Racing celebrated its fifth win of the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship season at the Bapco 6 Hours of Bahrain today, as the No.8 Toyota TS 050 HYBRID triumphed at an eventful season finale. Sébastien Buemi, Anthony Davidson and Kazuki Nakajima claimed a third consecutive WEC win to ensure that the Japanese manufacturer won five races in a WEC season since they entered in 2012.  Buemi took the lead from Neel Jani’s pole sitting Porsche 919 Hybrid in the first hour after fighting through from fourth on the grid in the early exchanges. Nakajima and Davidson were both able to extend the lead and the car eventually took the chequered flag by a full lap.  Davidson in particular had an eventful race, as he raced through the pain barrier after breaking a toe in his left foot in a bizarre pit accident.  Porsche LMP Team claimed second and third in their farewell race as the No.2 Porsche 919 Hybrid of Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber claimed second position ahead of the No.1 sister car driven by Neel Jani, André Lotterer and Nick Tandy.  To read the whole LMP1 report CLICK HERE For all classifications and timing CLICK HERE Retrouvez ICI tous les articles de notre site en version française

Senna and Canal take LMP2 crown in dramatic finale Vaillante Rebellion celebrated a memorable first LMP2 championship success after a tense and thrilling finale at the Bapco 6 Hours of Bahrain on Saturday evening.  Bruno Senna and Julien Canal claimed the crown after they sealed a fourth win of the season and a third in succession along with their teammate Nicolas Prost. Senna and Canal lifted the championship trophy and, although Prost will not be crowned champion due to missing the Nurburgring race in July, his teammates and team praised his massive contribution to the success.  The No.31 Vaillante Rebellion ORECA-Gibson was engaged in a fascinating race long duel with the No.38 Jackie Chan DC Racing car crewed by Oliver Jarvis, Thomas Laurent and Ho-Pin Tung. To read the full report CLICK HERE Provisional classifications can be found HERE

Toyota claims fifth victory of 2017 FIA WEC season in Bahrain

• 6 Hours of Bahrain FIA World Endurance Championship Porsche Racing Toyota
• At 11/18/2017 08:23:00 p.m.
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Ferrari proved once again to be the team to beat in 2017. The Prancing Horse has this year in the FIA World Endurance Championship taken a fifth FIA GT Manufacturers title in six years, a first FIA GT Drivers title (the first to be awarded as a world championship title), a fifth victory of the season in today’s 6 Hours of Bahrain, and for AF Corse, a fourth GTE Pro Teams Trophy since 2012. The No.71 Ferrari 488 GTE of Sam Bird and Davide Rigon was presented with the win in the LMGTE Pro class by their team mates James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi in the No.51 who clinched the GT FIA World Endurance Championship title. The Champions established a strong lead through the race which, although pushed hard by the No.67 Ford GT and their team mates, was never bettered. The pass by the No.71 for the lead was in the dying moments of the race.  The No.67 Ford GT of Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell, which had been in championship contention going into the final round of the season, finished third after being delayed by a slow pit stop but never really having the pace of the Italian cars. The No.91 Porsche 911 RSR of Frederic Makowiecki and Richard Lietz had been in contention earlier in the race, but dropped back in the final third and eventually finished fourth in class.  To read the full GTE report CLICK HERE For all classifications and timing CLICK HERE Retrouvez ICI tous les articles de notre site en version française

Aston Martin claim top honours in LMGTE Am as Vantage bows out The two LMGTE Pro Aston Martin entries may not have been able to challenge for a win today, but in GTE Am, Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy and Mathias Lauda gave the venerable Aston Martin Vantage the best possible send off by winning and securing the FIA World Endurance Trophies for GTE Am Teams and Drivers. It was the trio’s fourth victory of the season, but their consistency and seven pole positions also added to their points’ tally. Farewell then to the Vantage, and welcome to its 2018 replacement which will be revealed by Aston Martin next week in London.  Second in Am was the No.61 Clearwater Racing entry of Matt Griffin, Keita Sawa and Weng Sun Mok who led home the Ferrari 488 GTE of Spirit of Race for the final podium position.  Provisional classifications can be found HERE and race facts HERE.  That’s it for the 2017 season and we thank all our competitors for a great season. See you all in 2018 ready for the 2018/2019 Super Season!

All stories on the 2017 season are available online on the official FIAWEC website at www.fiawec.com

Ferrari wins all before them; Calado and Pier Guidi crowned GT Drivers’ Champions

• 6 Hours of Bahrain Championship Drivers Ferrari FIA World Endurance Championship
• At 11/18/2017 08:09:00 p.m.
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No.1 Porsche claims pole in Bahrain for final race  Porsche took a final pole position with the ultra-successful 919 Hybrid as it bows out of competition at the Bapco 6 Hours of Bahrain.  Nick Tandy and Neel Jani combine to set a blistering 1m39.383s average in a thrilling qualifying session. Claiming the No.1 Porsche 919 Hybrid’s third top spot of the season, Jani topped the times with a scintillating best lap of 1m39.084s to snatch the pole from the No.7 Toyota TS050 HYBRID of Mike Conway and José Maria Lopez.  Completing the second row of the LMP1 giants go to battle for the final time tomorrow afternoon.  • Nick Tandy and Neel Jani seal pole with average of 1m39.383s • Third pole of season for No.1 Porsche 919 Hybrid in final outing for car  • Toyota place second as Mike Conway and José Maria Lopez combine but miss out on pole by 0.268 • No.2 Porsche of champions Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley place third • No.8 Toyota TS 050 HYBRID starts fourth as Davidson and Nakajima qualify  For all classifications and timing CLICK HERE Retrouvez ICI tous les articles de notre site en version française

Signatech Alpine snatches crucial pole point in LMP2  The LMP2 category saw a fascinating grid order unfold as the Signatech Alpine duo of André Negrão and Gustavo Menezes combined to seal a third pole of the 2017 season for Les Bleues.  It was a fine performance form the Brazilian/US alliance as they swept to a 1m47.227s average to claim the pole by 0.3s. Menezes has an outside chance of taking back-to-back titles but with a 22-point deficit looks likely to have to reply on good fortune. Lining up second and third in class will be the title protagonists, the No.31 Vaillante Rebellion and No.38 Jackie Chan DC Racing entries. Bruno Senna and Julien Canal have a four point advantage heading in to the race tomorrow over Oliver Jarvis, Thomas Laurent and Ho-Pin Tung.  • LMP2 pole goes to Signatech Alpine as Andre Negrão and Gustavo Menezes combine to take third pole position of season with an average of 1m47.227 • No.38 Jackie Chan DC Racing title chasers start second • Title leaders Bruno Senna and Julien Canal in No.31 Vaillante Rebellion entry start right behind rivals in third as they have four point advantage

Ferrari claim critical GTE pole Ferrari came out on top after another closely fought LMGTE Pro qualifying session at the Bapco 6 Hours of Bahrain this evening. Davide Rigon and Sam Bird took their fourth pole position of the 2017 FIA WEC campaign to ensure that Rigon’s slight title chances remained.  The No.71 AF Corse Ferrari took the pole with an average of 1m56.033s. Rigon set a sensational best outright lap of 1m47.058 to set a new qualifying record in class with the Ferrari 488GTE.  Lining up alongside the Ferrari will be the No.97 Aston Martin Vantage V8 GTE as it bows out this weekend after a glorious WEC career.  Darren Turner and Jonny Adam set an average of 1m56.372s, while No.67 Ford GT duo of Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell placed third, as the British pair set about hunting down title rivals - James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi - who start just one place behind in their No.51 AF Corse Ferrari.  Porsche duo Frederic Makowiecki and Richard Lietz finish sixth as they look to reduce the two point deficit to Calado and Pier Guidi in points table.

Lamy and Dalla Lana take 7th pole of the year! Pedro Lamy and Paul Dalla Lana take seventh pole position from nine races and extend lead in title stakes to 11 points. Lamy and Dalla Lana set average lap time of 2m00.111s, with Lamy peaking on category best of 1m59.328s.  Close session sees Clearwater Racing miss out on pole by just 0.17s as Weng Sun Mok and Matt Griffin set an average of 2m00.285s in their Ferrari 488GTE.  Dempsey Proton Racing starts third as Christian Ried, Matteo Cairoli and Marvin Dienst look to reduce 11-point gap to No.98. Aston Martin drivers.

Porsche LMP claim pole for final race; Signatech Alpine, Ferrari and Aston Martin start in class pole positions in Bahrain

• 6 Hours of Bahrain Ferrari Porsche Race Toyota
• At 11/17/2017 12:29:00 p.m.
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FIA World Endurance Championship announces results of WEC Global Fan Survey  The WEC Global Fan Survey launched towards the end of September received an incredible response from over 54,000 fans around the world, and the responses have now been independently analysed and compiled. As promised by FIA WEC CEO, Gerard Neveu, the results have today been presented in Bahrain just ahead of the Bapco 6 Hours of Bahrain, the final round of the 2017 season.  The aim of the survey – the largest conducted on the WEC’s discipline of endurance racing among motorsport fans around the world – was to get them to give their views on a comprehensive range of subjects including the number of races, where they are held, the spectacle of the WEC, favourite brands and much more. The survey was managed by Motorsport Network in conjunction with Nielsen Sports on behalf of the WEC.  The feedback has been extremely encouraging, giving the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), promoter of the WEC, and the organisation team behind the championship, valuable tools with which to move forward into the future.  To read the details about the survey results and how to obtain a copy of the media report CLICK HERE

Grand sondage des fans du Championnat du Monde d'Endurance FIA : les résultats Le grand sondage lancé fin septembre dernier a reçu un accueil exceptionnel de la part de plus de 54 000 fans du monde entier. Leurs réponses ont été analysées et répertoriées en toute indépendance. Comme l'avait promis Gérard Neveu, Directeur Général du Championnat du Monde d'Endurance FIA (WEC), les résultats de cette enquête sont rendus publics aujourd'hui au Bahreïn, où se déroule ce week-end l'ultime manche 2017, les Bapco 6 Heures de Bahreïn. L’objectif de cette enquête, la plus importante consacrée à l'endurance auprès des passionnés de sport automobile du monde entier, était de connaitre leurs avis sur un éventail exhaustif de sujets : le nombre de courses, les circuits visités, l’évènement dans sa globalité tel que proposé par le WEC, les constructeurs favoris, et bien d'autres choses encore. Cette enquête, commandité par le WEC, a été organisée par Motorsport Network en collaboration avec Nielsen Sports.  Le retour d'informations a été extrêmement encourageant, et offre à l'Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), promoteur du WEC, ainsi qu'à l'équipe en charge de son organisation, de précieux outils leur permettant d'aller de l'avant pour ainsi bâtir l'avenir.  Pour découvrir tous les détails du sondage et savoir comment obtenir une copie du rapport CLIQUEZ ICI

Results of WEC Global Fan Survey announced

• 6 Hours of Bahrain FIA Motorsport Racing Sports
• At 11/17/2017 12:18:00 p.m.
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GT FIA World Endurance Drivers Championship down to the wire Seven teams will head to the Bapco 6 Hours of Bahrain with a chance of winning FIA World Endurance Championship LMGTE Pro and AM titles, in what promises to be a thrilling conclusion to the 2017 season.  Firstly, a look at the FIA GT Drivers’ title chase, and the battle for the LMGTE Pro Teams Trophy.  After an action-packed 6 Hours of Shanghai, the battle for the GT FIA World Endurance Drivers Championship remains wide open, with drivers from four cars from three manufacturers still in with a chance.  To read about the battles for the GT Drivers' Championship, which Ferrari's James Calado and Alessandro  Pier Guidi are currently leading by two points, click HERE To see all the latest points' standings click HERE Retrouvez ICI tous les articles de notre site en version française

Aston Martin, Dempsey-Proton or Clearwater Racing in GTE Am? The fight for the LMGTE Am Team and Drivers’ Trophies has been the tightest yet seen with just 11 points separating the top three Teams and 19 points between the top three driver pairings.  A third victory of the season in Shanghai took Aston Martin Racing trio Pedro Lamy, Mathias Lauda and Paul Dalla Lana back to the top of the standings, 10 points clear of the Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche of Matteo Cairoli, Marvin Dienst and Christian Ried.  From a deficit of one-point heading into the weekend, the No.98 Aston Martin crew turned the title race on its head with a maximum 26-point score, meaning they can wrap up a long-awaited first championship with third place in Bahrain, even if the Porsche wins and takes pole position.  The Clearwater Racing Ferrari 488 GTE of Matt Griffin, Keita Sawa and Weng Sun Mok remains in mathematical contention despite a costly collision with the Jackie Chan DC Racing ORECA of Tristan Gommendy in China. However, they will need their main rivals to strike serious trouble if they are to bring home a fairy-tale title in the Singaporean team’s first season in the WEC.

Aston Martin bids farewell to the Vantage It may be the oldest car in the field, but the Aston Martin Vantage will bow out of the FIA World Endurance Championship at the Bapco 6 Hours of Bahrain as one of the series’ most enduringly successful machines.  Built at Prodrive in Banbury (some 15 miles/24 km from Silverstone), the Vantage GTE can trace its roots back to 2008, but has continued winning in its final year before being replaced by a newer model next season.  Aston Martin Racing celebrated pole in both the LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am classes in China, while a third GTE Am victory of the season put Pedro Lamy, Paul Dalla Lana and Mathias Lauda in command of the title race as the final race of the year approaches.

Bapco 6 Hours of Bahrain: A race not to be missed!

• 6 Hours of Bahrain FIA FIA World Endurance Championship Racing
• At 11/14/2017 07:33:00 p.m.
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When to see all the action 

The final round of the 2017 season is almost with us, and the action starts on Thursday 16 November with two free practice sessions, some under the floodlights, at the popular Bahrain International Circuit. A third and final practice will take place ahead of qualifying on Friday 17 November, and the Bapco 6 Hours of Bahrain will run into the night from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Saturday 18 November. Races to be won, championship titles to be settled, and farewells to be made.  Don't miss a minute.

A full timetable can be found HERE

The latest Entry list can be found HERE

Retrouvez ICI tous les articles de notre site en version française

One week to go to Bapco 6 Hours of Bahrain

• 6 Hours of Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit Championship Sporting
• At 11/11/2017 03:48:00 p.m.
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The main headlines from today's thrilling qualifying session are as follows: 

• In Audi Sport Team Joest's final WEC qualifying session Lucas Di Grassi sets incredible fastest lap of 1m 38.828s to take pole position after Oliver Jarvis sets initial benchmark in No.8 Audi R18 
• Brazilian sets qualifying lap record to record last ever pole position for Audi Sport Team Joest. The pair combine to set an average time of 1m 39.207 to edge out the No. 1 Porsche 919 Hybrid by 0.264 seconds. 
• Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley steal second in closing stages 
• Title leaders Marc Lieb and Neel Jani claim third position as they enter race needing just a fifth place finish 
• No.7 Audi R18 start fourth after Fassler and Lotterer qualify 
• Toyota start fifth and sixth as No.6 TS050 HYBRID heads No.5 car 
• Rebellion Racing claim another LMP1 Privateer pole position as Kraihamer and Imperatori combine to head ByKolles entry which suffers technical problems  

For all the times from both qualifying sessions today CLICK HERE

LMGTE Pro ruled by Aston Martin Racing; sensational LMGTE Am action For the final round of the 2016 season, it was Aston Martin Racing all the way. The headlines from the LMGTE qualifying session are as follows:  No.97 Aston Martin driven by Darren Turner and late replacement Jonny Adam takes first pole of season to head Aston Martin 1-2 in LMGTE Pro  Title leaders Marco Sorensen and Nicki Thiim start second as they look to score necessary points to take LMGTE Pro crown  GT Manufacturers' title fight down to 9 points as Aston Martin reduce gap to Ferrari with pole point  Thrilling session in LMGTE Am sees No.98 Aston Martin of Paul Dalla Lana and Pedro Lamy snatch sixth pole of the season in a dramatic conclusion to the session. The result keeps alive their slender title hopes  No.83 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia was in line for title success with extra point for pole but last flying lap by Pedro Lamy steals pole. It's now all about tomorrow's 6 Hours of Bahrain! The race starts at 16h00 tomorrow, Saturday 19 November and will race into the night.

Bahreïn Qualifications LMP1 et LMP2 : Audi, une pole position à émotions  Voici les principales informations et performances à l'issue des qualifications des Bapco 6 Heures de Bahreïn, neuvième et dernière manche du Championnat du Monde d'Endurance FIA (WEC) 2016 :  Lucas di Grassi boucle un tour exceptionnel en 1'38''828 pour décrocher la pole position, après qu'Oliver Jarvis ait signé le premier temps de référence de l'Audi R18 n°8.  Le Brésilien établit le record des qualifications pour la dernière pole d'Audi Sport Team Joest. Lucas di Grassi et son coéquipier britannique réalisent une moyenne de 1'39''207, devançant de 0''264 seconde la Porsche 919 Hybrid n°1.  Pilotée par Timo Bernhard et Brendon Hartley, celle-ci rejoint l'Audi n°8 en première ligne dans les derniers instants de ces qualifications.  Leaders du classement général provisoire des pilotes, Marc Lieb et Neel Jani sont troisièmes. En course, une cinquième place leur suffit pour être titrés.  Marcel Fässler et André Lotterer qualifient l'Audi R18 n°7 en quatrième position.  Toyota occupe la troisième ligne avec le cinquième temps pour la TS050 HYBRID n°6, et le sixième pour la n°5.  Chez les Equipes Privées LMP1, Mathéo Tuscher et Alexandre Imperatori (Rebellion Racing) devancent ByKolles Racing Team, handicapé par des problèmes techniques.  En catégorie LMP2, René Rast et Roman Rusinov signent la sixième pole position 2016 de G-Drive Racing, avec 0''02 seconde d'avance sur Signatech Alpine.

Bahreïn Qualifications LMGTE : double pole position pour Aston Martin  Pour cette dernière manche 2016, Aston Martin domine les catégories LMGTE Pro et LMGTE Am. Voici les principaux temps forts de ces qualifications :  Au volant de la Vantage n°97, Darren Turner et Jonny Adam, remplaçant de dernière minute, signent leur première pole position de la saison en catégorie LMGTE Pro, et emmènent un doublé Aston Martin.  Leaders de la Coupe du Monde Endurance FIA des Pilotes GT, Marco Sorensen et Nicki Thiim s'élanceront depuis la deuxième position, et tenteront demain de marquer les points nécessaires à leur sacre sous le drapeau à damier des Bapco 6 Heures de Bahreïn.  Chez les constructeurs, le point attribué à la pole position permet en outre à Aston Martin de réduire à neuf unités l'écart qui sépare la marque anglaise de Ferrari.  Qualifications à suspense en LMGTE Am, avec une sixième pole position cette saison pour l'Aston Martin n°98, qui conserve ses chances pour le Trophée Endurance FIA de la catégorie.  Le point de la pole position aurait pu permettre à la Ferrari AF Corse n°83 d'être couronnée, mais le sensationnel dernier tour de Pedro Lamy prive l'équipe italienne de ce sacre anticipé. Tout se jouera demain pendant les six heures de course !  Les Bapco 6 Heures de Bahreïn s'élanceront demain samedi 19 novembre à 16h00 (heure locale) et s'achèveront en nocturne. CLIQUEZ ICI pour découvrir les chronos et les résultats complets des qualifications.

All stories on the 2016 season ahead are available online on the official FIAWEC website at : www.fiawec.com Twitter and Facebook : Follow the FIAWEC on Twitter @fiawec and 'like' FIA WEC on Facebook

Audi's di Grassi and Jarvis take pole in Bahrain for marque's final WEC race

• 6 Hours of Bahrain FIA Racing Sport
• At 11/18/2016 09:18:00 p.m.
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Track action is underway for 2016 WEC finale Porsche's Neel Jani headed the time sheets in Free Practice 1, with Aston Martin Racing leading the way in LMGTE Pro.  For all the news on the first track action for the Bapco 6 Hours of Bahrain CLICK HERE Under the floodlights at night for the second Free Practice session Neel Jani scorched to fastest lap of the day with a 1m39.817s.  The No.2 Porsche 919 Hybrid was 0.455s quicker than the sister car of Mark Webber, Brendon Hartley and Timo Bernhard. G-Drive Racing went to the top of the time sheets in LMP2, while Aston Martin Racing led the way in LMGTE Pro and Am.  For all the headlines from this session CLICK HERE  For all the times from the two practice sessions today CLICK HERE Retrouvez ICI tous les articles de notre site en version française.

Where to follow the 6 Hours of Bahrain on TV This weekend’s Bapco 6 Hours of Bahrain, taking place at the impressive Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir between 17-19 November, will be the scene for the thrilling conclusion to a number of championship title battles including the World Endurance Drivers’ and the World GT Manufacturers’ championships. The action will be intense, with much at stake, and there is huge anticipation throughout the 31-car field.  The ninth and final round of the WEC begins at 16h00 local time and will race into the night. The 5.412 km (3.363 miles), 15 turn track, which can be very slippery off line due to the sand around the track,will test the drivers’ skill and driving at night under the floodlights can often produce drama.  If you are unable to attend in person – missing out on what is likely to be an incredible spectacle of the world’s most sophisticated and high-performing sports prototypes and GT cars racing making their annual visit to the Middle East – don’t worry! The WEC has put together a comprehensive list of live television coverage to be shown via major broadcasters around the world, ensuring that you don’t miss any of the WEC action.  To read more about the TV distribution schedule CLICK HERE The full list of coverage can be found HERE

New Porsche 911 RSR revealed! The new generation Porsche 911 RSR has been unveiled at the LA Auto Show to universal interest and anticipation for its track debut in 2017.  The new model is a mid-engined design powered by a four-litre flat-six engine mounted in front of the rear axle.  “While retaining the typical 911 design, this is the biggest evolution in the history of our top GT model,” said Head of Porsche Motorsport Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser.  “For the 911 RSR, we deliberately focused on a particularly modern and light normally-aspirated engine, as this gave our engineers immense latitude in developing the vehicle.  “Apart from that, in principle, the GTE and GT Le Mans class regulations stipulate the absolute equality of various drive concepts, as the torque characteristics of turbo and normally aspirated engines are aligned.”  The endurance world is looking forward to seeing the racing version of the new model back in the FIA WEC next season. In the meantime the WEC paddock will be able to see the car on display here at the Bapco 6 Hours of Bahrain.

BR and Dallara join forces for new LMP1 car A new contender in LMP1 will race in the 2018 FIA World Endurance Championship it has been revealed today.  The Russian BR Engineering company which was behind the BR01 LMP2 car which has raced over the last two seasons, will enter the LMP1 class as its own manufacturer after announcing an exciting new partnership with Dallara.  Boris Rotenberg, President of BR Engineering (left in picture above), and Andrea Pontremoli, CEO of Dallara, signed a collaboration agreement recently to confirm the new alliance. Development and operational support will be handled by renowned French squad – ART Grand Prix.  "We raised a challenge to ourselves," said Boris Rotenberg.  "It was possible to buy a chassis of one of the four manufacturers of LMP2 for a season, also it was possible to leave for good, but we have always chosen our own path.  “Dallara’s name is known to anyone who is familiar with motor racing. Now we have become partners, and BR Engineering's new project has started here in Italy where the best designers and engineers, both from Russia and from Europe, will create a Russian prototype for Russian team SMP Racing."  Image with thanks to BR Engineering

All stories on the 2016 season ahead are available online on the official FIAWEC website at : www.fiawec.com Twitter and Facebook : Follow the FIAWEC on Twitter @fiawec and 'like' FIA WEC on Facebook

Latest News: Track action underway in Bahrain; new cars, new entrants for WEC announced

• 6 Hours of Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit Car Drive Racing Racing
• At 11/17/2016 09:12:00 p.m.
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