MANAMA — Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East organizer Lechner Racing has confirmed that drivers from the region's most professional race series will support the 2014 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, taking place over the next weekend, with three Saudi stars set to join an elite grid. The Saudi trio will feature as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Bahrain Grand Prix, lining-up on a grid of 17 Porsche drivers comprising of Bahrain's former Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East champion Salman Bin Rashid Al-Khalifa along with a host of home-grown emerging talent and racing veterans from across the region. Drivers spanning eight nations, including host nation Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, will enjoy the racing experience of a lifetime racing twice across the weekend over the challenging 5.4KM GP circuit at Sakhir in front the region's passionate fans in the stunning Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The announcement is a huge boost for local motorsport with some of the best regional drivers given a rare opportunity to showcase their talents on the biggest stage of all, while sharing the occasion with the current stars of Formula One. It is only the third time in the history of the series in the Middle East that local Porsche drivers will support an official Formula One race weekend. Two races over 10 laps have been confirmed by organizers. Adding to the interest of regional fans, Race 1 starts at 16:30 Saturday, followed by Race 2 Sunday, before the showpiece Formula One race. This latest opportunity for local drivers not only sees an emotional return to the Bahrain International Circuit, the home base for Lechner Racing, but also the region's top drivers playing a leading role in one of regional motorsport's biggest events. — SG
