Thruxton Challenge Next For Pro-Am 1 Pace-Setter Ahmad Al Harthy

Rounds five and six of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship take place at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire this coming weekend, 28th/29th April, where Pro-Am 1 pace-setter Ahmad Al Harthy intends to add to his 2012 tally of class victories and build on his 15-point lead in the standings.Securing a pair of fantastic wins at Donington Park just over a week ago, having also qualified on the Pro-Am 1 pole position for both races, the Oman Air Racing Team driver heads into the Thruxton event high in confidence and is relishing his return to the fastest track on the calendar.During his previous five years of racing in the UK, the last two in Porsche Carrera Cup GB and the previous three in the single-seater Formula Renault BARC Championship, Ahmad enjoyed a great affinity with the 2.36-mile Thruxton Circuit, achieving numerous podium finishes.Memorably, on his first ever weekend racing a Porsche in 2010 at Thruxton, the Oman Air, Oman Ministry of Sports Affairs, Oman Ministry of Tourism, Nawras, National Bank of Oman and Muscat Eye Laser Centre-backed competitor finished second and third in Pro-Am 1 in the two races.“I’m really looking forward to this weekend, we’ve had a good opening four races and we have the lead in the Pro-Am 1 championship so our momentum is good”, said the 30-year-old, “I do think this weekend will be one of the toughest of the year though, we go straight into qualifying on Saturday afternoon without any practice at all so that’s going to be a difficult challenge.“Thruxton is always an event I look forward to, it’s the fastest circuit we go to and a real test for any driver. We’ve always gone well there in the past, in both Porsche Carrera Cup GB and before that in Formula Renault BARC, so we need to remember those good times and try and repeat them.”With four podiums from four races so far in 2012, the Omani driver has set his stall out well and knows such excellent consistency will be the key for whoever wins the Pro-Am 1 title this year in Porsche Carrera Cup GB.His pace during the official test day at Thruxton earlier this month was impressive with Ahmad delivering the quickest Pro-Am 1 time in the first session before electing to conserve tyres in the afternoon. All signs, therefore, point to another potentially strong weekend.“We’ll obviously do our best, as we always try to do each time we’re on track, and give everything we can to keep the great momentum going from Brands Hatch and Donington”, he added, “Thruxton has always been good to me so I hope we can carry forward our testing pace into this weekend.”Qualifying for rounds five and six of the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship will take place at 14.35 (UK time) on Saturday, 28th April, with both races following on Sunday, 29th April, at 12.20 and 16.25 respectively. As ever, the action will be featured on ITV4 and ITV4 HD in the UK with the addition of live online streaming at .itv.com/btcc

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