Porsche Michelin SuperCup comes to the Middle East
22/2/2005: For the first time in the Middle East, the opening round of the 2005 Porsche Michelin SuperCup will take place at the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix on April 1,2 & 3. The new Porsche 997 will also be tested on the circuit a week prior to the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. Bernie Eccleston’s Formula One Management (FOM) organisation has given special dispensation to the Bahrain International Circuit to allow the German manufacturer the opportunity to test the new car.
The car is ’so new’ that the SuperCup teams have not had the chance to test the all new 997 and will be eagerly awaiting the opportunity to try the new car on the Sakhir circuit.
The SuperPrix aims to bring together identically prepared Porsches to compete as a supporting event to Formula 1 races. The cars are on an equal footing and competition is fierce with lots of wheel-to-wheel racing and contact. The drivers are world class road racers including young and upcoming international stars, recognizable names from the past, plus a celebrity racer (former great from racing, rallying or motorcycling).
Last year over eight races were held at the Imola, Silverstone and the Monte Carlo Grand Prix to name a few.
The Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix will also host a round of the Formula BMW Asia as a support race. Last year, three Bahraini drivers took part in the event, Shaikh Salman bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Mohammed Al Baharna and Hamad Al Fardan.
Commenting on the announcement that the Porsche SuperCup will be coming to Bahrain BIC General Manager Martin Whitaker said, ?¢â‚¬?“This is a real coup for Bahrain International Circuit and the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.?¢â‚¬A?
?¢â‚¬?“We have been trying for many months to ensure that Porsche brought the new 997 and the SuperCup to the Kingdom and to finally get their agreement and then to have the race as the first round of their Championship is a tremendous achievement by everyone at the circuit,?¢â‚¬A? he said.
?¢â‚¬?“The racing will be great and to see a field of equally performing Porsches streaming into the first corner on race day will be something to look forward to,?¢â‚¬A? he said.
Racing the new car for the first time is naturally very important to Porsche and as a result the head of Porsche Motorsport, Jens Walther, flew to Bahrain yesterday for an inspection of the circuit and its facilities. Mr. Walther will be a guest of the circuit during the next two days and will be meeting with the circuit organisers and President of the General Organisation for Youth and Sport HE Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.
