Friday 15 / November / 2024
Las Vegas: Oman’s motorsport standard-setter Ahmad Al Harthy celebrated a remarkable 2019 season in grand style this past weekend in Las Vegas, USA, where the Aston Martin Vantage racer received his richly deserved Blancpain Endurance Cup Pro-Am championship trophy.
Bringing the curtain down perfectly on a remarkable season in the globe’s biggest GT3 motor racing category, the annual SRO Motorsports Group Awards ceremony – which took place at Bellagio in the famous Nevada city – featured the great and the good of international endurance competition.
Al Harthy, joined by Oman Racing team-mates Charlie Eastwood and Salih Yoluc as well as Tom Ferrier, boss of TF Sport which is the engineering strength behind the Omani entry, got his hands on the very spectacular addition to his trophy cabinet – his second Pro-Am crown in three years.
“What an incredible evening”, said Al Harthy following the awards ceremony, “It’s been a fantastic year for Oman Racing, all of our supporters and all of our sponsors and this has been the perfect way to conclude a very special year for everyone in Oman. It’s always such an honour to represent Oman, and to fly the flag so proudly once again in Blancpain this year was such a special feeling.
“I have to thank everyone who has supported us to steadfastly, and there are so many people behind the scenes who make this possible. To win our second championship at this level, with a perfect run of five podiums from five races, is an amazing achievement beyond our wildest dreams and I’m very proud to be taking the wonderful trophy we received on Sunday back to the Sultanate!”
Returning to the Pro-Am class this year, having made history by winning the championship in 2017, Al Harthy got the season off to a successful start with Eastwood and Yoluc by finishing a wet opening round at Monza in Italy in third position.
Racing to second place in round two at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit in the UK, Oman Racing then made it a hat-trick of podium results with third position in the six-hour ‘into the night’ race in France at Paul Ricard in Le Castellet.
Then, at the blue riband twice-round-the-clock Total 24 Hours of Spa in Belgium, Al Harthy, Eastwood and Yoluc were joined by Nicki Thiim for the biggest race of the year and the quartet absolutely starred in a rain-impacted contest to take Oman Racing’s first ever victory in the event.
Carrying the Pro-Am championship lead into the season finale in Barcelona, Spain, the Aston Martin squad ensured a magnificent and monumental achievement by wrapping-up the drivers’ title with a second place finish, taking the crown by 34 points, and also the team crown for a double success.
