New Dakar Champion Sunderland in Powerful Line-Up for Dubai International Baja
New Dakar Rally bikes champion Sam Sunderland, making an initial affordable appearance given that his historic success in South America, remains in an effective line-up of 72 motorcyclists and vehicle drivers tackling the new Dubai International Baja powered by AW Rostamani and Nissan this weekend break.
Dubai-based Sunderland, who came to be the first ever British winner of the Dakar in January, is among 38 riders from 12 countries in the official access listing introduced today by the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), the rally organisers.
Poland's Aron Domzala and co-driver Szymon Gospodarczyk, that lead the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies after last week's opening round victory in Russia in an Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux, are amongst 34 staffs standing for 15 countries that will fight for honours in the cars and trucks category with the dunes and sabkha levels of the Al Qudra Desert.
Forming the second round of this year's FIA World Cup series for automobiles and buggies, the Dubai International Baja is additionally the opening round of the FIM Bajas World Cup for bikes and quads and is a key part of ATCUAE strategies to develop an intense new future for rallying.
" We're very happy with the dimension and high quality of access in the very first year and this is something that we'll build on," said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the ATCUAE and the Emirates Automobile racing Federation.
" We're turning around the pattern in the last few years for competitor numbers in rallying to fall away significantly, and the support of partners like AW Rostamani and Nissan Middle East for the Dubai International Baja gives a strong increase to our strategies to make sure the sport is lasting in the years ahead."
" The baja format is much more desert pleasant and inexpensive compared with standard rallying, and by being open to buggies, bikes and quads as well as automobiles appeals to a much bigger variety of competitors.
Taking place under the patronage of H.H.Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, the Dubai International Baja is supported by Dubai Sporting activity Council, Dubai Cops, Dubai Civil Protection, Al Ain Water and AssetCo Fire and Rescue. With the Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Health facility providing a glamorous setting, the event's functional HQ and technical parc ferme will be at the nearby Bab Al Shams Sector.
The Nissan Patrol is the main car for the UAE's 2nd FIA World Cup event, and eight Patrols got in consist of one driven by Qatar's reigning FIA World Cup T2 production class champion Adel Hussain Abdulla. Backed by Nissan Middle East, Abdulla will be partnered by his routine French co-driver Sebastien Delaunay.
Fittingly, it is in his adopted home of Dubai where Sunderland obtains his first affordable flight since his great Dakar triumph, with a lot of his development having occurred there. "It will be terrific to be competing again as I haven't done much given that Dakar to be straightforward," he claimed after an extreme early morning training ride aboard his Red Bull KTM. "However I'm having a great deal of bike time before the baja and will absolutely await it. I do not race unless I'm totally prepared and I will certainly be."
From Dubai his interest will certainly switch over to the Abu Dhabi Desert Difficulty (1-7 April) which is part of a three-round World Cup turn with the Middle East finishing in Qatar's Sealine Cross Nation Rally (16-21 April).
Leading Emirati rider Mohammd Al Balooshi will certainly be aiming making his mark in Dubai, as will one more locally-based Brit, Dave McBride, champion of the bikes title in December's World Cup prospect event.
After his World Cup first round success in the snow and ice of the northern Russian forests, Domzala faces a tough examination in the Al Qudra desert.
Amongst his biggest rivals for the automobiles title are Qatar's two-times Dakar Rally champion Nasser Al Attiyah in a Toyota Hilux, the UAE's Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi in an Abu Dhabi Racing Peugeot 208 DKR, and Russia's double Abu Dhabi Desert Difficulty victor and 2015 World Cup champ Vladimir Vasilyev in a Mini All4 Racing.
Czech motorist Miroslav Zapletal in a Hummer H3 Evo, Dutchman Erik Van Loon, the 2015 Desert Challenge runner up, and Frenchman Ronan Chabot-- both owning a Toyota Hilux-- are among 12 drivers entering T1 prototype cars.
The 14 Emirati and UAE-based motorists completing include Ahmed Al Maqoodi who won the prospect occasion staged in Dubai in December that led to the rally being included in this year's World Cup calendar.
He will certainly be partnered in a T3 Polaris buggy by 2012 Desert Difficulty quads promote Obaid Al Kitbe.
The Dubai International Baja features three AW Rostamani and Nissan-branded special stages, 2 of 90km and 82km respectively running on Friday 10 March and among 174 kilometres the following day.
Captions:
1. New Dakar Rally bikes promote Sam Sunderland goes back to activity on his Red Bull KTM in the Dubai International Baja.
2. FIA World Cup T2 champion Adel Hussain Abdulla of Qatar owns among eight Nissan Patrols completing in case.
