Prolific racing prodigy Jeffrey Schmidt clinched the team championship title for Al Nabooda Racing with one round remaining in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East. All eyes were on local outfit Al Nabooda Racing Team and Schmidt ahead of Friday’s penultimate round of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East.
Given the prospect of winning silverware in their home leg, there was no shortage of support with local fans flocking to Dubai Autodrome for two action-packed races in round five.
Despite an early scare from Ireland’s Ryan Cullen, who was back on the grid after spectacularly spinning out in pursuit of this season’s runaway leader in Race One earlier in the day, there was no stopping Schmidt who managed to reclaim the lead after being overtaken from pole position within the first lap.
Team-mate Zaid Ashkanani of Kuwait was unable to build on the morning’s promising podium finish and ended Race Two in fourth place, still enough to clinch the title for his team, 105 points ahead of AlFaisal Racing.
Earlier, ahead of a busy day where there were a handful of points separating Schmidt and Cullen, the stage was set for an intensely competitive race.
At the start of Race One there were nervous moments with Ashkanani dropping off two places after misjudging the first bend, allowing Abdulaziz AlFaisal to catapult himself into the podium battle. Cullen then spun out and hit the wall after a daring manoeuvre.
The unfortunate incident saw a reshuffled pack and saw Schmidt clinch a comfortable win ahead of team-mate Ashkanani who managed to fight back to third place just behind Al Faisal.
In Race Two and featuring the usual suspects with drivers battling for positions early on, there was certainly tension around the Autodrome. Cullen returned while Al Faisal could celebrate a strong overall performance with his second podium finish in quick succession.
Despite Ashkanani missing out on the podium, the young Kuwaiti star is still well-placed for a topthree overall finish in the driver’s standings ahead of the last round in Bahrain.
With the team honours already in the bag, Al Nabooda Racing will be looking to clinch their second trophy this season with Schmidt almost certain to win the driver’s title.
