Omani motor racing champion Ahmad Al Harthy has announced he will make the move into endurance racing this year, with the continued support of long-time headline sponsor Oman Air, by graduating into the prestigious Avon Tyres British GT Championship.Revealing his 2013 plans at an official press conference at the five-star Grand Hyatt Muscat hotel yesterday, the 31-year-old Porsche Carrera Cup GB Pro-Am 1 Champion joins reigning British GT title-winning squad Motorbase Performance.Competing under the official banner Oman Air Motorbase, Ahmad will partner 2012 British GT Champion Michael Caine with the pair sharing a powerful Porsche 911 GT3R, continuing the Omani racers association with the Porsche brand into a fourth successive year. Reflecting Motorbase and Caines success from last year in the discipline, the car will run with the coveted No.1 plate.In addition to the continuation of key commercial support from Oman Air, Ahmad also retains the high-profile backing of his entire 2012 sponsor portfolionamely Oman Ministry of Sports Affairs, Oman Ministry of Tourism, Nawras, National Bank of Oman and Muscat Eye Laser Centre.Were absolutely delighted to be able to announce such exciting plans for 2013, especially off the back of such a successful season last year in Porsche Carrera Cup GB, said Ahmad, What we all achieved in 2012 paved the way for us to climb the ladder into British GT this year, its an incredibly prestigious and highly respected championship with such an amazing heritage.Moving full-time into endurance racing and away from sprint racing is a big new challenge, but its one Im really looking forward to with everyone at Oman Air Motorbase. I seriously couldnt have a better or more experienced team-mate than Michael [Caine] to share a car withif I can get close to matching his lap times Ill be very happy indeed.He continued: It was very important for me and all of my incredible sponsors to remain part of British motorsport this year, the success of 2012 was amazing but this is a new chapter for us. We need to build on everything we have done up to now, be as strong as we can in our debut year in GT racing and then hopefully more success will follow.Al Harthy relishing move into thriving British GT ChampionshipHaving made no secret of his desire to one day become the first Omani driver to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours Race, the transition from sprint racing in Porsche Carrera Cup GB to endurance action in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship is a natural progression for Ahmads career.As the premier category of its kind in the UK, British GT features high-performance cars from some of the most exotic and desirable automotive brands in the world. Alongside Porsche, the category boasts involvement from the likes of McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Lamborghini and Aston Martin.While looking very similar to the Porsche 911 GT3 car he steered to the Pro-Am 1 title in Porsche Carrera Cup GB last year, Ahmads new-for-2013 Porsche 911 GT3-R has been developed specifically for the demands of longer endurance races.

Two-driver crews take turns behind the wheel in each GT encounter, with the driving time shared evenly between the team-mates. Driver change pit-stops are, therefore, a vital part of the strategy involved in endurance competition which is something relatively new to Ahmad.There are a lot of new experiences ahead for me this year and its going to be a big challenge for sure, he added, Although I have experienced GT racing when I teamed with James Sutton [2007 and 2011 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Champion] to win a round of the UAE GT Championship in 2011, British GT is a whole new level so theres a lot of hard work ahead. I cant wait to get started!The Avon Tyres British GT Championship comprises seven events in 2013, beginning at Oulton Park in Cheshire on Monday, 1st April, and concluding at Donington Park in early October. The full 2013 schedule is as follows:2013 Avon Tyres British GT Championship CalendarRound 1: Oulton Park, UK - 1st April (2x60min races)Round 2: Rockingham, UK - 5th/6th MayRound 3: Silverstone, UK - 25th/26th MayRound 4: Snetterton, UK - 15th/16th June (2x60min races)Round 5: Brands Hatch, UK - 10th/11th August Round 6: Zandvoort, The Netherlands - 6th/7th/8th September (2x60min races)Round 7: Donington Park, UK - 5th/6th October