Stage set for exhilarating rally action
dubai — The rolling dunes and plains of Al Qudra desert provide a dramatic stage this weekend when the Dubai International Baja delivers another exhilarating chapter of World Cup cross country rallying at its best.
Taking place under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, the event is the second round of this year’s FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies for cars and buggies and the opening round of the FIM Bajas World Cup for bikes and quads.
Launched last year by the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) to underline a new direction for rallying in the Emirates, the event has attracted an impressive line-up of 88 competitors from 19 countries for its second edition, and two days of spectacular action is about to unfold.
Leading the chase for the cars title but facing powerful opposition from overseas is the UAE’s Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi, last year’s runner-up and top seed this time as he looks to go one better alongside French co-driver Xavier Panseri in his Peugeot Abu Dhabi Racing Team 3008 DKR.
The top seed in the bikes category is another experienced UAE contender, Mohammed Al Balooshi, who finished third last year and has set his sights on a first World Cup rally victory to add to his haul of Arab motor cross titles after a major effort to finish the gruelling Dakar Rally in January, 2018. The cars, buggies, bikes and quads will be flagged away
This is a very exciting event as it points the way ahead for rallying in the UAE and the Gulf region as a whole Mohammed Ben Sulayem
from the ceremonial start at Dubai Autodrome, the new Rally HQ, at 5pm on Thursday in an event supported by the Government of Dubai, Dubai Police, Dubai Municipality and the General Authority of Sports.
“This is a very exciting event as it points the way ahead for rallying in the UAE and the Gulf region as a whole,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the ATCUAE and the Emirates Motor Sport Federation, and FIA Vice President for sport, at Wednesday’s official press conference. The powerful line up of cars, buggies, bikes and quads tackle a demanding 174-km special stage running through the dramatic Al Qudra desert terrain on Friday and again the following morning, with the event finishing at Dubai Autodrome on Saturday.
With Al Qassimi leading the cars into action, he will be followed away by Czech Martin Prokop and codriver Jan Tomanek in the Ford F150 Evo which gave them second place in the first round of this year’s FIA World Cup series in Russia. Russians Vladimir Vasilyev and Konstantin Zhiltsov, winners of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in 2014 and 2015, are seeded third ahead of 2017 FIA World Cup runner-up Jakub Przygonski.