Al Nabooda Racing awarded team and drivers' title, setting new standard with Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East

Season Champions from Dubai exceed own high expectations with record-breaking success in Porsche GT3 Cup

9 Match 2016: Al Nabooda Racing say they have exceeded even their own high expectations after a multiple record-breaking 2015-16 season in the GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East.

Marking their 10th anniversary in style, the Dubai outfit dominated the seventh edition of the region’s top circuit racing series from start to finish, clinching an emphatic double team and drivers’ title triumph.

Swiss driver Jeffrey Schmidt equaled the record of nine individual race victories on his way to the GT3 Cup drivers’ title and his partnership with Kuwait’s Zaid Ashkanani gave Al Nabooda Racing their third team championship success in four seasons.

They also became the first team to clinch the title with two races to spare and set a new record team championship tally of 505 pts in the process.

Their winning margin of 119pts over runners up Al Faisal Racing of Saudi Arabia was also a record, as was their total of ten race team wins out of 12.

“It’s been a fantastic season, and we’re obviously delighted with what we’ve achieved as a team,” said Al Nabooda Racing team manager Vijay Rao.

“We were confident that we had picked a winning combination of drivers, and Jeffrey and Zaid more than lived up to our expectations, both with their performances on the track, and in the way they worked together for the benefit of the team.

“It doesn’t get much better than this, and in fact when you take into account all the new records we have set, we really have exceeded our own very high expectations.”

Joining the team at the official prize giving following the final race weekend of the series in Bahrain, Mr K. Rajaram, CEO of Al Nabooda Automobiles, said: “Jeffrey and Zaid have done us proud, but it was a superb all-round team performance with everyone working together to make sure that we marked our 10th anniversary in the perfect way.”

Schmidt won each of the first six races of the season to set yet another record, and with Ashkanani securing runners’ up spot in the drivers’ championship it was the first time that a team had recorded a 1-2 finish in the standings.