Jordan (P/T) - 1-4 Apr 10

Pons Pulls Clear in Jordan

Posted: April 15, 2010 10:28 AM

Ford Fiesta S2000 driver Xevi Pons took a second straight victory in the Super 2000 World Rally Championship after an incredibly tough battle at Rally Jordan.  

The Spaniard showed all of his extensive experience at the top level of rallying to drive impeccably throughout the event and take advantage of the high rate of attrition in the fierce heat of Jordan's desert roads to record back-to-back wins in the S-WRC following his triumph at the previous round in Mexico.  

Six Ford Fiesta S2000s were present in Jordan, with five fighting for S-WRC honours and Khalid Al Qassimi registered for the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) and Dubai resident Janne Tuohino registered for both series.  

The opening day of the rally set the tone for what became a supremely tough challenge for the crews on the loose gravel roads by the Dead Sea in the Middle Eastern Kingdom.  Only two S-WRC crews made it to the finish of the opening day, and both were Ford Fiesta S2000s.  The lead changed hands throughout as the arduous conditions took their toll on the field.  First to fall by the wayside was Ford Fiesta S2000 driver Jari Ketomaa, who was forced to retire due to a mechanical issue just as the rally began.  Fellow Finn Janne Tuohino then crashed his Ford Fiesta S2000 out of the rally after he missed a turn and went down a steep banking, making it impossible to get back onto the stage but with minimal damage to the car.  

Michal Kosciuszko had been setting some excellent times and held the lead with two stages left, but the Pole was frustrated when an alternator drive belt failure stopped his challenge in its tracks.  Meanwhile, Pons was making steady progress after a cautious opening run to hold second and young Portuguese driver Bernardo Sousa made an excellent start to the event to hold a 21.1 second lead after seven tumultuous stages on the first day.  

Friday saw competitors take on the longest day of the rally featuring 138.28km, and it provided another huge challengefor the S-WRC crews.  Restarting under SuperRally rules Jari Ketomaa went fastest on the opening stage, only for his luck to run out quickly again as a broken alternator belt forced him to retire early for the second day in a row.  Michal Kosciuszko showed excellent pace on day two after re-starting, despite suffering from serious back pain caused by a heavy impact a jump, and fought his way up to second in the S-WRC standings.  Also SuperRallying was Janne Tuohino, who had been making good progress until he was halted by a clutch problem that forced him to a stop prior to the final stage.  

Early leader Sousa's great run was hampered by Jordan's local fauna as a fly in his cockpit distracted him and he had to slow for a dog that was sleeping in the middle of the road.  However, his chance of a maiden S-WRC win was lost on the final stage of the day when he half-rolled his Ford Fiesta S2000 onto its side and punctured the rear-left tyre.  After stopping to change it his car then ground to a halt close to the stage end due to a fuel problem, and he was eventually excluded for a sporting infringement after trying to get the car back to service.  All that drama meant Pons was the only S-WRC driver to complete all of the stages, building himself a comfortable class lead and moving to tenth overall in the rally in the process.  Starting the Middle East Rally Championship round on the same day, WRC regular Khalid Al-Qassimi set and excellent pace throughout the day to place his Ford Fiesta S2000 at the head of the regional championship's competitive field.  

The final day of the event was no less dramatic for a number of the Ford Fiesta S2000 crews.  Michal Kosciuszko again started by setting good times in the morning before a fire under the bonnet on SS15 Bahath caused him to lose time as he extinguished it.  However, worse was to come as on the following SS16 Shuna he misjudged a corner and rolled down a steep incline.  He and co-driver Maciek Szczepaniak were taken to hospital as a precaution but did not suffer serious injury.  

Janne Tuohino's tough weekend at Jordan Rally finally ended when a mechanical issue forced him to retire on the final loop of stages, but compatriot Jari Ketomaa enjoyed a trouble-free run to the finish and gained valuable mileage in his Ford Fiesta S2000.  Khalid Al-Qassimi suffered a similar fate, forced into retirement 2.40km from the end of SS15 Bahath while leading the MERC runners.  Xevi Pons drove at a measured pace to ensure he capitalised upon his strong position at the head of the field and brought his Ford Fiesta S2000 home for another outstanding win in the S-WRC series.  

The results from Jordan Rally leave Pons ten points clear of his nearest rivals P-G Andersson and Eyvind Brynildsen at the head of the S-WRC drivers' championship, and his Nupel Racing Global Racing Team on top of the team standings after three rounds.  

Xevi Pons said:
"I am very happy with this result.  At the start I did not have a good feeling with the car and I was not driving with confidence.  Then we made a few changes and I started to feel better, and we had no big problems like the other drivers.  To get to the finish on a very hard event like this and win is perfect.  It is nice to be leading the championship and going to New Zealand next because it is a good rally for me when I have been there before, and it should be possible to get a good result."  

Janne Tuohino said:
"This was not a good event for us.  On the first day we were a few kilometres into the third stage when we went off at corner after I braked too late.  We just went straight off and although there was no real damage to the car it was a steep hill and we couldn't get back up again.  Then we had the problem with clutch the next day.  By the end we just wanted to drive safely with no problems and forget about this one so we can concentrate on the next event."  

Jari Ketomaa said:
"It has been such a hard weekend for us.  On the first day we had a problem when a bolt got stuck between the flywheel and the gearbox just before the start, then on the second day we won the first stage before we had a problem with the alternator.  It was disappointing for the team and our sponsors as they have worked so hard leading up to theevent.  We managed to get some good time in the car on the last day though and our pace was good so that is positive.  We are still confident we can challenge at the front and are looking forward to New Zealand."  

Khalid Al-Qassimi said:
"I am really disappointed, we were driving well and comfortably leading, so to lose out on the possibility of finishing on the podium is frustrating.  In rallying you never know what to expect, anything can happen, but I have taken a lot away from this event and I hope to be able to use this to my advantage in Saudi Arabia, where I compete in two weeks."  

M-Sport Managing Director Malcolm Wilson said:
"Xevi Pons has turned in another fantastic performance in the S-WRC to win with the Ford Fiesta S2000 again.  To get through such a difficult event when so many others had problems is a great credit to Xevi."

Citroen Reports

Posted: April 15, 2010 10:26 AM

Citroen Sport WRC Press Release

Citroen Sport Junior WRC Press Release

S-WRC & P-WRC Reports

Posted: April 15, 2010 10:23 AM

S-WRC Report

P-WRC Report

CITROËN’S LOEB AND ELENA CLAIM 56TH WRC VICTORY IN THRILLING JORDAN RALLY

Posted: April 15, 2010 9:56 AM

Defending FIA World Rally Champions, Sébastien Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena, claimed their 56th WRC victory of a record-breaking partnership by mastering the tactics to perfection to clinch victory in the Jordan Rally on Saturday.  

Team tactics – the likes of which have never been seen to such an extent on a WRC event before – saw Sébastien Ogier and Mikko Hirvonen used as sacrificial lambs by their respective Citroën and Ford teams as time penalties were also used as tools at the start of the day to determine the crucial starting order.  

On the eve of Easter Sunday, Ford attempted to resurrect their WRC title challenge with Hirvonen clocking in early to overcome Citroën’s decision to use Ogier as the pawn in the game of chess. “I think we have seen the limit of the regulations,” said Loeb.  

But the Frenchman controlled the event from second on the road in the baking heat to claim a stunning victory from Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala by 35.8 seconds. “It was a very difficult rally,” said Loeb, who now has a 25-point lead in the FIA Drivers’ Championship. “There were stones and it was very slippery. I am very happy to win here for the first time.”  

Norwegian privateer Petter Solberg clinched his second successive podium for a superb third position and Spaniard Dani Sordo added vital points for third place to Citroën’s Manufacturers’ points tally by taking fourth overall.  

England’s Matthew Wilson finished fifth and a disappointed Ogier lost a certain podium after the time penalty tactics were imposed and finished sixth. “I don’t like these regulations but there are just two manufacturers and I am young so I do what the boss says and go first,” said Ogier. “But I have proved that I am improving rally after rally.”  

Argentina’s Federico Villagra finished seventh for the Munchi’s Rally Team and Finland’s ex-F1 supremo Kimi Räikkönen reached the finish in a much-improved eighth overall.  

Spaniard Xavier Pons consolidated his comfortable SWRC lead over the final day’s eight stages to confirm a second successive victory in the S2000 section and 10th overall, his cause made that much easier when Portugal’s Bernardo Sousa was excluded for receiving outside assistance on Friday evening. Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi was a surprising second of the S2000 runners after numerous rivals suffered a catalogue of problems.  

Patrik Flodin had the measure of Portugal’s Armindo Araújo over the final day to seize victory in the FIA Production World Rally Championship (PWRC) category. The Swede also finished 11th overall, while the Middle East’s 2009 Pirelli Star Driver champion, Nick Georgiou, held on to take third in the section and 15th overall.  

The UAE’s Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi lost a comfortable MERC lead with alternator belt failure in Shuna and this handed the initiative to Al-Rajhi. The Riyadh driver capped a superb weekend by adding victory in the MERC category to his second position in the S2000 section. It was his second MERC victory after last year’s success in Syria.  

Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah stormed through the field from 10th position and finished third overall behind Misfer Al-Marri when Finland’s Janne Tuohino capped a miserable weekend for Team Abu Dhabi by retiring within sight of the finish with similar problems to Al-Qassimi.  

Day Three  
Fireworks were expected between the leading drivers through the opening 14km of the Yakrut stage. Loeb began the defence of his 24.6s lead, despite the plan of running first on the road in front of Ogier, Latvala and Solberg. Only 43.2s separated the top four and the outcome of the final eight stages was likely to go down to the wire.  

Pons was left in a clear SWRC lead at the start of the day when event stewards decided to exclude Portugal’s Bernardo Sousa late on Friday evening. The Ford Fiesta S2000 driver received outside assistance on the road section by the service park and the infringement was spotted by an FIA technical representative. His demise promoted Al-Rajhi to second in the new category at the start of the final day, although the Spaniard’s lead was nearly five and a half minutes.  

The fun and games started when crews checked out of service. Sacrificial lamb Ogier left five minutes late to ensure that he fell behind Latvala on the road, but Ford also pulled a master stunt and Mikko Hirvonen clocked in early to redress the balance. Ogier then clocked in early at the stage control and headed into the test before Loeb, but the Frenchman had collected 8m 50s of road penalties in the process.  

Loeb extended his overall lead by 0.4s to 28.1s over Latvala, but Ford’s retaliation had also cost Hirvonen 15 minutes in time penalties. Ogier fell from second to eighth in the overall standings and Solberg climbed to third.  

Pons and Flodin maintained their comfortable leads in the SWRC and PWRC categories, although Al-Attiyah was on flying form in SWRC and set the 10th fastest time. Czech driver Martin Semerad left the road and retired and Poland’s Michal Kosciuszko was hospitalised with concussion after an accident two stages later.  

The treacherous downhill junctions of the Bahath stage failed to prevent Loeb extending his lead to 32.2s, as Solberg set the fastest time. The six-time World Champion continued his dominant performance through Shuna and his lead grew to 33.4s, where Latvala manage to defer Solberg’s challenge by setting the second fastest time.  

Loeb was again quickest at the Baptism Site and reached service with a 37.8s lead. Pons and Flodin maintained clear leads over Al-Rajhi and Araújo in their respective SWRC and PWRC categories.  

The top five procession continued through the next two stages. Latvala sneaked the stage win off Loeb in Yakrut, but the Frenchman maintained a 36.1s lead heading back to Bahath and reached Shuna with a lead of 38.5s. Loeb had survived a scare on a corner in the previous stage and he noticeably eased his pace through Shuna, as Latvala set the fastest time to reduce the World Champion’s lead to 34.7s heading into the final stage.  

Ogier set the fastest time in the final timed test, but Loeb maintained his composure to claim an emphatic victory. Pons was triumphant for the second rally in a month in the SWRC category and Flodin held on in PWRC.  

MERC
  Al-Qassimi began the second day of Middle East action with a comfortable 2m 40s cushion and Al-Rajhi had managed to edge away from Misfer Al-Marri on the second Jordan River stage. SupeRally meant that Finland’s Janne Tuohino rejoined the fray in fourth overall, while Lebanon’s Michel Saleh completed the top five.  

Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah climbed to 11th after massive delays, Jordan’s Amjad Farrah restarted from 12th overall, but transmission damage meant that the UAE’s Rashid Al-Ketbi was unable to continue and Al-Suwaidi was also sidelined after his engine was damaged in a last stage roll on Friday.  

Al-Attiyah was in flying form through the opening kilometres, as he began a climb back through the field to gain as many points as possible. But the stage was cancelled following an accident involving Finland’s Reijo Muhonen running at the rear of the WRC category. Al-Attiyah was fastest from Tuohino through Bahath, but Al-Qassimi maintained a comfortable lead over Al-Rajhi and Al-Marri in the overall standings.  

Al-Qassimi’s desperate bid for the MERC victory was curtailed by alternator belt failure in the Shuna stage and the Abu Dhabi driver’s demise promoted Al-Rajhi into the lead in his Kronos Peugeot 207 S2000. Al-Attiyah had powered his way up to fourth position by the midday break and Al-Rajhi extended his overall lead over Al-Marri to 55 seconds through the Shuna and Baptism Site stages. Jordan’s Faris Hijazi was forced to withdraw from seventh position with a back injury.  

Al-Attiyah was again fastest through Yakrut, but Tuohino was too far ahead of the Qatari for Al-Attiyah to reach the podium over the final three stages unless a rival hit trouble. The miracle happened at TC20, when Tuohino succumbed to alternator belt woes and Al-Attiyah found himself back on the MERC podium after a roller-coaster rally by his standards, but the day belonged to Al-Rajhi and his jubilant Kronos team. Qatar’s Jaber Al-Marri slid off the penultimate stage and Mubarak Al-Hajri retired on the road section between the last two stages.  

Happy returns for Latvala as Jordan delivers podium present

Posted: April 15, 2010 9:54 AM

Birthday boy Jari-Matti Latvala celebrated turning 25 today when he and co-driver Miikka Anttila finished second in the Jordan Rally in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car. The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team pair claimed their best result in the FIA World Rally Championship for almost a year after conquering intense heat and rocky desert tracks in the Arabian kingdom on this third round of the 2010 season.

The runners-up position promoted the Finns into second in the drivers' championship standings ahead of team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen in a similar Focus RS WRC. Hirvonen finished 20th, restarting this morning and completing the event under SupeRally rules after retiring from fifth yesterday morning when he hit a bank and broke his car's front left suspension.

Appearing in the WRC for only the second time, the Jordan Rally was based on the shores of the Dead Sea, south-west of the capital city of Amman, and at 420 metres below sea level, the lowest point on earth. Appropriately for Easter weekend, the 21 speed tests covering 339.48km ran in areas steeped in history through stories made famous in the Bible, including the Baptism site where Jesus Christ was baptised in the Jordan River, and Mount Nebo where Moses was buried overlooking the Holy Land.

Latvala dominated Friday's opening leg, picking his way skilfully through the rocky desert landscape to build a 30.2sec advantage. As a result he was first in the start order yesterday, and lost time as he swept slippery loose gravel from the road surface to create a cleaner and faster line for those behind to follow. He ended the day in third, 27.7sec from the lead but with an ideal start position for today.

A flurry of tactics at this morning's restart shuffled the start order as drivers deliberately incurred time penalties to engineer a more favourable start position for their team-mates. Latvala was now fourth in the running order but, crucially, main rival Sébastien Loeb was second rather than first and avoided the unwanted role as road opener.

Latvala attacked initially but, after two narrow escapes, soon called off his pursuit of the leader and settled for a worthy second place. "It's a much better birthday than last year when I thought I might die after crashing and rolling 200 metres down a hillside in Portugal," he said. "Second is a great result, although I felt a little disappointed this morning when I realised I wouldn't be able to win. I kept the pressure on in case he made a mistake and I could capitalise, but I also had to stay relaxed.

"This is my third good result in three rallies this season and this run has boosted my confidence. The tactical decisions this morning changed the course of the day. It had a huge effect with Loeb second in the start order. The difference between first and second in the order is huge in terms of road cleaning, while second and third or third and fourth is only marginal," added Latvala, who won three special stages on Thursday and two today.

Hirvonen ended the opening leg in fifth but crashed out less than 3km into yesterday's opening stage, breaking the suspension. "I made a mistake and took too tight a line over a crest. The car hit a small gravel bank on the inside of a right bend and the impact threw it into the air and across the road. I was lucky not to roll, but it landed on the left front wheel and the suspension broke," he said.

Lying 20th and with no chance of regaining lost time, the 29-year-old Finn was happy to deliberately incur a time penalty by restarting early this morning to improve Latvala's road position. He paced himself through the final eight tests, run in temperatures as high as 33ºC, to finish 20th and score valuable points for the team in the manufacturers' championship.

"It was a disappointing weekend," he admitted. "I made a silly mistake but that was going to happen at some point. I just wish it hadn't happened here this weekend. It's unlike me and I want the old Mikko back. The team did a good job of repairing my car and today I drove carefully, checking my pace notes and taking no risks. It's not the same as when you are fighting for victory and attacking because it's hard to keep the rhythm. The roads were extremely slippery and the most technical of the rally."

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson said: "I'm pleased we set competitive times and won stages again. Jari-Matti's performance was a big boost because the pressure was on him after Mikko made an uncharacteristic mistake. His result was a reward for a mature and sensible drive."

Ford of Europe motorsport chief Gerard Quinn said:
"After the disappointment on the last round in Mexico, we promised we would bounce back here, and we did. Jari-Matti was the class act of the first day and remained in the battle for victory until today. It was a confidence boost for the whole team."

Next round
Round four of the series takes the BP Ford Abu Dhabi team to a new-look Rally of Turkey. The base has moved from the south coast holiday resort of Kemer to Istanbul in the north – the gateway between Europe and Asia. The rally, on 15 - 18 April, remains on gravel and spans both continents

Results

Posted: April 15, 2010 9:53 AM

1. S Loeb/D Elena Citroen C4 WRC) 3hr 51min 35.9sec
2. J-M Latvala/M Anttila Ford Focus WRC) 3hr 52min 11.7sec
3. P Solberg/P Mills Citroen C4 WRC) 3hr 52min 47.7sec
4. D Sordo/M Marti Citroen C4 WRC) 3hr 53min 25.2sec
5. M Wilson/S Martin Ford Focus WRC) 4hr 00min 00.2sec
6. S Ogier/J Ingrassia Citroen C4 WRC) 4hr 02min 02.3sec
7. F Villagra/J Perez Companc Ford Focus WRC) 4hr 03min 03.9sec
8. K Räikkönen/K Lindström Citroen C4 WRC) 4hr 04min 06.9sec
9. H Solberg/I Minor Ford Focus WRC) 4hr 05min 44.5sec
10. X Pons/A Haro Ford Fiesta S2000) 4hr 10min 09.8sec

Full Results WRC: www.wrc.com
MERC Results Middle East Rally Championship (FIA)

MERC RALLY TEAMS RUN IN THE SHADOW OF WRC COUNTERPARTS IN JORDAN RALLY

Posted: March 31, 2010 12:40 PM

While the spotlight falls on the main FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) contenders taking part in this weekends Jordan Rally, around 36 of the entire field of 65 drivers will take part in the third round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC).

This is the first time that the regional rally series has run alongside the WRC, although MERC drivers will only tackle legs two and three of the main event on Friday and Saturday.

The first running of the dual-status event has also forced officials at Jordan Motorsport to make several contingency plans in terms of results and timings, bearing in mind that five of the WRC field are also registered for the MERC.

Qatars Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah is the joint leader of the regional rally series in his Skoda Fabia S2000, but he is also registered for the Super 2000 World Rally Championship (SWRC). The six-time regional champion clinched victory in Qatar in January with a Ford Fiesta S2000, but was forced to miss the Kuwait round of the series because of a date clash with Rally Mexico. He was able to carry out a pre-event test with other SWRC runners on Sunday.

Al-Attiyah has won 35 rounds of the regional series a feat only surpassed by Mohammed Ben Sulayem (60) and will tackle Thursdays special stages with other SWRC runners and runs the risk of damaging his car before the MERC gets underway on Friday morning.

Saudi Arabias Yazeed Al-Rajhi has retired his Kronos Peugeot 207 S2000 from the opening two rounds and the pointless Saudi is in dire need of a strong finish in Jordan if he is to add to the solitary MERC win he took in Syria last season.

Jordanians, Amjad Farrah and Mazan Tantash, are also tackling the WRC event and are registered to score points in the regional series. Farrah won the Jordan Rally in 2004 and is the only local driver ever to win a round of the championship.

The UAEs Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi will continue the test and development of the new Ford Fiesta S2000 by running as top seed in the MERC category. Al-Qassimi scored maximum points by taking his seventh MERC victory in Kuwait earlier this month. He won the Jordan Rally in 2007 and is sure to be chasing a podium finish on Saturday afternoon now that the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) have backed a decision for Al-Qassimi to push for a first regional title since 2004.

Qatars Misfer Al-Marri finished second in last years regional championship and is seeded at two in an Autotek Subaru. The Doha-based driver has never won a round of the series, but has eight points after two rounds and is merely two points off the three-way tie for the lead held by Al-Attiyah, Al-Qassimi and Qatars Sheikh Hamed Bin Eid Al-Thani. Al-Thani was regional champion in 1993 and scored his first podium finish since the mid-1990s with third overall in Qatar.

The UAEs Rashid Al-Ketbi is the fastest driver in the Middle East never to win a round of the championship. He lies joint fourth in the series on eight points and is more than capable of pushing his Skoda Fabia S2000 to a top finish over the demanding stages in the Dead Sea area.

Jordanians offer strength in depth to the MERC entry: former national champion Faris Bustami is seeded at nine and Faris Hijazi, Ahmad Mihyar, lady driver Abir Al-Batikhi, Issa Abu Jamous, Rami Hijazi, Hani Al-Baset and Ahd Eid round off the strong local contingent.

Drivers from Palestine, Kuwait, Lebanon and Abu Dhabi bolster an entire field of drivers from 26 nations, making the Jordan Rally one of the most international sporting events of the year.

Tomorrow (Monday) crews taking part in the WRC will be permitted to carry out their first day of reconnaissance on some of the 21 special stages, totalling 339.48 competitive kilometres, which will guide teams to the finish at the Dead Sea on Saturday afternoon. The three-day event gets underway with a ceremonial start in Jerash from 11.00hrs on Thursday.

Entry List

Posted: March 21, 2010 10:24 PM

• Jordan Rally

JORDAN'S RALLYING CALL AFTER FREAK STORMS LASH KINGDOM
Army teams up with government and municipality to repair damaged routes

Posted: March 10, 2010 11:37 AM

After the fiercest storms to hit Jordan in a generation, organisers of the 2010 FIA Jordan Rally World Rally Championship (WRC) event have issued a defiant message that the ‘show will go on’.

Six months’ worth of rain fell in 72 hours to cause extensive damage across the Kingdom with chunks of the rally’s 348 kms battered by the torrential downpours and the resulting flash floods.

But in an incredible show of determination, officials began orchestrating the work to repair the damage even before the rains subsided to ensure the biggest social and sporting event to hit the Middle East this year will take place from April 1-3 as planned.

“It has been an incredible show of unity, determination and professionalism by all parties involved,” said Khaled Zakaria, Jordan Rally clerk of the course. “Even during the horrendous storms, we had people working up to their knees in mud and water determined to restrict the amount of damage caused to the routes. It has been a fantastic national effort and after surveying the damage, we are confident of having everything back on track soon.”

The army has been called in to work alongside Government and Municipal agencies as Jordan pulls out all the stops to ensure the event lives up to its reputation of being one of the world’s great motorsport events.

The problems have been compounded due to the stage locations, with many running below sea level and affected by the water which cascades down from the higher ground. The route will be fine tuned to avoid areas that are beyond repair, but the routes are not expected to be changed extensively.

The world’s best drivers will rub shoulders with the leading speedsters from across the region as over 50 cars are expected to start the demanding three-day event, which gets into gear from the stunning Roman ruins in Jerash.

Three days of breathtaking action will follow as drivers tackle some of the most testing tracks to be found anywhere in the world of rallying. Most of the action will run north and north-west of the Dead Sea with the teams based at the state-of-the-art service park located on the banks of the Dead Sea in the hotels zone.

Mikko Hirvonen, Sebastien Loeb and former Formula One world champion Kimi Raikkonen are the big names to have confirmed their attendance for what promises to be a motorsporting spectacular in one of the most picturesque sporting locations in the world.

Rally Guide 1 / Details

Posted: January 1, 2010 12:01 AM

• Jordan Rally