Michael Waltrip is heading to Dubai in his first ever attempt at a World of International Sports Car race.  The 24 hour sportscar race will take place on January 14-16 at the Dubai Autodrome.  The Autodrome expects to field 80 GT and touring cars in the Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai.

Waltrip will share driving duties of an AF Corse team Ferrari F430 GT2.  His co-pilots are none other than Marcus Ambrose, Rui Aguas and Niki Cadei.

"I love racing cars," said Waltrip. "The Daytona 500 is the ultimate race for a NASCAR driver to win. But how cool is it to go to Dubai on the other side of the globe and race a Ferrari? I never thought I'd have a chance to be part of such a unique experience."

Waltrip has done testing in the Ferrari at the ACI Vallelunga circuit in Italy with some deal of success before deciding to take on the challenging Dubai 24 hours.

"I have always thought of myself as a pretty good road racer," said Waltrip, who owns two top-five finishes in NASCAR road races. "But, this is different.  This is an endurance race. This is 24 hours, not the normal three-hour NASCAR race."

Hardcore race fans will be updated via Twitter throught the event on Michael’s account, MWR55, and can also view video updates at www.youtube.com/24hafcorse<http://www.youtube.com/24hafcorse>.

"I can't Twitter while I'm competing during a NASCAR race, but I bet I can during this one," said Waltrip who plans to keep fans in touch with in-race updates during driving breaks. "While I am on the other side the globe, I don't plan on leaving my fans hanging."

The excitement kicks off on Thursday, January 14 with practice, followed by qualifying and another night practice. The Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai will wave the green flag Friday January 15 at 2 p.m.

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