TWO cars prepared by a Northwich team finished in podium positions during the 10th running of the Dubai 24-hours race.

Speedworks Motorsport claimed second and third respectively in the SP3 class, with both machines completed more than 500 laps of a 5km-plus circuit at the Dubai Autodrome.

“It’s a fantastic feeling I don’t think I can put into words,” said team boss Christian Dick.

“It’s a proud moment to have both cars on the podium having put so much effort into bringing them here with double the number of drivers and staff.”

Former British Touring Car Championship regulars Tony Hughes and Ollie Jackson shared driving duties with Ross Warburton and Tom Oliphant in Speedworks’ Ginetta G50 that was a category winner on debut at last year’s event.

Together they amassed 531 laps to finish 22nd overall, runner-up to Optimum Motorsport in class.

Jackson had to nurse the car home during the final stages in fourth gear after battling a selection problem earlier in his final stint behind the wheel.

Hughes said: “Winning last year put us under pressure, but our aim was to finish as highly-placed as possible.

“With that in mind, a second podium in as many years is fantastic."

Paul O’Neill, another to have piloted the team’s Toyota Avensis in the British Touring Car Championship, led a four-strong line-up in an Aston Martin Vantage.

He was joined behind the wheel by car owner John Gilbert, Flick Haigh and Devon Modell, completing 516 circuits in total to take third in class.

At the front, Oliver Webb, Yelmer Buurman, Abdulaziz Al Faisal and Hubert Haupt won for the Black Falcon Mercedes team.

The race was the start of a new era for the 24H Series, which now has official FIA International Series status.

The calendar includes 24-hour races at Paul Ricard and Barcelona and three 12-hour runs at Mugello, Zandvoort and Brno.