Schmidt and Ashkanani – looking for a 1-2 drivers’ championship finish to the Porsche GT3 Cup season in Bahrain.
Monday Feb 22nd 2016 – Al Nabooda Racing head for Bahrain International Circuit next week aiming to establish a cluster of new records as the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East reaches its climax.
With the GT3 Cup team championship already secured for the third time in four seasons, Jeffrey Schmidt is looking to add the drivers’ title to complete a superb 10th anniversary campaign for the Dubai outfit.
Schmidt holds a commanding 26pt lead over Zaid Ashkanani, and with Irish driver Ryan Cullen another 8pts away in third place the Al Nabooda Racing duo could produce the first ever 1-2 championship finish by two team-mates.
Having already equaled the record number of nine race wins recorded by any driver in a GT3 Cup season, Schmidt wants to eclipse that standard with two more in Bahrain on 4 and 5 March.
The team aims to repeat their impressive display at the Bahrain International Circuit during the first two rounds of the cup, netting back-to-back wins with three podium finishes.
Al Nabooda Racing are also looking to beat their own record for the most team championship points – 500 – amassed in a season.
They have already matched their own record number of team race victories – nine – in a season, and can shatter the record 65-pt winning margin they had in capturing the Porsche GT3 Cup team title in 2012-13.
“Our priority at the start of the season was to reclaim the team title, and to have done that with two races to spare is a fantastic performance,” said team manager Vijay Rao.
“We knew that by pairing Jeffrey and Zaid together that we had two potential drivers’ champions, and we’re delighted that they’ve bonded so well.
“We’re all aware that there are a number of new records to be had in Bahrain, and it would be wonderful to finish the season with the top two in the drivers’ championship as well.”
Schmidt’s back-to-back race wins at Dubai Autodrome last Friday mean it will take a major disaster to prevent him from securing the drivers’ crown.
The team are taking nothing for granted, however, particularly following the first corner collision which put Schmidt out of an earlier race in Dubai last month. This means that, even should he win both races in Bahrain, he will stall fall one point short of the record total achieved by former Al Nabooda Racing star, Clemens Schmid, on his way to the title in the 2012-13 season.
Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East – team standings
1. Al Nabooda Racing UAE 424pts
2. Al Faisal Racing KSA 319pts
3. Frijns Structural Steel ME NED 259pts
4. Sky Dive Dubai Falcons UAE 136pts
5. Team Bahrain BAH 135pts
6. Classic Arabia Racing KSA 65pts
Driver’s championship
1. Jeffrey Schmidt 225pts
2. Zaid Ashkanani 199pts
3. Ryan Cullen 191pts
4. Abdulaziz Al Faisal 180pts
5. Charlie Frijns 169pts
6. Saud Al Faisal 139pts
8. Wolfgang Triller 130pts
8. Jaber Al Khalifa 111pts
