Al Harthy looking forward to Gulf 12 Hours challenge

Ahmad Al Harthy is relishing his return to Yas Marina where he and Aston Martin ‘works’ drivers Jonny Adam and Darren Turner took a top three finish for Oman Racing on Gulf 12 Hours debut in 2015

MUSCAT: Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi hosts the seventh edition of the Gulf 12 Hours on December 16, where Ahmad Al Harthy is determined to add to the silverware he and Oman Racing achieved on their last visit to the United Arab Emirates two years ago.

Al Harthy, the reigning Blancpain Endurance Cup Pro-Am champion, is relishing his return to Yas Marina where he and Aston Martin ‘works’ drivers Jonny Adam and Darren Turner combined to take a superb top three finish for Oman Racing on the squad’s Gulf 12 Hours debut in 2015.

For his second appearance in the big race, which is split into two six-hour portions with a break of around two and a half hours in between, Omani star Al Harthy will share his Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 with talented British duo Tom Jackson and Euan McKay.

Jackson, of course, is a familiar name to fans and followers of Al Harthy as the young Englishman partnered the Omani to a pair of sensational GT3 class victories back in June in the Michelin Le Mans Cup – the support category to the world-renowned Le Mans 24 Hours.

Scottish racer McKay, meanwhile, will arrive new to the team and fresh to the Aston Martin having competed for the past couple of years in the same Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship where Al Harthy was Pro-Am 1 class champion in 2012. Notably, McKay claimed the same title in 2016.

“We really are looking forward to being back racing at the weekend, it seems a long time already since the final round of Blancpain so I can’t wait to be back behind the wheel,” said Al Harthy. “The Gulf 12 Hours is a huge event and has become a big date on the sporting calendar in the Middle East, so everyone at Oman Racing is determined to do well and fly the flag proudly once again for Oman.” Full story @ timesofoman.com/sports