dubai rally gives red hot finish to middle east title race
Grand finale has all the makings of classic battle as Qataris, Kuwaitis, Jordanians, Saudis arrive to challenge top UAE drivers
The man who dominated the Dubai International Rally over three decades says the event could produce one of the best ever finishes to the FIA Middle East Championship next weekend.
The UAE’s Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi and Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah face a last round showdown to decide this year’s regional title race, and Mohammed Ben Sulayem says the stage is set for a fascinating tussle between the two big rivals.
“On paper, Khalid has the advantage because he holds the lead and is on home ground, but Nasser knows this event and the conditions very well so it has all the makings of a classic finish to the season,” said Sulayem, President of the Emirates Automobile and Touring Club, the rally organisers.
“Everybody’s eyes will be on their battle to decide the championship, but at the same time we have a very strong entry all round and a lot of other drivers will be going all out to finish the season with a flourish. It should be a very interesting two days.”
Sulayem, who scored the first of his 15 Dubai International Rally wins in 1985 and his last in 2002, revealed a 36-car entry for the event which is being under the patronage of H.H.Sheikh Mayed bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Dubai Rally 2
Defending Middle East champion Al-Attiyah, partnered by British co-driver Chris Paterson in a Subaru Impreza, tops the seedings list from Al-Qassimi and Nicky Beech in a Team Abu Dhabi Subaru.
Holding a carry a two-point championship lead over the Qatari, Al-Qassimi, the 2004 Middle East champion, needs to complete a hat-trick of Dubai Rally wins to clinch the title.
A win for Al Attiyah will ensure he retains the Middle East crown.
Once again the Qatari challenge in Dubai is a strong one, with Misfer Al-Mari driving another Subaru Impreza, and fellow-countrymen Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah, Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah, Ahmed Al Kuwari and Khalid Al Suwaidi all entering Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions.
Sheikh Khalid’s brother, Sheikh Abdulla Al Qassimi, is among the other UAE challengers looking to round off the season in style, and he will be aiming to pip Lebanese driver Michel Saleh for fourth place overall in the championship.
Yahya Alhelei, Saleh’s City of Arabia team-mate, will be at the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 while fellow UAE driver Yahya Al Amri goes into action in a Subaru Impreza, as does Sadiq Fadhil, former Middle East Group N champion Ron Oakeley
And Team Abu Dhabi’s Sultan Al Ameri.
Carrying the flag for Kuwait, Meshari Al Thafiri, Salah Bin-Eidan, Mofeed Mubarak,
Essam Al Nejadi and Meshari Al Sabti all enter Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions while
Ahmad Al Khares is poised to clinch the Middle East 1600cc title in his Citroen Saxa.
The Jordanian challenge is led by Amjad Farrah who is set to wrap up third place overall in the championship in one of three Mitsubishis arriving from the Hashemite Kingdom. The others will be driven by Mazen Tantash and Ahmad Mihiar.
Dubai Rally 3
Seeded eighth and partnered by experienced British co-driver Steve Lancaster in a Subaru, Yazeed Al-Rajihi spearheads the Saudi Arabian assault, with fellow-Saudis Abdullah Al Marri entering a Mitsubishi and Majed Al Ghamdi another Subaru.
Also at the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Nick Georgiou, son of Oman-based former rally star Tony Georgiou, will be aiming to secure a top six championship finish in Dubai.
Underlining the international flavour of the event, Cypriot Omeros Terezopoulos starts in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8, Austrian Andreas Wimmer lines up in a Subaru Impreza, Spain’s Claudio Aldecoa Echano takes the wheel of another, while British drivers David Scialom and Simon Nutter, the former Middle East Formula Two champion, enter Subarus.
Completing the international line-up, Iranian driver Hassan Voroudi tackles the event in a Mitsubishi, Kazhakstan’s Marat Salmenov Subaru Impreza and Germany lady driver Edith Weiss another Mitsubishi.
Based at the new headquarters of the Emirates Automobile and Touring Club in Al Mamzar, the 2007 Dubai International Rally starts there at 9.30am on Friday and finishes at the Club at 4.30pm the following day.
