The Oman Ministry of Tourism is delighted to announce that Ahmad
Al Harthy was crowned the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Pro-Am 1 Champion with two rounds to spare after sealing the title at Silverstone on Sunday,
7th October.
In
what has been a near-faultless season for the 31-year-old Oman Air Racing Team
driver, wins in rounds 17 and 18 – taking his tally of victories for the year to
12 and his podium count to 16 – mean he goes to Brands Hatch two weeks from now
for the season finale with the title well and truly secured. He has also made
history as the first Omani and first Arab to win a title in the British
series.
“This is absolutely incredible”, said an elated Ahmad, “We’ve all been working so, so hard for this, and everyone at the Oman Air Racing Team has done such an amazing job. Winning this Pro-Am 1 championship is a dream come true and such an important moment for all of my supporters back home in Oman who have made all of this possible.
“I dedicate this win to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said and the people of Oman, my family and to everyone who has supported me over the years. Of course, a huge thank you goes to my sponsors Oman Air, Oman Ministry of Sports Affairs, Oman Ministry of Tourism, Nawras, National Bank of Oman and Muscat Eye Laser Centre.”
He added: “I must say a massive thanks to the guys from Redline Racing, who are behind the Oman Air Racing Team car, they’re the best in the business. I love Silverstone, to be able to get two wins this weekend was exactly what we wanted and to wrap-up the championship with a dominant win is something very special. It’s also a very proud moment for me to be the first Omani and the first Arab driver to win a championship like this in such a prestigious series.”
Capping off an impressive three-year journey in Pro-Am 1, having graduated to sportscar racing in Porsche Carrera Cup GB back in 2010 following a successful single-seater career, Sunday’s triumph is the culmination of a season in which the Muscat ace has made huge strides in terms of performance.
Although starting both races from Pro-Am 1 pole position, Ahmad wasn’t able to make the launch he wanted at the beginning of round 17 – which was initially delayed because of thick fog – due to his grid slot being on a damp part of the track.
Unfortunately slipping to third place, he instantly set about regaining the lost ground and on lap nine he took second at Becketts before grabbing the Pro-Am 1 lead at the same corner on lap 17. Rivals Derek Pierce and Victor Jimenez remained close in his wheeltracks but he held them off for the win.
In round 18, Ahmad made a great start to maintain first place and after seeing off early pressure from Pierce he went on to dominate with a 12 second winning margin over the Scotsman. To put the icing on the celebratory cake, the Omani also posted the fastest Pro-Am 1 lap of the race.
“The team did a great job with the car for race two”, said Ahmad, “We realised after race one there was a problem with the car and the guys worked so hard to sort that out, in the second race the car was absolutely perfect. It’s been an amazing year and now we can go to Brands Hatch without any pressure of the championship, so we can focus on fighting harder than ever for two more wins!”
Rounds 19 and 20 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship will take place at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit in Kent two weeks from now, on 20th/21st October.
Keep up to speed with Ahmad’s 2012 progress at his official website www.ahmadalharthy.com follow him on Twitter @AlHarthyRacing or visit the Ahmad Al Harthy Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ahmad-Al-Harthy/111700892183537.
Photograph credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography
For more information on Oman please contact:
Sangita Makwana/Alison Cryer/Nick Smith
Tel: + 44 208 877 4503/4
Email: oman@representationplus.co.uk
Visit: www.omantourism.gov.om
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