Benjamin Mazatis is travelling straight from the winter wonderland of Bruckmühl to around 25 degrees and bright sunshine. The 20-year-old will be competing in the prestigious 24-hour race in Dubai from 10 to 12 January together with Reiter Engineering. Only last Saturday he received the offer to compete in this desert classic and didn't think twice about it. Together with Adam Galas, Jan Krabec and Nicolai Elghanayan, he will be aiming for victory in the SP2 class in the KTM X-Bow GT4.
The participation closes a circle for Mazatis. In 2017, he contested his first race in the KTM X-Bow GT4 together with Reiter Engineering and at the same time the first and only 24-hour race of his career. Two successful years in the GT4 European Series Northern Cup and GT4 Central European Cup in the middle of the title fight followed. Now the joint collaboration ends where it began so positively in 2017 - ideally with a similarly strong performance.
In 2017, the driver from Bruckmühl had travelled to Dubai without any test drives and had gained all of his driving experience in the KTM X-Bow GT4 in the free practice sessions. The result was impressive: he crossed the finish line in second place in his class on his 19th birthday. Only an overnight repair break prevented him from fighting for victory. Now he is hoping for a birthday present, as Mazatis turns 21 just two days after the chequered flag falls.
Benjamin Mazatis: „I'm really looking forward to competing in this year's 24h Dubai. The race is an absolute highlight at the start of the season and all the big names in the sport are represented year after year. When I got the call on Saturday evening, I was a bit surprised. But spontaneity is part of the racing driver's life and it didn't take long for me to accept. I would like to thank Reiter Engineering for their trust in me and my driving skills. It means so much to me to return to the place where our story together began so successfully two years ago. Now I can close this great and successful chapter of my career there before setting off on new and interesting challenges in 2019.“