Rally of Kuwait - 5-7 Mar 09

AL-ATTIYAH CLINCHES VICTORY IN KUWAIT

Posted: March 9, 2009 12:41 PM

Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and his new Italian co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini clinched a start-to-finish victory in the Kuwait International Rally on Saturday. Al-Attiyah duly celebrated his 31st regional rally victory - on the 150th event in the 26-year history of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship - and Bernacchini won his second championship rally in two years.

The defending champion made a successful return to driving a Subaru Impreza, after winning January's Qatar International Rally in a Mitsubishi Evolution X, and now holds a six-point lead in the seven-round series. "It was not an easy rally at all," admitted Al-Attiyah, who is bidding for a sixth regional title in seven years.

"The terrain is very flat and it is difficult to judge the speeds and the small bumps in the tracks. Giovanni made a big difference for me. He is also about 30kgs lighter than some co-drivers, so this is also a great help in a Group N car, where everyone has similar power."

Qatar's Misfer Al-Marri and Ulster co-driver Chris Patterson secured the runner-up position over the final loop of desert stages, when the hard-chasing Saudi Arabian driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and French co-driver Matthieu Baumel stopped with mechanical problems on the penultimate stage.

Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi and Ulster co-driver Michael Orr began the day in 12th, although the UAE driver was 48 seconds off a top 10 placing and determined to climb up the leader board. He set the fastest time in SS9 and edged into 11th position, but soon found himself well up the leader board in fourth overall as the remainder of the field feel by the wayside.

Al-Rajhi's late demise promoted the 2004 champion to third place, although he survived a late scare when a valve pipe leaked a little oil on the 12th stage and there was a resultant small fire.

"We thought that fourth was possible by the end of the day," admitted a delighted Sheikh Khalid. "But it was a pleasant surprise to have gained those places so early in the leg. It's a case of what might have been had we not had broken a wheel early in the rally. We could have been pushing for the win"

The UAE's Rashid Al-Ketbi and Khaled Al-Kendi set the second fastest times on the eighth and ninth special stages on Saturday morning, but succumbed to radiator problems after a landing in a ditch in the 10th test and lost fourth position.

As Al-Attiyah began to ease his pace slightly, a fierce battle developed between Al-Marri and Al-Rajhi for second overall during the day. The Qatari gained 30 seconds in the eighth stage, when the Saudi collected a puncture, and the fastest time in the 10th special ensured that he reached service with a 34-second advantage over last year's winner. But the Saudi rode his luck once too often and failed to reach the finish.

Kuwait's Meshari Al-Thafiri suffered intercooler problems for two stages and slipped behind fellow countryman Mufeed Mubarak and into seventh position. Qatar's Mubarak Al-Hajri - the winner of a recent national rally in Qatar - edged into fifth position heading into the final loop of stages, while Kuwait's Meshal Al-Nejadi and Ebrahim Almodahka and Qatar's Jaber Al-Marri completed the top 10.

The final loop of three stages and the closing super special at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Circuit devastated the running order. Mubarak secured fourth overall and the honour of leading Kuwaiti driver, with Meshal Al-Nejadi and Meshari Al-Thafiri filling fifth and sixth positions.
Al-Hajri rolled on a slow corner in the 11th stage after clipping a ridge of sand and flipped the car on to its roof. He had been in sight of the podium.

Lebanon's Michel Saleh succumbed to fuel-related torment on the first loop and both Qatar's Khalid Al-Suwaidi and Sheikh Hamed Bin Eid Al-Thani rolled out of contention, Al-Suwaidi's accident recorded at 180km/h by the event's vital tracking system.

Jordan's Amjad Farrah restarted under SupeRally regulations, but his return to form was short-lived and boost problems claimed his Mitsubishi. Fellow countryman Ammar Hijazi fell foul of power steering woes and lost 15th position, while Saudi Arabia's Ahmed Al-Sabban suffered coil problems and dropped out of 17th overall. Enraged Kuwaiti driver Essam Al-Nejadi was running well until he rolled his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX over a crest in the ninth stage.

The event was based at the Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex, near Kuwait City, and was held under the patronage of Faisal Al-Jazaf, chairman and general manager of the public authority for youth and sports in the State of Kuwait.

Results

Posted: March 9, 2009 12:39 PM

1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QA)/Giovanni Bernacchini (I) Subaru Impreza N14 2h 18m 25s
2. Misfer Al-Marri (QA)/Chris Patterson (GB) Subaru Impreza 2h 20m 43s
3. Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi (UAE)/Michael Orr (GB) Subaru Impreza 2h 24m 06s
4. Mufeed Mubarak (KT)/Saad Al-Melaifi (KT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 9 2h 27m 39s
5. Meshal Al-Nejadi (KT)/Ahmad Al-Khrass (KT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 9 2h 28m 36s
6. Meshari Al-Thafiri (KT)/Fares Al-Thafiri (KT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 9 2h 35m 03s
7. Ebrahim Almodahka (KT)/Ayman Alebeed (KT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 9 2h 37m 27s
8. David Scialom (GB)/Thomas Mathias (GB) Subaru Impreza 2h 44m 03s
9. Jaber Al-Marri (QA)/Kamal Khoder (RL) Subaru Impreza 2h 45m 23s,

Full Results:
Kuwait Motor Sports Club

KUWAIT INTERNATIONAL RALLY RETURNS TO FIA MIDDLE EAST RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP ON THURSDAY

Posted: March 4, 2009 4:02 PM

4pm start on Thursday afternoon at Kuwait Towers for new rally

The State of Kuwait roars back into the international motor sporting spotlight on Thursday afternoon (tomorrow) with the ceremonial start and opening super special stage of the Kuwait International Rally, the second round of the 2009 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC).

Absent from the prestigious regional rally series since 1996, the new-look Kuwait event is based at the Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex in Jahra, near Kuwait City, and has attracted 30 teams, with 10 crews representing the host nation. The three-day, 14-special stage event is being organised by the Kuwait Motor Sports Club (KMSC) under the patronage of Faisal Al-Jazaf, chairman and general manager of the public authority for youth and sports in the State of Kuwait.

Competitors were able to carry out a low speed reconnaissance of the all-desert rally route on Tuesday and Wednesday (today), before teams cross the ceremonial start podium under the famed Kuwait Towers in Kuwait City from 4pm on Thursday afternoon. The competitive action will get underway with a timed spectator stage at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Circuit from 4.30pm.

Several of the leading drivers joined KMSC president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Dawood Al-Sabah at the official pre-event press conference on Wednesday evening at rally headquarters within the confines of the shooting complex. "We extend a warm welcome to all our international competitors and wish everyone a safe and successful rally," said Sheikh Ahmad.

Leading the international contingent of 20 drivers is the defending regional champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah, a five-time winner of the regional series who will be chasing his 31st MERC victory on this event, which marks the 150th in the history of the championship.

Al-Attiyah teams up with the experienced Italian co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini for the first time in a new Subaru Impreza, but is sure to be hard-pushed over the demanding Kuwait desert stages by the in-form Saudi Arabian driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and former champion Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi.

The pair finished second and third overall on the opening round of the series in Qatar, behind Al-Attiyah, although Al-Rajhi's exciting new Kronos Peugeot 207 S2000 should be better suited to the smoother, sandier stages in Kuwait, as opposed to the rougher and rockier terrain he faced in January.

Punctures cost several drivers, including Al-Qassimi, valuable time in Qatar, but the UAE driver is anxious to close the four-point championship points' gap on Al-Attiyah at this early stage of the new season. The rapid Rashid Al-Ketbi could also spring a surprise for the Emirati contingent, but Sheikh Khalid's brother Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi withdrew at the last minute with an ear infection.

Qatar's Misfer Al-Marri was disappointed with his performance in Doha and last year's championship runner-up will need to be on the top of his game if he is to match Al-Attiyah on these fast desert stages. Mubarak Al-Hajri, 1993 regional champion Sheikh Hamed Bin Eid Al-Thani and Nasser Al-Suwaidi are three other rated Qatari drivers in the field.

Mufeed Mubarak, Salah Bin Eidan and Meshari Al-Sabti head the impressive 10-strong local contingent, with rookies Elie Chichati and Ebrahim Al-Modakha, joining Eid Falah, Meshal Al-Nejadi, Essam Al-Nejadi and Meshari and Yousef Al-Thafiri on the entry list.

Both Jordan's Amjad Farrah and Saudi Arabia's Ahmed Al-Sabban return to action for the first time this season in their respective Mitsubishi Lancer and Toyota S2000 and London-based Lebanese driver Nick Georgiou will be hoping to put the disappointing last stage retirement in Qatar firmly to the back of his mind. Farrah failed to score a single point in last year's championship campaign and a last minute engine change before the start of this event was hardly the preparation the Jordanian needed for a successful weekend.

Other likely front-runners include Lebanese veteran Michel Saleh - the winner of the first Kuwait International round of the MERC in 1984 - and Jordan's Ammar Hijazi in his new Al-Mimari Subaru Impreza N15, while Abdulrahman Ghuloom and daughter Carina Ghuloom are the sole Bahraini entrants. Cheshire-based chemist David Scialom represents the United Kingdom in his venerable Subaru Impreza.

"The stages are sandy and very fast," admitted visiting Ulster co-driver Allan Harryman. "There are some long straights out there. You wouldn't want to get a line wrong on these tracks. It is going to be quite a fight between the top crews. The pace will not be for the faint-hearted."

Entry List

Posted: March 1, 2009 9:51 PM

Kuwait Motor Sports Club

KUWAIT TEAMS OUT IN FORCE FOR COUNTRY'S RETURN TO FIA MIDDLE EAST RALLY SERIES

Posted: March 1, 2009 9:48 PM

Kuwaiti rally drivers have offered their full support to the country's return to the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) for the first time since 1996, with no less than 10 teams set to tackle the event on March 5th-7th.

Officials at the Kuwait Motor Sports Club (KMSC) are eagerly awaiting the start of the country's first championship event for 13 years and club president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Dawood Al-Sabah is delighted with the support the event has received from local teams.

Several of the Kuwaiti drivers are regulars in the regional rally series, but there are at least two newcomers on the 33-strong entry list.

Mufeed Mubarak was one of the first local drivers to register his intention to take part in the three-day rally, which gets underway from the Kuwait Towers on Thursday afternoon. Mubarak was a regular in Middle East events for several years and will drive a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

Salah Bin Eidan wheels out his regular STS-backed Subaru Impreza WRX STi, new championship contender Meshari Al-Sabti teams up with Bader Al-Baqsami in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII and rookie Elie Chichati lines up alongside co-driver Naji Sfeir in a similar car. Another Kuwait Rally newcomer is Ebrahim Al-Modakha, who has Ayman Alebeed reading the notes in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX.

Eid Falah and Khaled Khalifa finished fifth in last year's candidate event and have support from Rima Motors for their quest for honours in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII. Meshal Al-Nejadi switched from a two-wheel drive car to a more powerful Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX in time for the recent Qatar International Rally and the former regional Super 1600 champion will be hoping for renewed success with navigator Ahmad Al-Khrass in Kuwait.

His brother Essam Al-Nejadi also enters a ninth evolution version of Mitsubishi's four-wheel drive Lancer with co-driver Anwar Al-Sharrah. Meshari Al-Thafiri and Yousef Al-Thafiri, partnered by Fares Al-Thafiri and Mubarak Al-Thafiri, complete the impressive local team line-up.

"To make rallying a success in Kuwait we need the full support of all our local teams and it is fantastic that we have 10 drivers on the entry list," admitted Sheikh Ahmad Al-Dawood Al-Sabah. "It will be great to see them all competing against the cream of the region's rally drivers later this week."

The event is being organised by the KMSC under the patronage of Faisal Al-Jazaf, chairman and general manager of the public authority for youth and sports in the State of Kuwait.

BUMPER ENTRY CONFIRMED FOR KUWAIT INTERNATIONAL RALLY

Posted: February 24, 2009 3:06 PM

Entries have closed for the Kuwait International Rally and event officials have confirmed that 33 of the region's finest rally drivers, including 10 Kuwaiti teams, will take part in the second round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) on March 5th-7th.

The event is being organised by the Kuwait Motor Sports Club (KMSC), under the patronage of Faisal Al-Jazaf, chairman and general manager of the public authority for youth and sports in the State of Kuwait. The route and format of Kuwait's first championship round since 1996 has been devised by the experienced Jordanian official Walid Mihyar, who is working as clerk of the course of his 14th MERC event.

Mihyar graduated with a degree in business management from North Carolina University in 1985 and worked in the Royal Automobile Club of Jordan's office between 1993 and 2001. He held a management position within the Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation between 2001 and 2002 and also became the clerk of the course of the Syrian International Rally between 2000 and 2004, his efforts going a long way to ensure the Syrian event became an integral round of the regional rally series.

Mihyar was clerk of the course of the Dubai International Rally in 2002 and held a similar position in the Sultanate of Oman between 2003 and 2004. He then worked as clerk of the course of the new Saudi Ha'il Baja between 2006 and 2007, before joining the Kuwait team to re-launch the Kuwait International Rally.

Mihyar and officials at the KMSC have also been joined in the organising team by Hasan Jaradat, the Jordanian time keeper at the Kuwait Rally, Naser Rabata - who handles results - Syrian competition liaison officer Sari Mahli, Jordanian parc fermé manager Issa Kheir and Raed Al-Sulabi.

"Most of the marshals are Kuwaitis and Kuwaiti people are very much involved in the rally and interested in rallying in the region," said Mihyar. The special stages will be demanding and challenging and are being developed each year. We have a variety of terrain, with sabkha on the beach, a forest section near the Shooting Club, in addition to rough surfaces and fast desert tracks.

"Our rally super special is the only one of its kind in the Middle East that takes place on a circuit with two cars competing against each other at the same time. The circuit can host other championships as well and will be used frequently. We can expect a big future for rallying in Kuwait."

"We are delighted to have an experienced team of Arabic-speaking officials to support our staff at the KMSC," said Sheikh Ahmad Al-Dawood Al-Sabah.
"Walid Mihyar has a lot of experience in a similar role around the region and this puts us on a strong footing."

Meanwhile, defending regional champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah has confirmed that he will return to driving a 2009-specification Subaru Impreza in Kuwait, after winning the recent Qatar International Rally in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. Al-Attiyah has support from a Qatari construction company for the first time and teams up with Britain's Autotek Motorsport again in Kuwait. He is aiming to win his 31st MERC event alongside new co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini. The Italian co-drove for Lebanon's Roger Feghali last season on rounds of the regional series and has WRC experience with Italy's Gigi Galli.

FORTHCOMING KUWAIT RALLY SET TO BE 150TH EVENT IN HISTORY OF REGIONAL RALLY SERIES

Posted: February 24, 2009 3:04 PM

The winner of next month's Kuwait International Rally will go down in the record books as the winner of the 150th event in the history of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship.

The region's premier rally series began with the Qatar International Rally in 1984 and has gone from strength to strength over the last 25 years, with the Kuwait event set to return to the series for the first time since 1996 on March 5th-7th.

Officials at the Kuwait Motor Sport Club (KMSC) have received numerous enquiries for the second round of the regional series, although entries do not officially close until Friday, February 20th. Among the entrants received thus far are several previous winners of rounds of the championship, including Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah, a winner of 30 regional rallies who is chasing the unprecedented total of 60 wins set by the UAE's Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

Other previous winners present in Kuwait include the UAE's Sheikh Khalid and Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi, Oman's Nizar Al-Shanfari, Cypriot Nicos Thomas, Qatar's Sheikh Hamed Bin Eid Al-Thani and Lebanon's Michel Saleh. The Kuwait Rally actually ran for the first time in 1974 and was won by Roger Taylor in a Honda Civic, but it entered the regional series for the first time in 1984 and Saleh graced the top step of the podium for the first time with Lebanon's Tony Samia co-driving.

Because of the two Gulf Wars, the Kuwait International Rally has only been a round of the regional series on seven occasions in the past, although it did run as a candidate event in March 2008 and was won by Saudi Arabia's Yazeed Al-Rajhi.

Saleh won the event just once as a round of the regional series, but Ben Sulayem holds the record for four wins in 1985, 1988, 1989 and 1996, with Qatar's Saeed Al-Hajri winning in 1986 and Saudi Arabia's Abdullah Bakhashab winning the Martyr's Rally with Bobby Willis in 1995, when the event returned to the series for two years after the first Iraq invasion.

It took 10 years of calendar changes and numerous upheavals in regional rallying, after Al-Hajri's maiden MERC win in Qatar 1984, before someone could record the 50th MERC rally win. The honour fell to Mohammed Ben Sulayem in Jordan, with Lebanon's Jean-Pierre Nasrallah recording the 100th MERC victory on his home event in 2002.

This year's Kuwait International Rally will run under the patronage of Faisal Al-Jazaf, chairman and general manager of the public authority for youth and sports in the State of Kuwait, and under the presidency of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Dawood Al-Sabah, president of the KMSC and chairman of the organising committee.

"There are many drivers out there who would dearly love to win the 150th event in the history of the MERC and take victory on our return to the championship," said Sheikh Ahmad Al-Dawood Al-Sabah. "This championship has a fascinating history and you only have to look down the list of previous rally winners to see the international calibre of some of the drivers.
Hopefully it will not be too long before a Kuwaiti driver graces the list of previous rally winners."

One Kuwaiti driver who will be determined to finish as high as possible is Eid Falah. He has secured backing from Rima Motors for his challenge this year with Khalid Khalifa and will be one of several local drivers in the hunt for honours. Falah finished fifth overall in last year's candidate rally.

KUWAITI ORGANISERS ANNOUNCE CHALLENGING AND COMPACT ROUTE FOR NEW KUWAIT RALLY

Posted: February 10, 2009 12:37 PM

Punishing specials planned at Alatraff, Al-Samli and Metlaa
Spectator stage to be held at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Circuit

The Kuwait Motor Sport Club (KMSC) has released the route and timetable for the second round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship, which fires into life on March 5th-7th in the deserts around Kuwait City.

Kuwait's return to the FIA regional series, after an absence of 13 years, will feature 14 timed special stages and a total of 250.32 competitive kilometres, split equally between legs one and two.

Leg one gets underway on Thursday, March 5th with the traditional ceremonial start of the 150th event in the history of the regional FIA rally championship taking place under the world famous Kuwait Towers from 4pm.

Competitors will then head straight into a purpose-built 3.5km timed spectator stage at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Circuit from 4.30pm. Footage will be televised live by a leading local network, before crews return to the Kuwait Shooting Club for the overnight halt.

The second section of leg one features a further six timed special stages in the Kuwait desert, split by the main service and regroup at around midday on Friday, March 6th. Teams will tackle the heavily-revised Al-Salmi, Alatraff and Shooting Club specials on two occasions during the day, with the longer Alatraff test likely to provide a stiff test throughout its challenging 29.30km. Teams will return to the Kuwait Shooting Club from 3.40hrs for the overnight halt.

Leg two on Saturday, March 7th offers a further seven special stages and gets underway from 8am. Surviving teams will face their first passes through the Sulibikhat and Al-Metlaa specials from 9am and then a third pass through the Alatraff stage at 10.22hrs, which retains much of the stage distance used for the candidate event in 2008. The Sulibikhat and Al-Metlaa stages are also similar to 2008.

A final regrouping and lunchtime service precedes a repeat of the morning's three specials and the competitive action reaches a conclusion with a second sprint through the spectator stage at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Circuit from 4.15pm. The ceremonial finish will take place under the Kuwait Towers from 5.30pm.

The 2009 Kuwait International Rally will run under the patronage of Lieutenant General Faisal Al-Jazzaf, chairman and general manager of the public authority for youth and sports in the State of Kuwait, and under the presidency of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Dawood Al-Sabah, president of the KMSC and chairman of the organising committee.

"Our team have found some challenging special stages and retained a compact format for the rally," said Sheikh Ahmad Al-Dawood Al-Sabah, President of the KMSC. "Both legs offer a similar competitive distance and we are also looking forward to offering an exciting spectator stage after the start and just before the finish under the Kuwait Towers."

KUWAIT MOTOR SPORT CLUB ANNOUNCES SECOND ROUND OF FIA MIDDLE EAST RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Posted: January 27, 2009 12:05 PM

The Kuwait Motor Sport Club (KMSC) has announced details of the 2009 Kuwait International Rally, which returns to the FIA Middle East Rally Championship for the first time since 1996 and forms the second round of the increasingly-popular eight-round series. The event will take place on March 5th-7th, in the desert near Kuwait City, and will be the 150th rally in the history of the regional championship, which began with the Qatar Rally in 1984.

Kuwait's return to the regional motor sporting spotlight will run under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait, and under the presidency of Sheikh Ahmad Bin Dawood Al-Sabah, president of the KMSC and chairman of the organising committee.

Kuwait was an integral round of the regional rallying calendar throughout the 1980s, but hostilities in neighbouring Iraq forced the event out of the championship at the end of 1989. It returned to the calendar in 1995 and 1996, but has been absent from the region's premier motor sport calendar for 12 years. The KMSC ran a popular candidate event in 2008 and the FIA duly included the rally in the championship calendar for 2009.

"We are delighted to regain our place in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship," said Sheikh Ahmad Al-Dawood Al-Sabah, President of the KMSC. "Last year's event was well received, but we have visited several other rallies in the region since last March and I attended the recent Qatar Rally to meet other event officials and teams. We are continuously improving the format of our rally and I am confident that our return to the championship will be at the high standard of former rallies held in Kuwait and other leading rounds of the regional series."

The KMSC will run in the region of 250km of special stages on Friday, March 6th and Saturday, March 7th. Jordanian Walid Mihyar has been appointed rally manager and clerk of the course for a second term and is busy finalising the last minute timetable for an event which is sure to attract the cream of the region's rally drivers.

The rally will start at 4pm on Thursday, March 5th and also finish under the world-renowned Kuwait Towers. The KMSC have also introduced a 3.5km super special stage that will be used twice - at the start and finish of the rally. This will take place at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Circuit in Kuwait City and is the first permanent super special stage in the Middle East region. Action will be filmed live by Kuwait's KTV3 channel during the course of rally weekend, with the opening super special stage firing into life at 4.30pm on Thursday afternoon.

The event will be based at the Kuwait Shooting Club for a second year, where race officials and the event's media centre will be based throughout the week. The service park, parc fermé and scrutineering will also be centred at the club. Reconnaissance of the special stages will be permitted on Tuesday, March 3rd and Wednesday, March 4th.

The KMSC will offer international and GCC competitors six nights' hotel accommodation in Kuwait and officials are currently finalising a potential deal on return air tickets for crews.

Entries for the Kuwait International Rally will close on Friday, February 20th.

Kuwait Motor Sports Club