WORLD CUP Race Heats up in AL Qudra Desert
There is no much better phase for World Cup go across country rallying compared to the Al Qudra desert which offers a top-class assembly of motorists and cyclists with a big examination this weekend in the Dubai International Baja powered by Nissan and AW Rostamani.
After tonight's (Thursday) ritualistic begin at Dubai Autodrome, the activity starts in earnest tomorrow (Friday) early morning when a line-up 58 cars and trucks, buggies, bikes and quads deal with a requiring route turning across the dunes and plains.
For the competitors who took on rounded among this year's FIA World Cup for Cross Nation Rallies for vehicles and buggies, the comparison in problems can not be better following last month's opening fight in the icy forests of Northern Russia.
Czech Martin Prokop and co-driver Jan Tomanek blasted their method with the snow and ice to get hold of second place on that occasion, and should currently contend with a combination of soft and hard-packed sand as they look to obstruct the victory path of UAE favorite and top-seeded diver, Khalid Al Qassimi.
Partnered by French co-driver Xavier Panseri in a Peugeot Abu Dhabi Racing Team 3008 DKR, Al Qassimi is aiming to improve his two-wheel title success in last year's World Cup collection, which saw him clinch triumph in the Abu Dhabi Desert Obstacle.
He said "We had an good test in the car. The specs are different than in the Maxi version so we needed to run an examination to get the sensation. I will certainly be the very first to open up the roadway so the obstacle will certainly be also harder and I think the people behind should be faster.
" The competitors is constantly high here against worldwide and local drivers and we don't ignore anybody. I feel I await the challenge and I'm eagerly anticipating it."
Twice a Desert Challenge winner in recent times, Russians Vladimir Vasilyev and Konstantin Zhiltsov ended up just behind the Czechs on residence region last month and have their views set strongly on a first win in Dubai.
Occurring under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, the rally is supported by the Government of Dubai, Dubai Police, Dubai Town and the General Authority of Sports. The Nissan Patrol is the main car for the event.
Lying in wait is a reasonable but powerful 174 km special phase to be worked out on succeeding mornings prior to the entrants reach the coating at Dubai Autodrome, the brand-new Rally HQ, at 5pm on Saturday.
" We have some of the best desert surface in the world for this sort of motor sport which's what makes this occasion so spectacular," said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Automobile and Touring Club for the UAE and Emirates Motor Sport Federation, and FIA Vice President for Sport.
The rally doubles up as the opening round of the FIM Bajas World Cup for bikes and quads, and leading Emirati rider Mohammed Al Balooshi is happy to be back in house action after a significant initiative to complete the punishing Dakar Rally in January.
While Al Balooshi is the top seed and favourite for a bikes victory, he will absolutely not have an easy time of it on his KTM this weekend break, with a collection of various other UAE-based riders amongst his most significant rivals. They consist of Shannon O'Connor, Abdulla Bin Dakhan, Mohamed Anis and Frenchman Benjamin Melot that led at the end of the initial leg in 2014 but at some point had to settle for 2nd place, 29 secs behind Dubai-based South African cyclist Mark Ackerman
Balooshi believes team-mate Mohammed Jaffar from Kuwait can get a top three place, and also has high expect his more youthful brother Sultan and for Kuwait's Abdulla Shatti.
Captions:
1.Mohammed Ben Sulayem: This is a very exciting event as it points the way ahead for rallying in the UAE and the Gulf region as a whole.
2.The UAEs Khalid Al Qassimi (right), top seeded driver, with fellow-Emirati Mansour Al Helei, last years winner of the T2 production class title.
3.Saudi Arabias Essa Al Dossary with his Nissan Navara
4.FIA officials carrying out vehicle checks during scrutineering today at Dubai Autodrome, Rally HQ for the Dubai International Baja powered by Nissan and AW Rostamani.
