Dubai: After two sensational rounds of racing in the eighth season of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, a short winter break is unlikely to slow the hectic pace of the most competitive campaign in the championship’s history.

The mouth-watering ingredients of a new and expanded grid with 16 drivers’ from 12 different countries, including nine newcomers, has proved to be the perfect recipe for action-packed racing. Four races into the 12 race season and there is nothing to split the top two drivers both sitting level on 90 points each.

It’s just as close throughout the entire field. Less than five points separate the first and second places across gold, silver and bronze categories, and no podium has been the same on any of the four occasions so far. Even qualifying has proved ridiculously tight. In Dubai less than two seconds divided the first seven drivers on the grid.

For UAE-based driver Bashar Mardini the break until Round 3 at the Dubai Autodrome on January 27-28 offers a chance to reflect on the opening two rounds as well as time to help prepare for his return to the track in 2017. “It has been a crazy journey so far, and to think we are only four races into the season is really exciting and slightly unbelievable. There certainly hasn’t been much time for new drivers like myself to ease our way in. It’s a big step up,” Mardini said.

Round One in Bahrain forced everyone into the deep end and made you realise just how serious and competitive this championship is. It definitely took me by surprise and I knew that in Dubai I had to make the most of my track experience and start putting some points on the leaderboard,” he added.

Current leaders of the series after two rounds are Qatar-based Charlie Frijns and Ryan Cullen of Ireland joint on points at the top of the overall drivers’ standings. Experienced UK driver, Tom Oliphant, will take comfort sitting closely behind in third place. However, he will be aware that only 30 points separate him from seventh place in the standings, great testament to how close the season is.

For Mardini, a tough start to the season in Bahrain saw him arrive in Dubai for Round 2 in 16th place in the competition. But his home track fortunes changed. A different driver came out of the pits at the Dubai Autodrome and after two impressive performances in both races, Mardini goes into the winter break sitting tenth in the overall drivers’ standings.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better way to wrap up 2016. I felt that I really found myself in the Cup Car at Dubai Autodrome and to finish on the podium in race 1 and jump six places in the standings is all I could have hoped for. To open another year of racing on my home circuit in Dubai is just perfect. I hope that the excellent weather conditions can help bring out the best in me. I will be spending considerable time with the team over the break to assess every inch of my races so far this season – hopefully it will show,” Mardini added.

Speaking on the championship so far, owner of Lechner racing, and founder of the series, Walter Lechner, said: “We have worked very hard to get the championship in a position like this. It is great to see a full grid of 16 cars, and even better not being able to predict where the drivers will finish. The competition from the first to the very last car across the finish line is intense and we have seen over the first two rounds that everyone has a chance of winning their category. These drivers are living their dreams and gaining so much from the experience.”

After Dubai, the championship will move for Round 4 on the popular Yas Marina, Formula One circuit in Abu Dhabi to mark the halfway stage of the season on February 10-11. Bahrain will welcome the drivers back to the home of the Porsche GT3 CCME series for the remaining two rounds, with Round 5 taking place on the March 10-11 and the sixth and final round a support race at the Bahrain F1 GP in April 2017.