Drivers ready for Porsche Cup race.

THE Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East is set to make its debut today at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) with some of the region's most promising young drivers facing a 12-round battle for supremacy and one of them instantly winning a place in the record books.

The new one-make motor racing series will begin with the opening two rounds featuring in the busy 'Speed Weekend' programme taking place at the circuit as part of the National Day celebrations.

Other racing series to be held over the next two days are the Chevrolet Supercars Middle East Championship and the Batelco 2000cc Challenge.

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East is the first of six big race weekends for the series, with other rounds following over the next four months at Reem International Circuit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

Thirteen drivers are in the fray, including Bahrain's hopeful Shaikh Salman bin Rashid Al Khalifa, who won the first ever race at the Yas Marina Circuit last month.

Bahrain's other representative Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa also hopes to make a big challenge for honours.

Sponsored by Michelin and Mobil 1, the new series, organised and managed by Austrian-based Lechner Racing on behalf of Porsche Middle East and Africa, was officially launched at a Press conference yesterday at the BIC.

"The series has taken a great deal of planning and it's a regional version of the GT3 Cup one-make series already running successfully in Brazil, New Zealand and the USA," said Walter Lechner, who has managed many Porsche racing events and teams over the years.

"As this is a one-make motor racing series, all the competitors drive identical, equally well-prepared racing versions of production cars, and we see this as an exciting opportunity to work with Porsche to uncover and nurture new motor racing talent in the Middle East."

The new 2010 model Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, from a special series built by Porsche AG, arrived in Bahrain earlier this week after being shipped from Europe. They were tested by the drivers for the first time yesterday on the 3.36 miles (5.41km) Bahrain Grand Prix Circuit.

"Our aim is to identify top Arab and local-based talent in the Middle East and help prepare them for entry into the world of international GT and sports car racing," said Porsche Middle East and Africa Managing Director Deesch Papke.

"At the same time, the series will underline Porsche's unmatched expertise in building successful sports cars for the road and the race track."

Also attending the press conference was Gerd Schmid of Porsche Motorsport who congratulated Lechner Racing and Porsche Middle East and Africa on the establishment of this exciting new racing series.

Meanwhile, BIC chairman Zayed Al Zayani said he is confident of a fantastic Speed Weekend.

"Speed Weekend Bahrain is one of the major sporting events to be held in the Kingdom and what is most beautiful about it is that it coincides with our celebrations for National Day and His Majesty the King's rise to the throne," said Al Zayani.

"We are giving an honorable image of our country to the rest of the world with extravaganzas such as this, in which our most popular racing championships are on show."

Copyright 2009 Gulf Daily News

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company