An interview with FIA WEC racer Khaled Al Qubaisi - Speedway Digest



		The Proton Competition Porsche is currently in third place in the FIA Endurance Trophy for Teams, lying 26 points behind the no98 Aston Martin Racing Vantage. We caught up with Khaled Al Qubaisi ahead of his home race, the 6 Hours of Bahrain. Q: What does it mean to you to have a race of the FIA World Endurance Championship in the Middle East? “It’s really great to be able to race somewhere we can closely call a “home race”. The WEC is a great Championship and the pinnacle of GT Endurance, so therefore a race in our region is really important for us and our supporters and can help us raise awareness about Endurance and sportscar racing.” Q: While Formula One is well established in Abu Dhabi and in Bahrain, how is sportscar and endurance racing viewed by the people in the Middle East? “It’s a bit different, there is a lot of promotion that goes towards F1 and it’s the top end of motor Racing and attracts everyone if those who aren’t really motorsports fans. Endurance and sports car racing is quite different, those who attend are usually more hardcore and those kind of fans take time to build but we are already seeing them growing as evidenced in the Dubai 24 Hours and now the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi. It will come, slowly but surely, this region has a great future in motorsports.” Q: What has been the highlight of your season so far in the FIA WEC? “My highlight was definitely finishing second at Le Mans! But my stint in Austin during the rain came very close! Getting in the car in 4th and out with a 2 lap lead, I overtook a pro car too; a great feeling.” Q: What is the goal for the 6 Hours of Bahrain for you and the Proton Competition team? “The goal is to stay out of trouble and extend our 3rd position in the championship. A podium will be nice too.” (FIA WEC PR)

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.