MEDIA INFORMATION
ZAIN REEM INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, SAUDI ARABIA
SAUDI RACING FESTIVAL, March 31-April 1 – 2010
BAHRAIN’S FAHAD AL-MUSALAM CLAIMS CHEVROLET
SUPERCARS TITLE AT ZAIN REEM CIRCUIT
Australia’s Tarek Al-Gammal wins first Chevrolet race
Saudi’s Faisal Bin Laden clinches Porsche Mobil 1 Trophy category
RIYADH (Saudi Arabia), Thursday, April 1: Saudi Arabia’s Prince Abdulaziz Al-Faisal and Bahrain’s Fahad Al-Musalem were the stars of the final two rounds of the inaugural Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East series and the final round of the Chevrolet Supercars Middle East Championship at the Zain Reem international circuit on Wednesday and Thursday.
Prince Abdulaziz Al-Faisal had already been crowned 2010 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East champion, but the Saudi secured a dramatic victory in the 11th round of the series on Wednesday afternoon. Bahrain’s Sheikh Salman bin Rashid Al-Khalifa held him off for 15 laps and looked set for a second win of the campaign until he locked his brakes on the final turn and allowed the Saudi through to take the chequered flag and his eighth win of the series.
Saudi’s Bandar Alireza finished third, but a first corner incident forced Fahad Al-Gosaibi and Raed Abuzenadah into the pits. Faisal Bin Laden clinched the Mobil 1 trophy for rookie and amateur drivers by finishing fifth overall.
Bahrain’s Sheikh Salman claimed pole for the final race of the Porsche GT3 season and made a good start, but Prince Abdulaziz snatched the lead in the race. An accident between Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal and two Bison Reem team cars, driven by Bandar Alireza and Faisal Bin Laden, happened on lap two. Both the Bison Reem cars retired as a result and there was then a big fight for third place between Fahed Al-Gosaibi and Bandar Al-Asaii. Al-Gosaibi held his nerve to take third position. The UAE’s Khalid Al-Qubaisi finished fifth and also won the Mobil 1 category.
Nine cars started the Chevrolet Supercars Middle East Championship race. Australian Tarek Al-Gammal won the first race from pole position, but he was embroiled in an exciting battle with both second-placed Raed Raffii and Bahrain’s Fahad Al-Musalam, who finished third.
Abdulziz Al-Yaeesh fell foul of a technical infringement. The Saudi failed to comply with a pit board while entering the pit lane and he was black-flagged out of the race. Fellow Saudi Arabian Faisal Al-Raffii was dominant in the smaller Chevrolet SC06 category. He led from start to finish from second-placed Husam Al-Saleh and Alqassim Hamidaddin, who finished third.
Al-Musalam won the second race and clinched the Chevrolet series for a second successive year. Tarek Al-Ghammel finished second and also claimed second in the series. Bahrain’s Sheikh Hamed Bin Isa Al-Khalifa finished third, while Faisal Raffii was fourth and also won the SC06 series. Husam Al-Saleh finished second in the SC06 category.
Racing at the Zain Reem international circuit has received valuable sponsorship from Zain, Saudi Oger, Toyota, Castrol, Bison energy drink, the Saudi Bin Laden Group of Companies, Al-Ghassan Motors and Saudi Radical.
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For further media information:
Zain Reem International Circuit, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bilal Kurjieh, E-mail: bilal@race.com.sa and Abdullah Al-Azem, E-mail: abdullah.alazem@race.com.sa
Saudi Arabian Motor Federation, PO Box 87881, Riyadh 11652, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tel: + 9661 477 1035, Fax: + 9661 477 1050, www.samf.gov.sa
Arabic: Firas Nimri, Mobile: + 9662 777 282000, E-mail: nimrifiras@yahoo.com.
English: Neil Perkins, NDP Publicity Services, Mobiles: + 44 7831 123153 or + 971 50 3616881, E-mail: ndppublicity@googlemail.com.