Three drivers on the pro class podium

Sakhir, Mar. 31 (BNA): Berkay Besler took the race victory while Al Faisal Al Zubair secured the drivers’ title after the opening sprint in the season-ending round of the 2018/2019 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, being held in support of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir. Besler was on the wining end of a tight battle with Dutch driver Dylan Pereira. Al-Zubair, on the other hand, finished eighth overall but it earned him enough points to claim the championship for the second successive year. This season marks the 10th anniversary of the BIC-based series. Besler enjoyed a gap of only 0.868s ahead of Pereira at the end. The Turk triumphed in a total race time of 20m 45.973s in the 10-lap sprint. JB Simmenauer from France claimed the final step on the overall podium after finishing 5.871s behind first place. All three drivers were also on the Pro class podium. The ProAm category saw Saul Hack from South Africa take the win, with Leon Koehler of Germany and Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain joining him on the podium. The Am category saw Michael Knutzon of Sweden continue to dominate the weekend’s events. He was followed by Denmark’s Michael Sauer and Austria’s Michael Doppelmayr on the class podium. Pole-sitter Tio Ellinas was given a 30-second time penalty for a false start. The weekend’s second race, which will mark the season finale, will be held Sunday at 3.340pm. it will also be held over 10 laps or 25 minutes. Ellinas is on pole once again.