52 Days
Until WEC 8 Hours of Bahrain
WEC 8 Hours of Bahrain
FIA World Endurance Championship
The WEC has established itself as one of the premier championships under the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and the leading global series for endurance racing. It attracts countless stars in motorsport, and it continues to grow in popularity every year, with races taking place in eight countries across four continents.
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PORSCHE CARRERA CUP MIDDLE EAST
The most professional and successful one-make GT series in the region
View MorePorsche Carrera Cup Middle East all set for season-opener this WEC weekend at BIC
Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East all set for season-opener this WEC weekend at BIC
- Sixteen-car field set to line up on grid with drivers from all over the world competing in Pro, ProAm, Am and GCC classes
- First round of 2023/2024 campaign to feature two races, one each on Friday and Saturday in support of WEC
The Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East (PCCME) is all set to get its 2023/2024 season underway this weekend with a 16-car grid lining up at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir, in support of this year’s Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain.
The region’s leading one-make series, which has been rebranded after previously running as the Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East, will see drivers from all over the world competing in identical 510hp Porsche 992 GT3 Cup cars.
The PCCME will be complementing the WEC action all throughout the weekend at “The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East”, making for non-stop racing action along BIC’s 5.412-kilometre track.
Tickets to the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain remain available and those looking to attend are urged to purchase theirs today for this unmissable occasion at BIC.
Tickets cost just BD5.500 for adults and BD2.750 for kids for the two-day weekend programme. They can be bought online at BIC’s official website bahraingp.com or by calling the BIC Hotline on +973-17450000. Tickets are priced as one of the most affordable ways to witness a world championship motorsport event.
Hospitality packages are also available for the BIC Spirit of Le Mans Club Experience, where guests can experience exclusive cuisine and incredible views in BIC’s Paddock hospitality. Packages are also available to purchase online or via the BIC Hotline.
Action is scheduled to begin Thursday (2 November) with two practice sessions apiece for the WEC and the PCCME, to be held behind closed doors.
BIC will then open its gates on Friday and Saturday (Editor’s note: 3 and 4 November) for fans to enjoy all the racing and family entertainment in store. Gates are scheduled to be open from 11am to 6.30pm on Friday and from 10.30am to 10.30pm on Saturday.
The PCCME competitors will be racing in three categories, including the Pro, ProAm and the Am. There is also a separate class for GCC drivers to vie for honours.
The field will be headlined by the Bahraini pairing of Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa racing for Team Bahrain and Shaikh Jaber bin Ali Al Khalifa representing One%.
Both Shaikh Salman and Shaikh Jaber are competing in the PCCME’s Am category, while also gunning for top honours amongst GCC competitors. The talented pair will be hoping to raise the Kingdom’s flag high on their home circuit in the first two races of the new campaign.
Drivers in the PCCME’s Pro category this weekend include Flynt Schuring and Robert De Haan of the Netherlands; along with Theo Oeverhaus, Colin Boenighausen and Janne Stiak from Germany.
The ProAm class features Saud Al Saud and Khaled Alahmadi from Saudi Arabia; Soeren Spreng and Timo Recker of Germany; Cedric Chassang of France; Ahmad Al Shehab from Kuwait; and Bashar Mardini of Canada.
Meanwhile, joining Shaikh Salman and Shaikh Jaber amongst the Am participants are Mark J Thomas of Canada and Sebastian Gorga of Italy.
In preparation for the start of the new PCCME campaign, an official pre-season test was held last weekend at BIC, when the contenders were able to get valuable running in their Porsche 992 GT3 Cup cars.
Races this PCCME season are to be held at top tracks across the Gulf, highlighted by BIC in Sakhir and including Dubai Autodrome and Yas Marina Circuit in the UAE, as well as Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia.
This weekend’s season-opening PCCME sprint will take place on Friday at 6pm. Race two will then be held Saturday at 11am.
The second round of the new campaign will once again be held at BIC on 15 and 16 December. Round three will then take place in Dubai on 20 and 21 January, and the fourth meeting a week later in Abu Dhabi on 27 and 28 January as the first events of 2024.
The final two rounds will then be held in support of Formula 1. The penultimate event will take place during next year’s F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix weekend from 29 February to 2 March. That will pave the way for the season-finale at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from 7 to 9 March.
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