AlFaisal Racing is gearing up for a sprint finish over a dramatic final weekend of racing as the seventh season of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East comes to an exciting conclusion at the Bahrain International Circuit. Only one round and two races staged on March 4 and 5 on the challenging GP circuit at Sakhir now stand between the drivers and glory in the region's only professional motorsport series of its kind. Brothers Abdulaziz and Saud AlFaisal will be pushing for podium finishes in the overall drivers' standings in their respective categories. Such has been the intensity of the series this season, drivers and fans are now in store for an intriguing final weekend as all three driver's titles across the individual categories are yet to be determined. Currently, UAE-based Jeffrey Schmidt leads the overall driver's standings and individual glory in Bahrain would add to the team title secured by Schmidt's team Al-Nabooda Racing during the penultimate round in Dubai. Speaking ahead of the final weekend, Walter Lecher, series organizer said: "Season 7 has been outstanding and across all driver standings, it all comes down to this weekend. That says so much for the reputation and future of this championship. It's what the drivers want and the fans, proving once again we have real competition. It also showcases the strength and depth of the grid and highlights that we have a Middle East series that offers something for everyone. "For young home grown talent like Abdulaziz AlFaisal and Saud AlFaisal building their motorsport careers, the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East is a proven pathway into world-class international motorsport at the highest level. While for those in the twilight of the careers, veteran gentlemen drivers like Jaber Al-Khalifa and Rob Frijns, this fuels their passion for racing and Porsche." With so little between the top five, the series has once again proved its pedigree as the leading series in Middle Eastern motorsport as the only championship offering professional racing and intense competition on the world-class circuits of the region. For Abdulaziz AlFaisal very little separates the talent, times, experience and points between himself and the drivers sitting in the third and fifth places. Only 11 points sit between Ryan Cullen, 191 points in third, and Abdulaziz AlFaisal with 180 points in fourth. A strong performance in Bahrain will surely push AlFaisal onto podium position in the overall drivers' standings. Speaking ahead of the final round, Abdulaziz said: "It has been an amazing experience for me to return to the series this year. To be able to race alongside my brother Saud and welcome him to the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge series for the first time in his career has been really special. I have my eyes firmly set on finishing in a podium position and will do everything I can to make this happen!" In the silver category the aspiring Saud will aim to emulate his brother and teammate, Abdulaziz by getting his hands on a trophy. Saud, racing for the first time in the championship, leads the Silver category over Wolfgang Triller in second by nine points. The unique one-make series consists of 12 races between November 2015 and March 2016. — SG
