Al-Attiyah bags Dubai International Baja crown
Qatar’s reigning FIA World Cup champion Al-Attiyah, partnered by French codriver Mathieu Baumel in a Toyota Hilux, extended his overnight lead to win by 14 minutes 57 seconds over the UAE’s Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi and Khalid Al-Kendi who finished second in their Abu Dhabi Racing Peugeot 2008 DKR.
Former Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge quads champion Mohammed Abu Issa with Frenchman Xavier Panseri were another 8 minutes 10 seconds further away in third in their Mini All4 Racing in the second round of this year’s FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies for cars and buggies.
Finishing seventh overall, Ukrainian driver Vadym Prytuliak driving solo in a Polaris RZR edged out the UAE’s Ahmed Al-Maqoodi and Obaid Al-Kitbi by just nine seconds to capture the buggies title.
With the event also forming the opening round of the FIM Bajas World Cup Ackerman, riding a Husqvarna, wiped out a 1-minute 28 seconds overnight held by Benjamin Melot on a KTM to win the stage and take the bikes title by 29 seconds from the Frenchman.
With the UAE’s new World Cup event producing more spectacular action as the Nissan Stage 3 unfolded among the dramatic dunes and plains of the Al-Qudra desert, top Emirati rider Mohammed Al-Balooshi climbed one place to finish third.
Young Emirati Mansour Al-Helei, partnered by experienced WRC co-driver Chris Patterson in an Abu Dhabi Racing Toyota Land Cruiser, was an impressive winner of the T2 production class, taking it by 3 minutes 34 seconds from UAE-based Emil Khneisser in a Nissan Patrol.
Qatar’s reigning FIA World Cup T2 champion Adel-Hussain Abdulla of Qatar was third in the class in another Nissan Patrol.
“The event has been an outstanding first-time success and it will go from strength to strength because the baja form of rallying is the future for the sport here,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, the rally organizers, and the Emirates Motor Sport Federation.
Al-Attiyah, who had emphasized before the start that the Dubai International Baja signposted an exciting new era for rallying in the Middle East, will immediately set his sights on defending his title in the Desert Challenge next month.
A relative newcomer to cross country rallying by comparison, Al-Qassimi will also be aiming to make a big impact in the event. JEDDAH: The Gulf Air Sports Society for the Gulf Cooperation Council, the first non-profit private aviation society, was set up in the UAE on Friday with Prince Fahd bin Mishaal as president and Yousef Al-Hamadi from the UAE as vice president.
The establishment of the society was announced as part of the events held on the sidelines of a meeting of the Olympic Council of Asia, the World Air Sports Federation and the Asian Federation of Air Sports, in Dubai.
The society will encompass aviation activities, including acrobatics and training, and will have branches throughout the Gulf countries was
As the Dubai Baja reached the official finish at the Bab Al-Shams Arena he said: “Today it was very windy and the track had deep ruts after yesterday’s two stages. As a result, we had to look to drive through different lines and take some risks on new sandy tracks. We also had to keep in mind not to lose time, especially on the small back-to-back dunes.
“I pushed hard on the straight sections and we had a moment on one of the dunes when we were about to roll after the car hit the nose. In general, it was a good event and we are happy with the podium. This event has given us more experience in desert rallies.
“Also, it is a very important podium for us as it is the first time we have finished a cross country event on the podium. “I am happy with the result as it is not just for declared At the meeting, it was agreed that the headquarters of the society will be in Riyadh; in the next few weeks, a secretary-general will be chosen from Saudi Arabia.
The Dubai meeting was presided by Prince Mishaal, as well as by the president of the Asian and Arab Federation for Air Sports Mubarak Al- Sweillem.
It was agreed that during the next meeting, the statute of the society will be approved, including its organizational and administrative structure, its responsibilities and a plan of action for the next phase to meet the requirements of aviation enthusiasts from the GCC countries, including pilots, air traffic controllers, engineers and others.
Prince Fahd and the vice president me but the entire team at Abu Dhabi Racing and PH Sport. We are now looking forward to the Desert Challenge in a couple of weeks.”
Frenchman Ronan Chabot in a Toyota Hilux, Czech Republic driver Miroslav Zapletal in a Hummer, and World Cup first round winner Aron Domzala of Poland in another Hilux completed the cars top six.
Topping the bikes standings was comfortably the biggest achievement of his riding career for Ackerman, who had a lot of work to do to catch Melot after an opening-leg, which brought the early retirement of Dubai-based Dakar Rally champion Sam Sunderland. Italian Alessandro Ruoso, Kuwaiti
Mohammed Jaffar and Dubai-based British rider Dave McBride rounded off the top six.
DUBAI: Nasser Al-Attiyah produced a convincing victory in the inaugural Dubai International Baja powered by AW Rostamani and Nissan on Saturday as Dubai-based South African rider Mark Ackerman produced a brilliant surge on the last leg to clinch the bikes crown.
of the society were congratulated by the International Federation of Air Sports.
Prince Fahd expressed appreciation for the trust shown in his leadership skills and pledged to do his best, together with his colleagues, to make the society and its activities a success and help aviation practitioners in all branches exercise their passion.
The prince said the society is still in its incipient stage, so “we have a strong obligation to make it a success and to serve aviation and those who are love air sports as a hobby in the Arab Gulf; we seek to serve their ambitions.”
Prince Fahd has several licenses in the field of aviation from the US and Saudi Arabia. He also holds a license for high-tech airplanes from France.