Saudi Arabia's Prince Abdulaziz Al-Faisal claimed his own place in motor sport history Wednesday by becoming the first winner of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East. Having dominated the 12-round series from the start in Bahrain three moths ago, Prince Abdulaziz clinched the drivers' title with second place behind Fahad Algosaibi in Round 10 at Reem International Circuit outside Riyadh this afternoon. It was the first win of the championship for the 16-year-old Saudi who became the youngest ever winner in the history of Porsche one-make racing. Another Saudi driver, Bandar Alesayi, finished third to climb to second place in the championship, with Bahrain's Sheikh Salman Bin Rashid Al-Khalfa, Bandar Alireza and Faisal Binladen completing the top six. Sheikh Salman had started at the back of the grid after missing official practice and qualifying with a stomach illness, but by fighting through the field he finished the just one point adrift of Alesayi in the series, which is sponsored by Michelin and Mobil 1. With the final two rounds to follow at Reem next Wednesday and Thursday, barring disasters Binladen is assured of the Mobil 1 Trophy for rookies and senior amateur drivers. However, Prince Abdulaziz is the man of the moment. The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East is designed to identify top Arab and local-based talent in the Middle East and become a platform for entry into the world of international GT and sports car racing. A major success in it first season, it is expected to go from strength to strength, with plans already in place for it to expand next season. Doumit, Sakhelared shine Lebanon's Doumit Bou Doumit and Saudi Arabia's Medhat Sakhelared won their respective Zain Lotus Cup and Saudi Radical Championship races Thursday. Saudi's Faher Al-Sharif had taken two victories from his previous three starts in the Zain Lotus Cup, with Lebanon's Doumit Bou Doumit edging Abdullah Al-Dossari in the last race meeting. But Al-Sharif suffered technical problems in practice for Thursday's 12-lap race and this left the door open for Doumit to clinch his second successive victory. Al-Dossari finished second overall and Majed Al-Ghamdi of the Bison Reem Team was third. The Zain Lotus Cup race also featured the all-important Saudi Oger Cup section for young up-and-coming drivers. Mosaed Al-Khwayter and Prince Mohamed Bin Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Mohamed had been the pace-setters alongside Theab Al-Qatani in the earlier rounds. Saudi's Saeed Al-Mouri has taken three successive victories in the 1.5-liter category of the Saudi Radical Championship, but Faisal Bin Laden, Raed Abuznada and Medhat Sakhelared of the Bison Reem team were the fastest trio in the pole position qualifying for the final race of the day. Sakhelared went on to clinch victory in the category, with Bin Laden in second position and third place sufficient for Al-Mouri to claim the Saudi Radical Championship. Faisal Shaker won the 1.3-liter class and Bander Ali Reza was second. The Saudi Speed Festival 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.
