Dubai Apr 15th 2011: Saudi Arabia’s Bandar Alesayi scored his first victory in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East today while second place in Round 10 at Dubai Autodrome saw Sheikh Salman bin Rashid Al Khalifa again extend his lead in the series.
With two final races remaining tomorrow (Saturday) in the 12-round championship, Sheikh Salman holds a 14-point lead over Saudi Arabia’s defending champion, Prince Abdulaziz Al Faisal, who recovered to finish third after spinning off, as he had done earlier in Round 9.
Abu Dhabi’s Khaled Al Qubaisi finished fourth in a dramatic 14-laps of Porsche GT3 Cup racing which also saw Fahad Algosaibi spin off the track and out of contention on the first lap.
Al Qubaisi’s team-mate, Musaed Al Murar, lost third place and went out of the race when he made an excursion from the circuit at the end of the 11th lap.
Earlier in Race 9 (first race of the weekend)
Sheikh Salman benefitted when his closest challenger, Prince Abdulaziz Al Faisal, spun off while challenging for the lead, eventually finishing fourth.
Teenager Fahad Algosaibi finished second to climb above Abu Dhabi’s unfortunate Khaled Al Qubaisi into third place in the championship while another Saudi driver, Bandar Alesayi, claimed the other podium position.
In a dramatic race on the penultimate day of the 12-round series, Al Qubaisi saw his slim title hopes ruined when he was inadvertently taken off the circuit, and out of the race, near the end of the first lap.
The Emirati ran completely out of luck when fellow-UAE contender Ibrahim Salloum spun sideways across the track and collided with him, ending the race for both drivers.
It was the second disappointment of the day for Al Qubaisi who, after winning his first race in the series in Abu Dhabi from pole position last weekend, had been only fifth fastest qualifier.
There were no major problems for Sheikh Salman whose two fastest times in qualifying had earned him pole position for both of today’s rounds, although he said at the end of the race that he was concerned with his car’s race speed.
He was never able to pull away from Prince Abdulaziz after making a perfect start, and Saudi’s defending champion put him under intense pressure over the first seven laps before sliding off the track and out of contention as he tried to find a way past.
Round 10 results
1. Bandar Alesayi (KSA) 24:04.949
2. Salman Bin Rashid Al Khalifa (BAH) 24:09.056
3. Abdulaziz Al Faisal (KSA) Al Faisal Racing Team 24:20.788
4. Khaled Al Qubaisi (UAE) tolimit Arabia 24:21.015
5. Fahad Algosaibi (KSA) ClassicArabia Racing 24:22.737
6. Mark Thomas (CAN) 24:38.877
7. Ibrahim Salloum (UAE) Abu Dhabi Falcon Racing 24:39.233
8. Johannes Waimer (GER) 24:46.611
9. Alain Muraour (F) 24:54.011
10. Fawaz Algosaibi (KSA) ClassicArabia Racing 24:54.444
Championship positions after ten rounds
1. Salman Bin Rashid Al Khalifa (BAH) 180pts
2. Abdulaziz Al Faisal (KSA) Al Faisal Racing Team 166pts
3. Fahad Algosaibi (KSA) ClassicArabia Racing 147pts
4. Khaled Al Qubaisi (UAE) tolimit Arabia 146pts
5. Bandar Alesayi (KSA) 146pts
6. Musaed Al Murar (UAE) tolimit arabia 89pts
7. Ibrahim Salloum (UAE) Abu Dhabi Falcon Racing 76pts
8. Johannes Waimer (GER) 70pts
9. Fawaz Algosaibi (KSA) ClassicArabia Racing 55pts
10. Alain Muraour (F) 51pts
Mobil 1 Trophy (Over 45s)
1. Johannes Waimer (GER) 190pts
2. Alain Muraour (F) 160pts
3. Fawaz Algosaibi (KSA) ClassicArabia Racing 144pts
