Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi returns to Qatar to tackle the Qatar Cross-Country Race for the first time in his Peugeot 3008 DKR.
The Qatar Cross-Country Rally gets underway with a 4.85km super special stage at the Losail motocross facility within the confines of the race circuit today.
Ahead of a quality field of 32 cars, 13 motorcycles and seven quads lies a daunting route of nearly 2,000 kilometres that will take competitors to the outermost reaches of Qatar in a demanding, dusty and sandy trail laid on by officials at the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF).
The fourth round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies and round two of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship has attracted the leading contenders in all the relevant categories and the scene is set for a fascinating tussle for supremacy in the FIA T1 and T2 car categories and both the FIM motorcycle and quad sections.
Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (pictured) is still recovering from injury, but the Qatari has only ever been beaten once on this event – when he suffered an engine failure on his Buggy in 2013 – and the two-time Dakar champion will be hoping to bounce back into title contention over the four desert selective sections of his home round of the FIA World Cup.
Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi took advantage of Al Attiyah’s accident in the recent Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and now has a commanding lead in the series’ standings after three rounds.
The Abu Dhabi Racing driver’s Peugeot 3008 DKR arrived at Losail on Monday morning and the 2004 FIA Middle East rally champion will be hoping to collect as many points as possible on his first visit to this event, although he has competed in Qatar’s round of the MERC on many occasions.
“This is going to be an entirely new experience for me and I am looking forward to it,” said Sheikh Khalid.
“The terrain is different to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but I am here to gain experience in this format of racing and I hope it will be a successful experience.”
The car category has strength in depth: Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi drives the first of three X-raid built Minis and Al Attiyah’s team at Overdrive Racing fields additional Toyota Hiluxes for Aron Domzala, Erik van Loon and Leeroy Poulter.
Qatar’s Mohammed Abu Issa drives one of the Minis and the former quad category winner lies second in the Drivers’ Championship after three rounds.
“This is exciting and a challenge. It’s good to be in something faster, but this is not an easy rally and the conservation of the tyres will not be easy at all. It’s one more rally to add to my books.”
The Czech duo of Martin Prokop and Miroslav Zapletal, the Mobilex Racing’s Team’s Yuriy Sazonov and Yerden Shagirov, South Racing’s Jürgen Schröder and Fernando Alvarez, Saudi Arabia’s Khalid Al Feraihi and Abu Dhabi’s Yayha Al-Helai add weight to the top of the formidable T1 field.
Thomas Bell, France’s Yannick Commagnac, Ahmed Al Malki and the Qatar duo of Abdullah Al Rabban and Mohammed Al Mannai round off the T1 entry.
Adel Abdulla is the defending FIA T2 World Champion in his Nissan Patrol, but the Qatari has endured a difficult start to the defence of his title. Saudi Arabia’s Yasir Saeidan and Abu Dhabi Racing’s Mansour Al Helai have stolen a march on the Doha driver through the first three rounds and the likes of Ahmed Al-Shegawi, Mohammed Al Harqan, Rashid Al Mohannadi, Jamal Fakhroo and Mohammed Al Meer have made the battle for top spot in the section for series production cross-country vehicles an intriguing prospect.
Co-driver Chris Patterson won five Qatar International rallies with Al-Attiyah between 2004 and 2008 and is competing alongside Mansour Al-Helai in a T2 Toyota Land Cruiser. \“We are delighted to welcome so many international visitors to Losail for the start of the Qatar Cross-Country Rally and wish everyone a safe and successful rally,” said Abdulrahman Al Mannai, President of the QMMF. Today, competitors will tackle the 4.85km super special stage at the Losail motocross track from 15.40hrs onwards. Cars entered in the National Baja follow from 16.25hrs and the FIA cars will be last on to the course from 16.55hrs.
