Porsche GT3 Cup series races into record books in Qatar

Agencies/Dubai

ON THE FAST LANE: Qatar’s Saadon al-Kuwari in action

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East will create its own chapter of motor racing history when the region’s headline series makes a spectacular night-time debut at Qatar’s Losail International Circuit next month.It will be the first Porsche GT3 Cup night racing event staged anywhere in the world since the one-make championship was introduced seven years ago, running initially in Brazil, New Zealand, and the US. At the same time, a guaranteed starting line-up of at least 18 cars for Rounds 9 and 10 on March 2-3 will be the biggest since the Middle East version of the Porsche GT3 Cup series was launched in December 2009.The Losail circuit’s permanent outdoor lighting will add a new dimension to the 12-round championship as the 2011-12 season heads towards its climax, and there is plenty of excitement in store for competitors and spectators alike. “All of the drivers, and everyone else connected with the Porsche GT3 Cup series, are genuinely excited about our first visit to Qatar,” said Walter Lechner, owner of Lechner Racing, who run the championship on behalf of Porsche Middle East and Africa.“This is something that we’ve been looking forward to ever since we started planning this championship several years ago, and we’re especially pleased to be racing at night for the first time, thanks to the fantastic lighting system at Losail.”Lechner confirmed that Qatar’s Abdul Rahman al-Thani will make his Porsche GT3 Cup debut at Losail, joining Saadon al-Kuwari and Doha-based team-mates Rob Frijns and Manfred Ender on the starting grid. While Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz al-Faisal looks to be heading for his second Porsche GT3 Cup title success in three years, former Qatar rally champion al-Kuwari, whose son Abdulaziz won last month’s Qatar International Rally, holds a strong lead in the Michelin Silver Trophy for the intermediate class.