Dubai: The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East at Dubai Autodrome will have a strong local presence with two teams — debutants Sky Dive Dubai Falcons and champions Al Nabooda Racing.
The third and fourth round of the highly rated Porsche one make series will have Shaikh Hasher Al Maktoum and Saeed Al Mehairi in their line-up of Falcons while Al Nabooda Racing have multiple UAE champion Karim Al Azhari and championship leader Clemens Schimd in the cockpit of their blue, white and silver cars.
Walter Lechner, veteran race driver and organiser of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, said: “I followed Shaikh Hasher when he was in Speedcar and he did very well there. First as teammate to David Terrien and then teammate with Jean Alesi. He showed his talent, and actually when we started the Porsche Challenge we wanted to get him to compete. It took some time to get him with us. But now we are very happy to have him and Saeed with the Sky Dive Dubai Falcons team in our series.”
Shaikh Hasher got his inaugural campaign, in the 2013-2014 series, to a great start after coming tops in a battle with last season’s runner-up Abdulaziz Al Faisal of the Saudi Falcons and Germany’s Hubert Haupt to finish third in race two in Bahrain late last month.
Although Lechner was aware of Shaikh Hasher’s abilities, he was nevertheless pleasantly surprised by the performance, “This championship is getting stronger every year, with top talent from the region and also Europe. I knew Shaikh Hasher’s potential but, getting on the podium by sheer driving ability not just people falling off the track or retirements, was a great achievement. Also for the Sky Dive Dubai Falcons team to be straight away on the podium is another big achievement.”
The two Dubai teams departed Bahrain top of the standings, with Al Nabooda Racing topping the points standings, and they are set to duel it out on home tarmac.
“We have two teams of four drivers who call this race at Dubai Autodrome their ‘home race’ and for that reason we are racing here in Dubai this weekend and again next year as part of the 2013-2014 championship. We have the defending champions — Al Nabooda Racing — with Karim Al Azhari and Clemens Schmid in the team and of course now the Sky Dive Dubai Falcons boys,” said Lechner.
