Ahmad Al Harthy will bring the curtain down on an incredibly successful first year of endurance racing this coming weekend, when the final race of the 2013 Avon Tyres British GT Championship takes place at Donington Park GP circuit in Derby.
Having put together an excellent maiden campaign with the Oman Air Motorbase squad, the Muscat 32-year-old and his British team-mate Michael Caine go into Donington’s two-hour encounter fourth in the driver standings, within just ten and a half points of the championship lead.
As the season-concluding race is more than 60 minutes in duration, 150% points will be awarded to the top 10 finishers. This means 37.5 points will be on offer for the race win, ensuring Ahmad has a fantastic opportunity to claim the coveted British GT title in his debut season.
Should the Oman Air Motorbase duo succeed, it would be a remarkable back-to-back success for Caine who won the crown in 2012. With two victories this year, and as the only line-up to have scored in every single race, confidence is high of a strong showing in the eagerly awaited finale.
“I really can’t wait for Donington”, said Ahmad, “It’s been a fantastic season, to be going into the last round in contention for the championship is far beyond what we thought might be possible when we set out on this programme at the start of the year. The guys at Oman Air Motorbase have given us a superb car all season so it really would be incredible to reward them with the title.
“We know how tough it’s going to be, there are so many top teams and drivers in British GT and so many driver pairings capable of winning. All year we’ve had to cope with extra ballast in the car, due to how things are graded in the championship, and we’ve still managed to do a great job. So I’m confident we can try and fight for another podium at the weekend and, maybe, our third win.”
Although very familiar with Donington from his time in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship and, before that, his tenure in the Formula Renault BARC Championship, this weekend will mark the Oman Air, Oman Ministry of Sports Affairs, Oman Ministry of Tourism, Nawras, National Bank of Oman and Muscat Eye Laser Center-backed driver’s first experience of the GP track.
“It’ll be interesting to race on the Grand Prix track for the first time”, he added, “It’s only a couple more corners really, added on to the National Circuit, so I’m sure I’ll be able to get to grips with it very quickly. The aim is to end the season on a high, hopefully we can.”
The Avon Tyres British GT Championship arrives at Leicestershire’s Donington Park GP circuit for the final round of the 2013 season this weekend. Two 60-minute free practice sessions start the weekend (09:35 and 11:40 BST) before qualifying begins at 15:45 BST later on Saturday afternoon. A ten-minute warm-up first thing on Sunday will give drivers an opportunity to shake down their cars before the main race, a two-hour winner-takes-all thriller starting at 13:15.