Abdullah Al Khelaifi Clinches Third Straight QTCC Champion Title

Doha, March 31 (QNA) - Qatars Abdullah Al Khelaifi clinched his third straight Qatar Touring Car Championship (QTCC) title in style winning again both races in the final round of the series at the Losail International Circuit. Al Khelaifi had already secured the title in the penultimate round, so with no pressure, his goal was to win both races to have a perfect score and he finished the season with 160 points in the final standings. However, the fight was on for the second position, with Mohamad Al Khaiat, Ghanim Al Maadheed, Hamad Al Sulaiti and Hamad Al Asam for the runner-up in the championship going into the final round. In the first race, Al Khelaifi took the lead from the beginning and crossed the checkered flag followed by Ghanim Al Maadheed and Hamad Al Asam. With the reverse grid in the second race, Hamad Al Asam took the lead during the first four laps but in the middle of the race, Al Khelaifi took again the first position and another victory in the championship. Al Asam finished second and Al Maadheed third in the podium of the second race. With the two podiums of Ghanim Al Maadeed, he secured the second place in the standings with 89 points and the third place was for Mohamad Al Khaiat with 77 points. Abdulla Al Khelaifi expressed pleasure for winning the QTCC champion title for the third time in a row, noting that the season was a very competitive in the presence of strong contestants. QMMF President Abdulrahman Al Mannai praised the distinct organization by the Losail Circuit Club, and expected that the next season will be stronger and more competitive. He expressed pleasure for the great interest in participating in the championship this season, which contributes to the achievement of the objectives of the federation by qualifying the most prominent drivers to represent Qatar in foreign participations, noting that Al Khelaifi will have an important experience during his participation in the European Touring Car Championship next month. Al Mannai said that local championships are an important opportunity for all drivers to develop their levels and experience in preparation for participating in various foreign tournaments, whether regional or international. He added that the federation supports all Qatari competitors participating in local tournaments in order to represent Qatar in international competitions. These tournaments are the yardstick for knowing the distinctive levels and providing them with support. (QNA)