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rally-net editor duby miller reports about rallying in the middle-east .






rally-net no- 164 2002 Middle-east rally championship Jordan rally -preview Marlboro announces its sponsorship for the Jordan International Rally, the fifth event in the seven-round 2002 FIA Middle East Rally Championship calendar. The rally will be based in Amman and takes place on September 26/27th over loose surface special stages in the deserts to the south of the capital. The Jordan International Rally, has been one of the most popular rounds of the regional rally series for many years and its return is a welcome boost to the championship, which began in Qatar back in February and will draw to a close with the final round in Dubai at the start of December. Dubai-based multiple regional champion Mohammed bin Sulayem was the early leader of the series, following victories in Qatar , Bahrain & Syria and he looks set to be joined on the entry list by the leading Marlboro Rally Team Saudi Arabia driver Abdullah Bakhashab, Qatar's Hamed Al-Sowaidi and Sharjah's Abdullah Al-Qassimi - all four drivers wheeling out powerful state-of-the-art World Rally Cars. The entry will be bolstered by a host of Jordan's top rally drivers and many of the protagonists battling it out for supremacy in the Group N 'showroom' championship and the FIA 1600 series. the rally starts on September 26th with a Super Special stage in the city.of Amman , The second day draws to a close with the finishing ceremony in the city and a repeat of the Super Special stage. Other timed special stages will run in the deserts adjacent to the Desert Highway, which runs south from Amman towards Aqaba and Petra. Jordanian rally driver Marouf Abu Samra holds the host nation's strongest chance of taking victory in the Jordan International Rally, Abu Samra is putting the final preparations to his challenge for overall success in a Group A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6, which will be run by the experienced Ralliart Germany operation. Last year Abu Samra and co-driver Amjad Shamaylih were fourth overall and the leading local crew in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 5. Their car lacks the power and development of the series regulars, who have entered the three-day special stage rally in powerful World Rally Cars. But Abu Samra has knowledge of the local area and the special stages and should be Jordan's brightest hope for an outright win. Fellow countryman Ahmad Daoud is the leader of the 2002 Jordan National Rally Championship and is bidding to become the first ever Jordanian rally driver to win the local series on three occasions. He has entered the ex-Qassimi Mitsubishi Lancer Evo5 in a bid to extend his advantage in the national competition. Faris Bustami is a former Jordan national champion and a regular competitor in the Group N category of the FIA regional series. He is set to take the start of the Marlboro-supported Jordan International Rally in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo4. This year's Jordan International Rally, , should be the most exciting for many years, with four of the region's leading drivers bidding for success at the wheel of hi-tech World Rally Cars built to WRC specification. This event is the fifth round of the 2002 FIA Middle East rally championship and has already unearthed a potential star of the future in Qatar's Hamed Al-Sowaidi, the youngest of four potential winners across thedeserts of Jordan later this month. The Doha-based youngster set some impressive stage times during the opening event in Qatar, but badly damaged his car in Bahrain after a series of accidents and suffered from a lack of tarmac rallying experience when the series resumed in Lebanon in July. His Subaru Impreza WRC is looked after on events by a team under the management of Ireland's Gary Emmett and his manager is confident that Sowaidi could win a round of the series this year. To win the Jordan Rally, first Sowaidi must overcome the daunting challenge of 11-times former winner Mohammed Ben Sulayem in his Ford Focus WRC, prepared and run by M-Sport of the UK. Sulayem, co-driven this year by John Spiller, is the master of the Jordan deserts and is keen to wrap up his 14th title with victory on this Marlboro-supported rally. The third of the leading quartet will be Sharjah's Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi in a second Ford Focus WRC. Al-Qassimi, the former Group N regional champion, graduated from a Mitsubishi Lancer to the World Rally Car at the start of the year and continues to improve on each rally. He missed the Rally of Lebanon to concentrate on the gravel rounds of the series and has an impressive track record on fast, open desert rallies, such as the UAE, Dubai and Jordan events. The potential winning quartet is completed by former regional champion Abdullah Bakhashab from Saudi Arabia. He returned to the series at the start of the season after several years competing in the FIA Teams Cup section of the World Rally Championship and planned to win the series in a Czech-built Toyota Corolla. But mechanical problems cost him and Ulster co-driver Bobby Willis a finish in Qatar and the pair finished second to Ben Sulayem in Bahrain back in March. The decision to switch allegiance to a Ford Focus backfired cruelly in Lebanon when the car caught fire at the end of a special stage. Bakhashab's Marlboro-supported team needs a top finish at all costs inJordan to keep their slim championship aspirations alive.after another DNF in Syria rally earlier this month.
	rally-net no - 162 2002 middle-east rally championship SULAYEM HEADS WRC POWER SHOW IN SYRIA Red Bull Ford Focus leads charge of World Rally Cars as Middle East title race hots up in Damascus Mohammed Ben Sulayem will head a line-up of 24 drivers from nine countries when the Syrian International Rally, fourth round of the 2002 FIA Middle East Championship, gets under way in Damascus on Thursday morning. Sulayem’s Red Bull Ford Focus WRC is one of four World Rally Cars in the final entry list announced by the Syrian Racing Organising Company (SYROCO), organisers of the latest event to join the Middle East series. Chasing his 14th Middle East title, top-seeded Sulayem faces his biggest threat from the man who will follow him away from the starting ramp in front of the Cham Palace in Damascus, Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Bakhashab in a Toyota Corolla WRC. Sharjah’s Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi in another Ford Focus WRC, Qatar’s Hamad Al Sowaidi, in a Subaru Imprezza WRC, and Lebanon’s Michel Saleh in a Group A Toyota Celica, are the other leading contenders, although Sulayem is ready for all challengers. Partnered by British co-driver John Spiller, he will be going all out to increase his championship lead after earlier victories in Qatar and Bahrain this season, and the Arab world’s leading driver says: “I feel I’m driving as well as I have ever done.” Added Sulayem, who is driving with additional support from Pirelli,: “I’ve been rallying for 20 years now, and I’m sure some people look at me and think that I’m bound to have lost some of my enthusiasm after such a long time in the sport, and that could open the door for someone to pass me. “But the truth is I wouldn’t be doing this now if I wasn’t as keen as ever. The time I get up on the morning of a rally and don’t feel the buzz, will be the time to call it a day. “That’s at least a couple of years down the road. I feel very sharp, and I’ve got one of the best co-drivers in the business driving me on. We’re both determined to keep on winning.” In addition to the usual suspects like Bakhashab, Al Qassimi, Sowaidi and Saleh, the Syrian International Rally has attracted a strong Group N entry. Current Middle East Group N championship leader Khaled Al-Qassimi of the UAE faces pressure from the Qatari trio of Mubarak Al Hajri, Abdulla Al Kuwari and Misfer Al Marri. duby miller rally-net , editor

rally-net no- 151 2002 middle-east rally championship polar motor-sport are about to offer mitsubishi evo to middle-east rally drivers Polar Motorsport Finland, is the team which led Marko Ipatti to the British Championship in 2000. they are at present building 2 Mitsubishi EVO 7s for use on next years World Group N Championship. they are looking for customers for these cars and are looking to the Middle East rallying . polar motor-sport manager mr. David stewart started rallying in 1986 when he came to Finland to live. the team specialized in Mazdas with the GTX moving on to the GTR group A. Polar Motorsport was involved co-ordination and organisation of foreign rally teams coming to Finland. In 1998 they linked up with Marko Ipatti and ran mitsubishi lancer EVO 4 in the British Rally Championship Group N (Production Cup) culminating in winning the Cup. In 1999 they did some development work for Opel with the Corsa Kit Car but this was notsucessful, so in 2000 they went back to their strong point Mitsubishi and ran Marko in the Championship proper. Against all odds they beat the works teams of Volkwagen, Vauxhall, and Hyundai to lift the Cahmpionship. The first time a "private" team has ever won the British Championship. they also ran ex F1 driver Dereck Warwick in the Arctic Rally in 1997, F1 Commentator Tony Jardine in 1997,8. Natalie Barratt in 1999 and John Papadimitriou in the Arctic and Swedish rallies this year. started rallying myself in 1986 when i came to Finland to live. We specialized in Mazdas with the GTX moving on to the GTR group A. My company Polar Motorsport was involved co-ordination and organisation of foreign rally teams coming to Finland. In 1998 we linked up with Marko Ipatti and ran anEVO 4 in the British Rally Championship Group N (Production Cup) culminating in winning the Cup. In 1999 we did some development work for Opel with the Corsa Kit Car but this was notsucessful, so in 2000 we went back to our strong point Mitsubishi and ran Marko in the Championship proper. Against all odds we beat the works teams of Volkwagen, Vauxhall, and Hyundai to lift the Cahmpionship. The first time a "private" team has ever won the British Championship. We also ran ex F1 driver Dereck Warwick in the Arctic Rally in 1997, F1 Commentator Tony Jardine in 1997,8. Natalie Barratt in 1999 and John Papadimitriou in the Arctic and Swedish rallies this year. they also came to Cyprus last year to have a look at the kind of rallying there. the polar motor-sport mechanics are ex ralliart mechanics who they source from another company in the South of Finland. according to mr. Stewart , polar motor-sport aim is to do start doing ralliyng in the middle-east rally championship by offering their rally preperd mitsubishis for drivers tohire or buy . also they can offer a great deal to middle-east rally drivers by inviting them to compete in the arctic rally in a speciall deals . if you like any more info about the polar motor- sport team and their offers please contact "rally-net" . duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no- 149 2002 middle-east rally championship The student surpassed his instructor Saudi Toyota Team for Rallies ended his first participation successfully The Saudi Toyota Team for Rallies, supported by Abulatif Jamil and Power Horse company, has successfully concluded his first participation when his drivers managed to pass all the 19 Bahrain rally stages, which forms the second round of the Middle East championship. After all drivers started on board their vehicles, in both classes (A) and (N), the new Toyota team drivers started on board their Toyota vehicles (RAV4which were modified especially for them) they roared the engines in a try to prove themselves as new generation looking forward to join the Arab rally drivers, full with hopes to conclude their first participation successfully. It is for sure that Sultan Hamdi and his co-driver Ali Alsaiari, Majid Alghamedi and his co-driver Umr Alrifai and Umr Shas and his co-driver Hani Altarazi will never forget the signalman who gave the start signal at the start line for this demonstration round at Bahrain rally. In his turn, Abdullah Bakhashab, the team godfather, will not forget those students whom he trained and graduated from his school. This is the day where new generation of rally drivers was born. Umr Shas started the race followed by Majid Alghamedi and Sultan Hamdi. The struggle between the three drivers seemed normal to spectators, but in fact it was a struggle for self-assertion among this new generation. The three drivers had drawn the attention of the spectators due to their new dynamic driving style and their high proficiency in conquering the rally stages. Despite their true efforts to succeed, their task was not trouble free, Mr. Shas’s had to leave the rally due to mechanical failure. His colleagues continued the rally until Majid managed to defeat his British instructor in the Rally School Mr. Howard Paterson, in the second day stages and recorded higher marks than him. Abdullah Bakhashab the owner of the team and the mastermind behind Toyota Cup idea, had expressed his deep happiness to see his team going successfully in his first participation in the first special round of Toyota Cup. He asserted his plans for motor sport development towards better levels and said:” Motor sport is in dire need of new innovations to take it up from being a monotonous sport. Thanks to God that the amazing and successful start of the team and Toyota Cup will form one of the main supportive points for an advanced motor sport”. And ended his ward by inviting all motor sport concerned parties to innovate new ideas to assist such development. The first round of Toyota Cup has been concluded and led by Majid Alghamedi over his colleague Sultan Hamdi after fierce chase between them with a very slight difference, while Umr Shas left the race. In the closing ceremony of Bahrain Rally, the Saudi Toyota Team for Rallies were honored and were awarded with cups to encourage them to give more in the future. Toyota Cup is a new category created by Abdullah Bakhashab with full approval and support of FIA as a new category and subject to all applicable rules and regulations. This a hundred percent Saudi idea to enable the Saudi Toyota Team for Rallies to participate in its four rounds, the number of rounds shall be increased in the next season. The Toyota Cup drivers’ ranks after the first round are: The First : Majid Alghamedi 10 points The Second : Sultan Hamdi 6 points The next round of Toyota Cup shall take place during Jordan International rally – the third round of Middle East championship – by mid of next May.
rally-net no- 147 2002 FIA Middle East Rally Championship Bahrain International Rally 2002 , round 2 of 7 BIN SULAYEM WINS BAHRAIN RALLY TO EXTEND SERIES LEAD Bakhashab survives roll to take second; Al-Qassimi a solid third overall Mohammed bin Sulayem completed a hat-trick of successive victories in the Zayani Motors Mitsubishi Bahrain International Rally to extend his advantage in the FIA Middle East rally championship to 12 points after two rounds. . Bin Sulayem and co-driver John Spiller held the advantage from the second timed section and duly extended his lead to an emphatic 5m25s at the finish, despite a serious power steering problem at the start of the final day. "We lost the power steering at the worst time, on the first section of the first of three stages and had to drive all three like this," admitted a delighted 13-times regional champion. "I told the mechanics on the radio what we needed to fix the damage and they did a great job at service. I was fortunate that Abdullah (Bakhashab) lost time as well and the others hit problems at the same time." Saudi Arabian driver Bakhashab and his Ulster co-driver Bobby Willis had led the event after the second stage on Thursday, but they soon fell behind the charging Bin Sulayem and the contest was all but settled in the 11th section. Bakhashab, aware that Bin Sulayem was in trouble, pushed a little too hard, duly inverted his Toyota Corolla WRC for several minutes and slipped still further behind his great rival. "I saw that Mohammed had a problem in the 11th stage and it was my incentive to push very hard to try and take as much time as possible," said Bakhashab. "But I guess I pushed too hard and we rolled and lost a few minutes. Then we had a flat tyre before the service and lost time with a broken wheel rim. The car needs more development over the fast bumpy sections and we will carry out a special test after the rally to improve this." Sharjah's Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi, driving a second Ford Focus WRC supported by Adnoc and the Saif-Zone Sharjah, had benefitted from the 10th stage retirement of Qatar's Hamed Al-Sowaidi with engine, radiator and turbo problems. But Al-Qassimi suffered electrical maladies himself soon after and was not able to capitalise on the problems affecting both Bakhashab and Bin Sulayem. He eventually finished third overall to consolidate second position in the FIA regional championship. "Problems again today," said Abdullah. "We stopped in SS11 and I wasn't sure what was wrong. We changed the computer and it seemed to do the trick. It was frustrating, because it came at a time when we could push." Abdullah's brother Khalid Al-Qassimi controlled proceedings in the Group N category at the wheel of his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6, despite completing two stages on Thursday with no turbocharger. It was his second successive victory in the section and gives him a maximum 20 points in the Group N championship. Qatar's Misfer Al-Marri was fifth and second in Group N in a similar car, while Saudi Arabia's Ahmed Al-Sabban, Bahrain's leading runner Abdulrahman Ghuloom, Kuwaiti Meshal Al-Nejadi, FIA Super 1600 section winner Ron Oakeley and Cypriot Nearchos Nearchou completed a depleted top 10. Only 12 of the 28 starters finished the gruelling two-day rally, with Kuwait's Mohammed Al-Sarraf, Qatar's Mubarak Al-Hajri and Bahrain'sHassan Al-Sadadi among those to fall foul of mechanical problems on Thursday. The UAE's Michel Saleh lost sixth place on day two with head gasket damage. We didn't complete one special stage yesterday without problems," groaned Saleh. "It all started when we broke the propshaft and smashed the casing on a rock and then it got even worse. This morning the car was running fine and we intended to push, but the head gasket failed and that was the end." The third round of the FIA Middle East rally championship will be the Jordan International Rally in May. Unofficial final positions19 special stages: 1. Mohammed bin Sulayem (UAE)/John Spiller (GB) Ford Focus WRC 2h 52m 58s 2. Abdullah Bakhashab (KSA)/Bobby Willis (GB) Toyota Corolla WRC 2h 58m 23s 3. Abdullah Al-Qassimi (UAE)/Fred Gocentas (LIT) Ford Focus WRC 3h 07m 09s 4. Khalid Al-Qassimi (UAE)/Tariq Al-Warshaw (UAE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 3h 13m 51s 5. Misfir Al-Marri (QA)/Hamed Al-Marri (QA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 3h 21m 58s 6. Ahmed Al-Sabban (KSA)/Damien Connolly (IRL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 3h 26m 23s 7. Abdulrahman Ghuloom (BAH)/Ester Ghuloom (BAH) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 3h 43m 39s 8. Meshal Al-Nejadi (KWT)/Essam Al-Nejadi (KWT) Subaru Impreza 3h 59m 19s FIA Middle East rally championship after round 2 of 7: 1. Mohammed bin Sulayem 20 pts 2. Abdullah Al-Qassimi 8pts 3. Hamed Al-Sowaidi 6pts Abdullah Bakhashab 6pts Khaled Al-Qassimi 6pts 6. Misfer Al-Marri 4pts 7. Abdullah Al-Kuwari 1point Ahmed Al-Sabban 1point Group N Championship 1. Khaled Al-Qassimi 20pts 2. Misfer Al-Marri 12pts 3. Abdulraman Ghuloom 5pts 4. Abdullah Al-Kuwari 4pts Ahmed Al-Sabban 4pts 6. Mohammed Al-Sarraf 3pts 7. Meshal Al Nejadi 2pts 8. Essa Al-Dossery 1point Ron Oakeley 1point Manufacturers: 1. Ford 28 2. Mitsubishi 12 3. Subaru 6 Toyota 6 FIA Super 1600 1. Ron Oakeley 20 duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-146 2002 FIA Middle East Rally Championship Bahrain International Rally 2002, round 2 of 7 SULAYEM LAYS DOWN THE GAUNTLET IN BAHRAIN RALLY Punctures cost Al-Qassimi; Al-Sarraf and Al-Hajri among first day retirements Defending FIA Middle East rally champion Mohammed Bin Sulayem began his challenge for success in the two-day Zayani Motors Mitsubishi Bahrain International Rally in winning style. The Dubai driver and new co-driver John Spiller edged well ahead of arch rivals Abdullah Bakhashab and Bobby Willis over the opening nine timed special stages to take a firm advantage into the final tests on Friday. Bakhashab suffered a puncture at the end of the opening stage, which handed the early advantage to bin Sulayem in his Ford Focus WRC. But Bakhashab redressed the balance with fastest time in the second stage and was five seconds ahead of his great rival at the first service point. But Bin Sulayem upped the pace from then on, extending his advantage as the event looped around the service park. The lead had grown from 33 seconds to 52 seconds after the sixth stage and Bin Sulayem was growing ever confident, eventually finishing the day 68 seconds ahead. "It was a great start for us," admitted Sulayem. "We have had no problems so far and the car is working well. The pace was a bit frenetic on the opening two stages, but John and I are in control now. I am happy." Bin Sulayem's on-event team manager Ian Davies affirmed the Ford operation's delight: "It's play time out there!" Behind second-placed Bakhashab, Qatar's Hamed Al-Sowaidi was holding third position in his Subaru Impreza, the youngster staying out of trouble as the leading duo forged ahead. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi and his Lithuanian-born co-driver Fred Gocentas were in fourth overall, after losing time with a bad engine misire over the first pair of stages and then a pair of flat tyres on the fifth and sixth stages. "Right from the start of the very first stage, the engine started to misfire badly," said Sheikh Abdullah, supported by Adnoc and the Saif-Zone. "It was the same in the second stage and we lost some time to Mohammed, Hamed and Abdullah. The mechanics changed a couple of computers at the service point and then it was okay. But then we had two punctures. It was one of those mornings." There was disappointment for the Kuwaiti Group N challenger Mohammed Al-Sarraf. "There was a hole in the rear differential casing after the third stage and we arrived in service and it was not handling properly. The mechanics took a look under the car and we saw the rear differential problem. The part is a different specification to the Evo 6 and Evo 7 and we have no spares. That was the end for us," said Sarraf. There were a spate of further retirements over the opening stages, with Bahraini Mitsubishi driver Ebrahim Busmait sidelined with electrical problems and the pre-event Group N favourite Mubarak Al-Hajri, from Qatar, put out with a broken ball joint in his new Evolution 7. Cypriot Melaneos Melissas and Britain's Simon Nutter joined them on the retirement list, while Saudi Arabian newcomer Amr Shas Hassanain - competing behind the international in one of three new Toyota RAV4s - fell foul of mechanical problems. Nutter's retirement was later confirmed as a driveshaft problem, while a clutch failure sidelined Hassan Al-Sadadi and head gasket maladies put paid to Yasmin Alhilli's rally. Britain's Howard Paterson lost time in the seventh stage - stuck in soft sand with the two-wheel drive car. Positions after 9 of 19 special stages (end of leg 1 - top 4 only): 1. Mohammed bin Sulayem (UAE)/John Spiller (GB) Ford Focus WRC 1h 12m 25s 2. Abdullah Bakhashab (KSA)/Bobby Willis (GB) Toyota Corolla WRC 1h 13m33s 3. Hamed Al-Sowaidi (QA)/Michael Morrissey (IRL) Subaru Impreza WRC 1h 16m36s 4. Abdullah Al-Qassimi (UAE)/Fred Gocentas (LIT) Ford Focus WRC 1h 18m 55s duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-145 2002 FIA Middle East Rally Championship Bahrain International Rally 2002 , round 2 of 7 MIDDLE EAST'S TOP DRIVER QUARTET SET FOR DRAMATIC BAHRAIN RALLY SHOWDOWN Bahrain International Rally gets underway today Defending FIA Middle East rally champion Mohammed bin Sulayem and co-driver John Spiller will lead an international entry from 11 countries into the two-day Zayani Motors Mitsubishi Bahrain International Rally, which starts today . The second round of this year's regional series has attracted a strong line-up of the Middle East's leading drivers ready to tackle 19 timed special stages. But the main attention wil turn to the fascinating battle between the Ford Focus WRC of the defending champion and three of his great Middle East rivals. Sulayem's M-Sport-prepared Focus will be hard- pushed by former regional champion Abdullah Bakhashab, from Saudi Arabia, driving a Marlboro Toyota Corolla WRC, Sharjah's Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi in a second Ford Focus WRC, supported by Adnoc and the Saif Zone Sharjah, and the new Qatari sensation Hamed Al-Sowaidi in his Qatar Rally Team Subaru Impreza. Sulayem takes the start with a maximum 10 points on the board after his win on the opening round in Qatar last month. But it wasn't all plain sailing: Bakhashab and Ulster co-driver Bobby Willis led over the opening special stage before retiring with clutch problems and Al-Sowaidi set 11 fastest stage times to emphasise his determination to become the first Qatari to take the regional title since Sheikh Hamed Bin Eid Al-Thani's success in 1993. Sulayem and his qualified team of Ford mechanics from the UK will be up against Bakhashab's tried-and-tested Toyota Corolla, prepared by JM Engineering, a Czech operation. Sowaidi's Impreza is being overseen by a team of Irish mechanics under the management of Gary Emmett, while Al-Qassimi - the defending Middle East Group N champion - wheels out Sulayem's 2001 Ford and will be hoping to add to the four championship points he scored in Qatar on his debut with a World Rally Car. "Qatar was a great start to the year for us," admitted Bin Sulayem. "It was a tough rally and the pace indicates that this year will be very exciting and difficult. To take maximum points on the first round gives us a great base on which to build our championship campaign. I have been joined by my old co-driver John Spiller and it was a winning start to our new partnership." "It was a terrible start for us in Qatar," said Bakhashab. "We were fastest through the first stage and then we had a clutch problem, which put us out of the rally in stage three. It was bad luck, but this time I will be pushing hard to take maximum championship points. I am confident." Qassimi is also upbeat: "I used the rally in Qatar to get used to the Ford. Now it's a matter of pushing harder and learning my limits and the limits of the car." Behind the leading quartet, seasoned campaigner Michel Saleh should be the best of the rest with his Group A Toyota Celica GT4, partnered by the Jordanian Malek Hariri. The Group N category for near-standard production cars has attracted the cream of the region's up and coming crop of rally drivers. Qatar's Mubarak Al-Hajri was the pacesetter in Qatar, before transmission problems intervened, and he will be hard-pressed by a fleet of Mitsubishi Lancers in the hands of Abdullah Al-Kuwari, Khalid Al-Qassimi, Melenaos Melissas, Ahmed Al-Sabban, Mohammed Al-Sarraf, Misfir Al-Marri, Ebrahim Busmait, Abdulrahman Ghuloom and Issa Al-Dossery. Kuwaiti driver Meshal Al-Najadi and local hot shot Hassan Al-Sadadi break the Mitsubishi trend with a pair of Subaru Imprezas. UAE-based Ron Oakeley leads the FIA Super 1600 section after the opening round and he faces the British pairing of Simon Nutter and Howard Paterson, Cypriot Nearchos Nearchou and Kuwaiti Mohammed Al-Awadhi in the two-wheel drive category. The event also features a couple of firsts for the FIA Middle East rally championship, with a Bahrain all-girl rally team making their first ever appearance in the championship. Yasmin Alhilli and Hanan Mohammed Ali will drive a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo3 for the first time. Toyota Rally Team Saudi Arabia have been working tirelessly behind the scenes in recent months to launch the motorsport careers of a trio of young hopefuls, keen to follow in the footsteps of Abdullah Bakhashab and the 1992 regional champion Mamdouh Khayat. Three Toyota RAV-4s will run in a seperate section of the rally behind the international, with Majid Al-Ghamdi, Amr Shas Hassanain and Sultan Hamdi experiencing their first international competition behind the wheel. 'We have one new stage this year and have made many improvements to some of the others," admitted Sheikh Tariq bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa, chairman of the Bahrain Motor Federation. "The club is delighted with the response from international drivers and are looking forward to putting on a first class rally. We were voted the best round of last year's championship and will be keen to win the award again in 2002." Top 10 starters: 1. Mohammed bin Sulayem (UAE)/John Spiller (GB) Ford Focus WRC 2. Abdullah Bakhashab (KSA)/Bobby Willis (GB) Toyota Corolla WRC 3. Hamed Al-Sowaidi (QA)/Michael Morrissey (IRL) Subaru Impreza WRC 4. Abdullah Al-Qassimi (UAE)/Fred Gocentas (LIT) Ford Focus WRC 5. Michel Saleh (UAE)/Malek Hariri (HKJ) Toyota Celica GT4 6. Ebrahim Busmait (BAH)/Sadiq Ashkanani (KWT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo5 7. Mubarak Al-Hajri (UAE)/Allan Harryman (IRL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo7 8. Hassan Al-Sadadi (BAH)/Hamoud Al-Jabry (OM) Subaru Impreza 9. Abdullah Al-Kuwari (QA)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo7 10. Khalid Al-Qassimi (UAE)/Tariq Al-Warshaw (UAE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no- 144 2002 FIA Middle East Rally Championship Bahrain International Rally 2002 , round 2 of 7: AL-QASSIMI BIDS TO ADD TO CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS' HAUL Defending FIA Middle East Group N rally champion Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi, from Sharjah, is bidding to further his chances of taking a maiden outright championship victory in his new car, when he tackles the Bahrain International Rally . Sheikh Abdullah finished third on the opening round of the series in Qatar last month - taking four valuable championship points into the bargain - and will be driving the ex-Bin Sulayem Ford Focus World Rally Car for the second time, when the two-day, 19-special stage event gets underway from the Gulf Hotel in Manama at 09.30 on Thursday morning. Partnered for the second successive event by the Lithuanian-born Australian Fred Gocentas, Al-Qassimi suffered several flat tyres in Qatar, which knocked him out of contention for the outright win, but he quickly acclimatised to the more powerful Ford and finished third overall, with support from Adnoc and the Saif-Zone Sharjah. The former winner of the UAE International Rally in Abu Dhabi, Al-Qassimi has been a stalwart of the Group N category of Middle East rallying for several years, but has reached a point in his career when he felt the need to challenge Mohammed bin Sulayem for outright success. He acquired Sulayem's Focus after the Dubai Rally last year and the car is being managed on the event by the Australian Ivan Ingrilli, general manager at Al-Qassimi's Arabian Automotive Technologies workshops in Sharjah. "It is so different to a Group N car," confessed Abdullah. "It is quicker, but the brakes and the suspension are so much better developed. You need to change your approach to braking areas and the speed at which you can cross rough terrain. We had a couple of teething problems in Qatar last month and the flat tyres were a set-back, but I was setting some good times towards the end and getting used to pushing harder." Al-Qassimi faces competition, not only from Mohammed bin Sulayem this weekend, but from the former Middle East champion Abdullah Bakhashab in a Toyota Corolla WRC and Qatar's bright young hope Hamed Al-Sowaidi in a Subaru Impreza WRC. Middle East rally championship after round 1 of 7: 1. Mohammed bin Sulayem 10 2. Hamed Al-Sowaidi 6 3. Abdullah Al-Qassimi 4 4. Khaled Al-Qassimi 3 5. Misfer Al-Marri 2 6. Abdullah Al-Kuwari 1
rally-net no-143 2002 FIA Middle East Rally Championship, Bahrain International Rally , round 2 of 7 - preview The Bahrain Motor Federation announces the running of the 2002 Bahrain International Rally, the second round of this year's FIA Middle East rally championship,the two-day Bahrain Rally takes place over mixed surface special stages, south of Manama, and is expected to attract the leading rally drivers in the Middle East. It starts on Thursday, March 7th and finishes the following afternoon in Manama. Indications from the opening round in Qatar suggest that the event will attract its biggest ever entry of international competitors. Among the early entrants are defending champion Mohammed bin Sulayem in a new Ford Focus World Rally Car with British co-driver John Spiller, Sharjah's Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi in a Ford Focus and the Qatari driver Hamed Al-Sowaidi in his new Subaru Impreza WRC. Former champion Abdullah Bakhashab is also a strong contender in his Toyota Corolla WRC. A brand new three-car team of Toyota RAV4s are set to take the start of the Zayani Motors Mitsubishi Bahrain International Rally , The team has been developed in Saudi Arabia to further the motorsport career prospects of three youthful hopefuls, keen to follow in the World Championship footsteps of the former Middle East rally champion Abdullah Bakhashab. Sharjah's Khaled Al-Qassimi will be bidding to follow in the footsteps of his better known cousin Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi, when he tackles the Zayani Motors Mitsubishi Bahrain International Rally, Khaled is the current leader of the 2002 FIA Middle East rally championship's Group N category, after taking his maiden showroom section victory in last month's Qatar International Rally. Abdullah, his more illustrious relation, is the defending champion but has graduated to a more powerful Ford Focus WRC this season in a bid to wrest the overall title from the clutches of Mohammed bin Sulayem. Khaled Al-Qassimi faces one of his stiffest Group N tests this season, with a strong line-up of the region's top showroom section drivers keen to redress the balance. Kuwait's Mohammed Al-Sarraf had been as high as second in the section and fourth overall in Qatar, before a cruel puncture dropped him to seventh place at the finish in the Marlboro Rally Team Kuwait Mitsubishi Lancer. also competing the grp-N class are - Bahraini driver Abdulrahman Ghuloom , Hassan Al-Sadadi, Qatari Mubarak Al-Hajri and Abdullah Al-Kuwari. Dubai-based British rally driver Ron Oakeley will be looking to extend his advantage in the FIA Super 1600 section of the 2002 FIA Middle East rally championship, when he tackles the Zayani Motors Mitsubishi Bahrain International Rally, But Oakeley faces competition this weekend in the Formula Two or two-wheel drive category from East Yorkshireman Howard Paterson who has been a regular competitor in the Gulf region for a number of years in a variety of well-honed Volkswagen Golf GTIs and has recently been working in Jeddah, assessing the driving skills of a number of young hopefuls involved in the Toyota Team Saudi Arabia selection school. He will be co-driven by wife Ruth. also in the rally Cumbrian Simon Nutter was also involved in the Jeddah selection process and is entered this weekend with wife Fiona Udale in a powerful Vauxhall Astra GTE, supported by Toppers Nightclub in Penrith. A regular competitor in the region for nearly 10 years, Simon retired from last year's Bahrain Rally with mechanical problems, but is determined to beat rival Paterson. Also competing in the Super 1600 section is the Cypriot defending champion Nearchos Nearchou, driving a Proton Wira and the Kuwaiti team of Mohammed Al-Awadhi and Mishari Zayed in a Suzuki Swift GTi. duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-142 the Middle-east rally championship Qatar International Rally, 2002 FIA Middle East Rally Championship, round 1 of 7 Bin Sulayem is back & gains early advantage in Middle East series !!! Thirteen-times regional champion Mohammed Bin Sulayem emerged victorious from the thrilling two-day event, although he had been hard-pushed on the opening stages by Saudi Arabia's Abdullah Bakhashab and then by the Qatari Hamed Al-Sowaidi, running a Subaru Impreza WRC for the first time in the series. Bin Sulayem gave backa little of his six and a half minute advantage at the end of the rally, but drove at a sensible pace sufficient to give him a maximum 10 points from the opening round of the series. Sowaidi finished second overall and Sharjah's Abdullah Al-Qassimi completed the top three in Sulayem's 2000 Ford Focus WRC. Group N winner Khaled Al-Qassimi, Misfer Al-Marri and Abdullah Al-Kuwari completed the top six in a trio of Mitsubishis. duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no- 140 the Middle-east rally championship 1st round - 2002 Qatar intl. rally - preview The 2002 Qatar International Rally will be the 1st round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship, it is a two day event split into two legs, a route totalling approximatively 600 Kms of which 250 Kms approximately are special stages which will run on unsealed surfaces, ranging from flath subkha to hard rocky terrain. The route of the rally in general was chosen carefully by the organizers to ensure that Group "N" Cars can be used to their full potential, and with ease of servicing in mind. The 2002 Qatar International Rally will be organized by Qatar Motor federation which is renowned for it's wide experience in organizing rallies at an international level. duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-132 Lebanons Rogher Feghali test super-1600 ford puma in England !!! Invited by the Ford motor Sport, Mistral Racing’s driver Roger Feghali traveled to the UK on November 25th to test drive the Ford Puma 1600. He was one of the 24 “elite” young drivers from all over the world. They had at their disposal 2 cars, one for the Tarmac circuit and another for the mud. During the 2 days test drive, on the 15 Km tracks, Ford wanted to show how competitive the Puma is in the 1600 cup, and aimed to include Puma as one of the drivers’ alternatives for their choice of next year’s car. Roger had his test drives on both tracks on Thursday, and was very impressed by the excellent grip of the car on tarmac due to the superb suspension used and backed by a high horse power engine plus a 6 gears sequential gearbox, and by the car’s handling on fast corners on the mud, knowing that it was Feghali’s first experience on such terrain. Observers were overwhelmed by Feghali’s handling of the car and appreciated his driving skills. At the end of the test drive, Ford officials briefed the drivers on the cost and the way to run the car for next year’s championship, which consists of 6 events (Monte Carlo, Catalunya, Acropolis, Deutschland, San Remo, Great Britain). for details about Rogher feghali visit :- http://www.mistralracing.com duby miller rally-net , editor

rally-net no-130 the Middle-east rally championship the DUBAI intl. rally - 1st leg BEN SULAYEM TAKES FORD TOWARDS NEW TITLE TRIUMPH IN DUBAI Arab World’s No.1 Driver Steers Ford Focus World Rally Car Into Commanding First-Leg Lead In Dubai International Rally Mohammed Ben Sulayem powered his Ford Focus World Rally Car ever closer to another FIA Middle East Championship triumph today as he grabbed a clear lead in the Dubai International Rally. Ben Sulayem, already Middle East drivers’ champion for a 13th time, took Ford within reach of a fifth manufacturers’ championship as he opened up a 3 minute 1 second lead over Qatar’s Hamad Al Sowaidi on the first leg of the last of eight rounds in this year’s regional series. Aiming to win his home event for the 14th time, the Arab world’s top driver, in fact, needs only a top-four finish in Dubai to wrap up the manufacturers’ crown in a season marking the 100th anniversary of Ford’s debut in motor sport. But his determination to finish the longest Middle East Championship series on record with victory quickly became clear as he powered the Ford Focus WRC 1 minute 12 seconds ahead of Michel Saleh’s Toyota after just two of the day’s six special stages. While a string of mechanical problems and engine failures removed half of the 26 starters, Ben Sulayem then extended his lead by another 43 seconds over the next two stages, despite two punctures. The final two stages of the day saw the Ford Focus WRC widen the gap again, as Al Sowaidi climbed above Saleh into second place. As the cars reached the night halt at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, Qatar’s Mubarak Al Hajri, Cypriot Menelaos Melissas and Saudi Arabia’s Ahmed Al Sabban completed the top six. The first leg had begun dramatically for UAE-based Cypriot Nicholas Mandrides who was refused permission to start in seventh seeded position because co-driver Michael Lambrianos was not wearing his rally overalls. They eventually started 29 minutes late, with almost five minutes of time penalties dropping them immediately from contention, and their Mitsubishi Galant went out when it became stuck in soft sand on the day’s penultimate stage. Roger Thomas’s Group A Peugeot had been the first car to retire, going out on the opening stage with mechanical problems, as did UAE-based Lebanese driver, Toufic Mitri, in a Mitsubishi. A succession of other casualties followed. They included Middle East Group N champion, Sharjah’s Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi, whose challenge this time in a Group A Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 was halted by a blown engine on stage four. Jordan’s Asem Aref and Britain’s Howard Patterson retired with mechanical problems, Britain’s Amrik Sehmbi went out with a blown head gasket, and Sheikh Abdullah’s brother, Khalid Al Qassimi, retired with engine failure. Australia’s former Middle East Group N champion, Ron Cremen, retired on the same stage when his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 blew its engine, Syrian driver Yazan Rigleh went out when his Mitsubishi broke its fuel pump, and Jordan’s Faris Bustami retired with engine failure. Starting with the familiar Creek special stage, Thursday’s second leg continues with six more stages in the Jebel Ali area, before finishing at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel at 4.15pm. Provisional leading positions at end of 1st leg: 1. M. Ben Sulayem / K. Zakaria (UAE/HKJ) Ford Focus WRC (A) 59mins 29secs 2. H. Al Sowaidi / M. Morissey (QT/IRL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI (N) 1min 2mins 30secs 3. M.Saleh / A. Ghaziri (RL/RL) Toyota Celica GT4 (A) 1:03:49 4. M. Al Hajri / N. Ahmadi (QT/UAE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI (N) 1:04:36 5. M. Melissas / P. Shialos (CY/CY) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI (N) 1:05:44 6. A. Al Sabban / J. Dony (SA/IRL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI (N) 1:08:11 7. R. Oakley / J. Turner (UAE/UAE) Subaru Impreza WRX (N) 1:20:21 8. N. Nearchou / G.Paryros (CY/CY) Proton Wira (A) 1:27:36 9. S. Nutter / TBA (GB/) Opel Corsica GSI (A) 1:33:29 10. H. Al Saddadi / Y. Al Hilli (BAH/BAH) Subaru Impressa WRX (N) 1:35:50 duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-129 the Middle-east rally championship Final round of regional championship will decide manufacturers’ title race The longest campaign in the 18-year history of the FIA Middle East Championship reaches its conclusion over the next two days, when the Dubai International Rally settles the last remaining major issue in the record eight- round regional series. the final championship event of the season gets under way at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel at 10.30am tomorrow (Wednesday), with 33 drivers from 12 nations setting off on a 575-km route containing 13 special stages. Top seed Mohammed Ben Sulayem sets off first in his Ford Focus World Rally Car looking to secure the Middle East manufacturers’ title for Ford, to add to his 13th regional drivers’ crown. Mohammed ben Sulayem, within reach of another double Ford title triumph in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship, is challenging the rest of the region’s top drivers to test his stamina and resilience next season. Now approaching 20 years in rallying, Ben Sulayem finds himself in a familiar position – with the Middle East drivers’ title already his for a 13th time, and another manufacturers’ crown for Ford surely about to follow in the Dubai International Rally, starting tomorrow morning. And while his priority over the next two days is to clinch the second leg of the title double in his Ford Focus World Rally Car (WRC), the Arab world’s top driver is already looking ahead to the next season. The reality is that, unless Oman’s Hamed Wahaibi and Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Bakhashab return from the World Rally Championship circuit, or a couple of World Rally Cars arrive in the Middle East from other directions, Ben Sulayem may not be seriously challenged. “I don’t want to get involved in speculation about what Hamed or Abdullah might do over the next year or two, ” said Ben Sulayem, top-seeded in Dubai in his Ford Focus WRC. “And I don’t want to discuss rumours that one or two other drivers are going to be buying World Rally Cars. But I would love to face a new challenge next year. At the moment, I have no intention of giving up the Middle East Championship to anyone who is not prepared to fight for it throughout the season.” Added Ben Sulayem: “I know there are those who think that, because I’ve been in this sport so long, I’m bound to loose my edge soon, or loose interest. But I don’t see that happening for some time yet. Somebody’s going to have to work hard to beat me.” On the eve of the 2001 Dubai International Rally, Ben Sulayem lined up at today’s Ford Middle East Rally Championship Team news conference at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel with Middle East champion co-driver Khaled Zakaria. Jim Benintende, managing director of Ford Middle East and North Africa (MENA), said: “As far as Ford is concerned, the 2001 FIA Middle East Championship has already been hugely rewarding, adding another successful chapter to the story of Ford’s partnership with Mohammed Ben Sulayem. “But it’s not over yet. After clinching the Middle East drivers’ title for the 13th time in Syria – with his fifth win of the season in the Ford Focus WRC – Mohammed can, over the next two days, confirm Ford as manufacturers’ champions for a fifth time. That’s important to Ford – particularly in a year which marks the 100th anniversary of Ford’s debut in motorsports.” Added Benintende: “Over the past 100 years, Ford has enjoyed unmatched success in all areas of motorsports. Hard work and commitment, ingenuity and dedication, are the qualities that have combined to make up Ford’s winning formula. “It’s a formula that has been applied in equal measure down the years to Ford rally programmes, and to the development of Ford vehicles. While we can’t all be rally drivers like Mohammed Ben Sulayem, we can all benefit from the expertise of great drivers like him which goes into the development of rally cars, and leads ultimately to better, safer, road cars.” Said Benintende: “We’re confident of a number of things at Ford. One is that the Focus will continue to enjoy success at all levels. Another is that Mohammed ben Sulayem will continue to extend a winning record which marks him as the most successful driver in the history of FIA championship rallying.” The international line-up also features Sharjah’s Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi, already confirmed as Middle East Group N champion for the second year in a row, as well as Cypriot Nearchos Nearchou, the Super 1600 title winner in the two-wheel-drive category. “We do face a number of limitations in our efforts to give a new look to the route each year, but we’re hoping that the new stages introduced this time will add some extra interest,” said event director, Derek Ledger. The familiar Creek stage on both days of the rally is an obvious attraction for spectators. Other first leg stages in the Margham area, and the second leg stages on Thursday in Jebel Ali, are also easy to locate, beside the main highways. Rally enthusiasts can find special stage locations, and more details, by picking up copies of the official rally programme from the Rally Office at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, or by visiting the event’s website at http://www.atcuae.com/dxbrally The starting line-up will feature 11 UAE, drivers, four from Jordan, three each from Great Britain, and Qatar, two apiece from Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus, and one each from Australia, Saudi Arabia, the Czech Republic and Germany. Sulayem is hot favourite to win his home event for a 14th time, and although fourth place could be enough to give Ford the manufacturers’ title, the Middle East champion wants a sixth victory of the season. Waiting to pounce on any misfortune will be Lebanon’s Michel Saleh, UAE-based Cypriot Nicholas Mandrides, and Al Qassimi, whose decision to contest the event in a Group A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 5 means there must be a new Group N winner in Dubai this time. Qatar’s Hamad Al Sowaidi and Mubarak Al Hajri, Australia’s former Middle East Group N champion, Ron Cremen, and Saudi Arabia’s Ahmed Al Sabban, are among the main challengers, while Jordan’s Nancy Al Majali and Germany’s Edith Weiss will contest the ladies’ title. The second leg starts at 8.30am on Thursday, and the first car reaches the finish back at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel at 4.30pm. duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-128 the Middle-east rally championship BUSTAMI HOPES FOR A SILVER LINING IN DUBAI Jordanian leaves Group N behind after being foiled in bid for national title hat-trick Faris Bustami leads a four-car Jordanian challenge in this week’s Dubai International Rally, and he will be looking for a personal silver lining to the 2001 FIA Middle East Championship. After winning the Jordanian national championship for the last two years, Bustami’s bid to complete a title hat-trick this year was foiled by Marouf Abu Samra, while he was not able to muster a serious challenge for the Middle East Group N title. He has now left the Group N production class behind him, having acquired a Group A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 4 which makes its Middle East Championship debut when the Dubai International Rally gets under way on Wednesday morning. The Al Zaher team driver Bustami drove the car competitively for the first time in the decisive recent round of the Jordanian national series, and had to settle for second place in the rally, and the championship, behind Abu Samra. “It’s a new car, and I need time to familiarise myself with it, but I’ll be aiming for a top-five finish overall in Dubai,” said Bustami. He is one of 33 entries from 12 countries for the 2001 Dubai International Rally. Jordan is also represented by Asem Aref in another Group A Mitsubishi Lancer, Ibrahim Al Mhawish in a Group N Lancer, and Nancy Al Majali in a Group N Ford Sierra. Bitterly disappointed when forced to withdraw from the event before the start in Dubai last year because of a cracked cylinder head, Al Majali will be looking to beat Germany’s Edith Weiss to the ladies’ title this time. UAE-based Cypriot Nicholas Mandrides is another driver hoping for better fortunes in Dubai. In the build-up to last year’s event, he had to rebuild his Group A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6 after crashing out of the World Championship Cyprus Rally. It was an expensive exercise, and his bad luck continued in Dubai when his car’s turbo blew 4km into the fourth special stage. Mandrides heads into the event this time in a much more positive frame of mind after being the highest-placed Cypriot finisher in the island’s 2001 World Championship event, which saw him take 15th place overall. duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-127 HAMED AL-WAHAIBI WIN THE "TEAMS CUP" IN AUSTRALIA !!! Oman leading rally driver Hamed al-wahaibi won the WRC round in Australia in the Teams cup class in his allstar subaru impreza wrc 2001 . Hamed also finished the rally in 13th place . this was the sixth and last round of the Teams cup championship$, the win gave Hamed the 3rd place in this year Teams cup championship. Al Wahaibi posted good times in the special stages comparing to the more experienced and well-manned drivers. Hamed held the Team's Cup lead right from the third stage of the first day, won 10 stages out of the event's 20 stages . It is just the second rally Al Wahaibi finished this season in the Team's Cup class , in the Portugal rally he came 2nd , the win in australia is a deserve one to Hamed good driving . after the rally Hamed said that he & his co-driver did well in the Australia rally and they are happy with the results . i meet Hamed just before the start of the Cyprus rally this year in Limasol , and we spoke a little , he was very optimistic about the rally and his future , but he was out of the rally in the 1st stage there after fire cought his car . the future of Hamed rally career is still not known after the FIA cancell the Teams cup for 2002 , he can still rub in the WRC , or in group-N car or even may be comming back to the Middle-east rally championship to try and beat Muhamed ben-sulyem , the 13 time champion there . only time will tell.... duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-126 the Middle-east rally championship Powerful starting line-up features 33 drivers from 12 nations, with Jordanian and German ladies in the hunt The Dubai International Rally is ready to provide a powerful climax to the 2001 FIA Middle East Rally Championship next week. Any fears that the eighth and final round of the regional series could be hit by travel concerns have been dispelled by an impressive final entry list issued today by the Automobile and Touring Club for the UAE (ATCUAE), the rally organisers and national motor sport authority. Thirty three drivers from 12 countries, including challengers from Great Britain, Australia, Germany and the Czech Republic, will go into action when the rally roars to life at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel at 10.30am on Wednesday next week (November 14). Headed by 13-times Middle East champion Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the starting line-up consists of another 10 drivers from the UAE, four from Jordan, three each from Great Britain, and Qatar, two apiece from Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus, and one each from Australia, Saudi Arabia, the Czech Republic and Germany. Sulayem’s top-seeded Ford Focus World Rally car will lead a procession of 13 vehicles classified in Group A, and 20 contesting Group N production class honours. While rallying remains a male-dominated sport, the presence of Jordan’s Nancy Al Majali and Germany’s Edith Weiss brings extra interest, and competition for the ladies’ prize. Another lady driver, Ruth Paterson, this time takes the co-drivers’ seat to assist husband Howard, the 1999 Middle East Formula Two champion who runs his own rally driving school in the UK. Paterson, Formula Two winner in Dubai two years ago, will have to replace his Group N VW Golf in the future if he is to challenge for more official titles as the car does not qualify for the new Super 1600 series for two-wheel-driver cars. He was leading Formula Two driver overall in Bahrain earlier this year before oil pressure problems put him out of the event, and he will be looking for better fortunes in Dubai, even if Cypriot Nearchos Nearchou arrives to confirm his Super 1600 title success. Another Cypriot, Menelaos Melissas, gives a competitive debut to his newly-converted Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6, and will be aiming to build on his seventh place in Dubai in 1999 and sixth in last year’s UAE International Rally in Abu Dhabi. Syrian driver Yazan Rijleh is another hoping to at least go the distance in his Group N Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 after failing to finish in Dubai last year because of gearbox problems, and retiring in Abu Dhabi in January, at the start of this year’s Middle East series, with engine problems. duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-125 the Middle-east rally championship TSOULOFTAS AIMS FOR HYUNDAI ACCENT WORLD RALLY CAR LAUNCH IN DUBAI Cypriot champion eyes Sulayem’s Middle East crown Cypriot champion, Andreas Tsouloftas, is close to completing negotiations with a World Rally Championship team HYUNDAI and a manufacturer’s UAE dealer to acquire a World Rally Car, which could help him challenge Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s dominance of the FIA Middle East series. While his target is next year’s Middle East title, Tsouloftas could finalise a deal in time to give the new car its regional debut in Dubai on November 14-15 at the climax to this year’s eight-round championship. “Everything should be resolved in the next few days. There’s a chance I could have the car in time for Dubai, and that would be a great place to test it for next year,” said Tsouloftas, whose Group A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution cannot compete with Ben Sulayem’s Ford Focus WRC. “I’ve already tested it in the UK in the summer, and it was fantastic. There’s a huge difference in performance between the WRC and my Group A car.” Held under the patronage of H.H.Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Department and chairman of Emirates, the 2001 Dubai International Rally has been brought forward by 24 hours to avoid the possible start of the Holy Month of Ramadan on November 16. Officially sponsored by Dubai’s newly renamed Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation, the rally starts and finishes at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, the official hotel and rally headquarters. It is co-sponsored by Seven Seas Computers, the official IT suppliers, and GTS, official suppliers of towing services. On his last visit to the UAE back in January, Tsouloftas finished runner-up to Ben Sulayem in Abu Dhabi at the start of this year’s FIA Middle East Championship. Placed third in Qatar and fifth in Cyprus this year, he was the strong favourite for victory in the recent Troodos Rally on home soil, but a first-day crash put him out of the penultimate round of the Middle East series. The multiple Cypriot champion had mixed fortunes on his two other previous visits to the UAE. He rounded off the 1999 season with an impressive third place finish on his first attempt at the Dubai International Rally, in conditions which, for him, were relatively unknown. He looked like going at least one better when he returned to the UAE at the start of last year for the opening round of the championship in Abu Dhabi, but suspension failure put him out of the event on the second leg when chasing victory. The 2001 Dubai International Rally starts from the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel at 10.30am on Wednesday, November 14, with the first of six special stages taking place alongside Dubai Creek, offering excellent viewing for spectators. The remaining stages on the day – all new – will be run in the Marmon and Margham areas, with the cars returning to the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel for a night halt. Getting under way at 8.30am the following day, the second leg also begins with a Dubai Creek stage ahead of three more new stages, each to be run twice, in the Jebel Ali area. After 260-km of competitive stages, the first car reaches the finish at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel at 4.30pm. duby miller
rally-net no-124 UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge 2001 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies FIM Cross Country Rallies World Cup - SCHLESSER AND DESPRES HANG ON TO WIN UAE MARLBORO DESERT CHALLENGE Schlesser takes FIA World Cross-Country title; Dakar winner Kleinschmidt blows engine; UAE's Bilhili and McBride take superb second places Frenchman Jean-Louis Schlesser hung on to his solid overnight advantage to claim a record- breaking fifth victory in the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge and seal a second successive FIA World Cross-Country title in his Schlesser-Renault Megane. Meanwhile, Frenchman Cyril Despres crushed the opposition in the Bikes category on his factory KTM 660 Rallye on this final round of the FIA and FIM Cross Country World Cups. Schlesser, the former World Sportscar champion and Williams Grand Prix driver, led the gruelling five-day event from start to finish to edge out arch rival Jutta Kleinschmidt, who was cruelly sidelined with a blown engine a mere 64 kms from the finish of the final stage. Schlesser himself survived a late scare before the first passage control today, when he launched the Renault off a six metre sheer drop into soft sand and wrecked the front of the car. This cost him over a minute of his hard earned lead. "It was a scary moment," admitted the new World Champion. "Later I was running behind Jutta and noticed that she had stopped. I didn't know why at the time and didn't realise that she was out of the rally. It's a great feeling to win again." Kleinschmidt, needing to win this event to become the first woman in history to claim the world title, lost out when the organisers were forced to cancel chunks of each of the day's action to compensate for three successive early morning fog delays. She was into a useful pace this morning in the Mitsubishi before her world title dreams went up in smoke on that final section of today's stage. "I gave it my best shot today, but it was not meant to be," said the dejected German. "We were running well and ahead of Jean-Louis for a while. I lost a little time around a sand hole and then the engine let go. It's very disappointing, but it's been a very exciting year and a season in motorsport that I will never forget. I must look ahead now to Dakar and the defence of my title." The UAE's Yayha Bilhili drove a superb race to seal a stunning second place in his Chevrolet Tahoe, Frenchman Jean-Pierre Strugo won the T1 Marathon category in his third-placed Mercedes ML430 and the UAE's Toufic Mitri edged out Australian Bruce Garland for fourth overall in a Land Rover 110. The Bikes category was dominated throughout the four days by Despres. Classified 24th on the Prologue, he quickly hit the front and drove a tactical and dominant race, even allowing the UAE's David McBride the pleasure of winning the third stage through the Western Deserts of the Rub Al Khali region on Thursday. I caught Dave today after about 40 kms," said Despres. "Then I started to race with PG (Lundmark). I would overtake him in the soft sand and he would pass me on the fast sections. Then he had a flat tyre and no spare tube. We left him 50 kms from the finish running on the bare wheel. It's my first time on the bike, a great feeling to win and a fantastic test for Dakar." McBride eventually finished second overall on his KTM, with the Honda-mounted pairing of Dubai rider Steve Blackney and Frenchman Paul Rivet completing the top four at the Al-Ghantoot Polo Club finish. Sweden's PG Lundmark was riding a powerful BMW 1150 RR for the first time in preparation for the Arras-Madrid-Dakar Rally. He dropped more than an hour on the opening Manassir Plateau stage on Tuesday, but was soon in a competitive pace until the puncture today when he slipped from fourth to eighth. Dutchman Wim Hutten finished fifth on a KTM. There was bitter disappointment for Ahmed Al-Fahim, the leading UAE Quad rider on his M4 class-leading Yamaha Raptor, who had started the day in a superb 11th overall. He leapt over a sand ridge and crashed down into a sand hole mid-way through the final stage, retiring cruelly within sight of the finish. Frenchman Jean-Pierre Fontenay edged out Mitsubishi team mate Kenjiro Shinozuka to take victory in the National Rally running behind the main Desert Challenge. "It was fantastic to see so many international competitors here this week from all corners of the world," admitted Mohammed bin Sulayem, the chairman of the organising committee. "The world title was decided here and Jean-Louis took his fifth win. This, I'm sure, is a record he will be looking to extend next year." The event was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander, with full support from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Minister of Defence. The UAE Desert Challenge received the full support of the UAE Government, Dubai and Abu Dhabi Municipalities, the UAE Armed Forces and an impressive list of co-sponsors, including Oasis, Damas, Hyatt, Konica, Aramex, Ignacio Messina, Tahoe (GM), DTCM, Adnoc and Emarat. Unofficial final positions after SS4 (Raml Al Buhuth - 324 kms): Cars 1. Jean-Louis Schlesser (F)/Henri Magne (F) Renault Megane 14h 59m 43s 2. Yayha Bilhili (UAE)/Khaled Al-Kendi (UAE) Chevrolet Tahoe 19h 38m 02s 3. Jean-Pierre Strugo (F)/Yves Ferri (F) Mercedes ML 430 19h 59m 07s 4. Toufic Mitri (UAE)/Mohammed Osman (UAE) Land Rover 110 20h 12m 11s 5. Bruce Garland (AUS)/Stephen Green (AUS) Holden Jackaroo 20h 26m 15s 6. Vladislav Rakityaskiy (RU)/Vladimir Demianenko (RU) Mitsubishi Pajero 20h 37m 18s National Rally - Cars 1. Jean-Pierre Fontenay (F)/Gilles Picard (F) Mitsubishi Pajero 14h 18m 59s 2. Kenjiro Shinozuka (J)/Thierry Delli-Zotti (F) Mitsubishi Pajero 14h 20m 34s Bikes 1. Cyril Despres (F) KTM 16h 42m 23s 2. David McBride (UAE) KTM 17h 07m 12s 3. Steve Blackney (UAE) Honda 17h 46m 25s 4. Paul Rivet (F) Honda 18h 07m 00s 5. Wim Hutten (NL) KTM 18h 34m 37s 6. Miran Stanovnik (SLO) Husqvarna 18h 54m 01s 7. Andrea Mayer (D) KTM 19h 04m 10s 8. Grant Robertson (AUS) Honda 19h 15m 48s 9. PG Lundmark (S) BMW 19h 26m 31s duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-123 the Middle-east rally championship the Dubai intl. rally - preview The Dubai International Rally will have a brand new route, when it brings the 2001 FIA Middle East Championship to a climax on November 14 -15 to accommodate the probable start of the Holy month of Ramadan on Friday, November 16. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, already Middle East drivers’ champion for 2001, will push to gain a significant double for Ford in next month’s Dubai International Rally. The Arab world’s top driver, who claimed his 13th Middle East drivers’ crown with a fifth victory of the season in Syria now aims to wrap up the manufacturers’ championship at the wheel of his Ford Focus World Rally Car in Dubai.The extra incentive for Ben Sulayem is that he could produce a perfect end to the season for Ford, who are also on course for both the manufacturers’ and drivers’ titles in the World Championship And while Ben Sulayem knows he will need only a top-three finish in the Dubai International Rally on November 14-15 to give Ford the Middle East manufacturers’ title for a fifth time, he wants nothing less than a 14th victory in his home event. Cypriot Andreas Peratikos ensured that the battle for the Middle East manufacturers’ title will be decided in Dubai by winning penultimate round, the Troodos Rally, to take Mitsubishi to within seven points of Ford. While a succession of Mitsubishis will be in action in the Dubai International Rally, Ben Sulayem, partnered by Jordanian co-driver Khaled Zakaria, plans another dominant display at the wheel of his Ford Focus WRC to underline’s Ford’s Middle East supremacy. Nabil Karam, Lebanon’s current master of the hill climb, will bridge a 14-year gap when he lines up in the Dubai International Rally at the climax to the 2001 FIA Middle East Championship . The two-times former Lebanese rally champion, who has won his country’s national hill climb for the last three years, will compete in Dubai in a Group A Toyota Celica GT-4 hired from veteran UAE-based Lebanese driver, Michel Saleh. Drivers from Cyprus, Great Britain and Australia will take their place alongside many of the Middle East’s leading competitors when the new-look Dubai International Rally . While Mohammed Ben Sulayem is expected to add to his 13 career wins in his home event, and give Ford the manufacturers’ title after already clinching the drivers’ crown for a 13th time, Cypriot champion Andreas Tsouloftas, Lebanese star Nabil Karam, and veteran Michel Saleh will all be waiting to pounce on any mistakes or misfortunes. Both Tsouloftas and Saleh are in the process of acquiring their own World Rally Cars to challenge Ben Sulayem’s Ford Focus WRC, with the prospect that at least one new arrival could be given its Middle East debut in Dubai. The international line-up includes UAE entries Mohammed Osman, Cypriot-born Nicholas Mandrides, Sadiq Fadhal, Toufic Mitri, Roger Thomas and former Middle East Group N champion, Ron Oakley, while Ahmed Al Sabban again carries the Saudi Arabian flag in Dubai. Syria is represented by Yazan Rijleh, while Jordan’s hopes are carried by Faris Bustami and Asem Aref. Another former Middle East Group N champion, Ron Cremen, makes a welcome return from Australia, while two ex-Formula Two title holders, Howard Patterson and Simon Nutter, again arrive from Great Britain. Completing the British-based contingent is Amrik Sehmbi, overtaken as Middle East Super 1600 this year by Nearchos Nearchou, who is joined in the Dubai International line-up by fellow-Cypriot, Nenelaos Melissas. The UAE’s Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi can relax and plan a comfortable finish to the season in Dubai International Rally after being confirmed as Middle East Group N champion for the second year in a row. The last threat to Sheikh Abdullah’s title defence was removed when Qatar’s Hamed Al Sowaidi went out of last Troodos Rally in Cyprus, penultimate round of the eight-event 2001 FIA Middle East Championship. Needing to win Group N in Cyprus to maintain his faint championship hopes, Al Sowaidi made his exit on the first leg when his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6 blew its turbo. It means that the Dubai International Rally, now taking place on November 14-15, becomes a virtual lap of honour for Sheikh Abdullah, who has confirmed that, with the Group N crown secured, he will now drive his Group A Mitsubishi Lancer in the final round of the championship . Al Sowaidi still intends to compete in Dubai, and he will be one of the favourites for victory in the production class, along with fellow-Qatari, Mubarak Al Hajri. duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-122 UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge 2001 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies FIM Cross Country Rallies World Cup - SCHLESSER AND DESPRES EDGE AWAY IN UAE MARLBORO DESERT CHALLENGE A second successive day of dense fog failed to restrict the determined performance of Frenchman Jean-Louis Schlesser, who extended his advantage in the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge, as the second section wound its way through the Eastern Deserts of the Rub Al- Khali region of the Southern United Arab Emirates. Schlesser and French co-driver Henri Magne extended their advantage advantage to 14 minutes 14 seconds, as the defending World Champion strengthened his grip on a second successive world title on this final round of the FIA and FIM Cross Country Rallies World Cups. Germany's Jutta Kleinschmidt complained that the latter part of the stage had been too fast for her to use the traction advantage of the Mitsubishi Pajero, but she stayed in contention for the world title in second place. In the Bikes category it was business as usual for runaway leader Cyril Despres on a factory KTM 660 Rallye. The Frenchman had crushed the opposition on Tuesday and was on the pace again from the outset of Wednesday's delayed 369 kms special. His massive overnight advantage of 20m 30s had risen to 35 minutes after the day's stage. Sweden's PG Lundmark set the second fastest time on a powerful BMW R1150, although he admitted that the bike was a little too heavy for the dunes. "The stage was very tough," said Despres. "Because we started later in the ay the temperature was much higher and the sand in the dunes is very soft. I got stuck four or five times. Maybe it will be very difficult for the riders at the back of the field." An exhausted Dave McBride finished the stage in second place and maintained a similar position. "That was the toughest stage I have ever done on the Deert Challenge," he admitted. "I am exhausted and have cramps. I got stuck twice and had to dig myself out in this heat." Austrian rider Klaus Schwingenschloegl had started the day in sixth place on his KTM 660 and was still running well with the likes of Germany's Andrea Mayer, Frenchman Paul Rivet, Dubai-based Australian Grant Robertson and the UAE's Steve Blackney also inside the top 10. In the new National category, Frenchman Jean- Pierre Fontenay and Japan's Kenjiro Shinozuka were using the section to test tyres and springs for the forthcoming Arras-Madrid-Dakar Rally. Fontenay beat his team mate by a littleunder two minutes to edge into the lead, after Shinozuka collected a puncture. Leading Bikes had been scheduled to leave the overnight halt in Liwa at 05.45 on Wednesday morning, but dense fog again descended upon the sands of the UAE and the restart was delayed by four hours. As a result the organising team decided to reduce the stage from 504 kms to 364 kms with the finish control moved to the fifth passage control. "It was the only decision we could make under the circumstances," said race director Kevin Monaghan. "We are in the hands of the gods as far as the weather is concerned. This event is proving tougher than some people may have imagined. This morning we recovered several riders from the desert who were too exhausted to continue - and that was after a mere 20 kms of the stage!" Two Gulf-based riders are members of the British Diplomatic Corp. Simon Collis, riding a Honda 400 SR, is the British Consulate General in Dubai and team mate Charles Heatly is a member of the British Consulate in Yemen. They began today's section in 75th and 69th overall, respectively. A number of riders hit problems over Tuesday's opening Manassir Plateau stage, with Britain's Lee Gregson and Italy's Oscar Polli taking stage maximum penalties of 35 hours. Japan's Atsushi Oyamada complained of carburettor problems on his Honda and the Kuwaiti 4x4 champion Nasser Al-Ajmi lost valuable time when he stopped to assist an unjured Turkish rider who had crashed in the sand. Senol Yuksel later received medical attention in the bivouac for minor rib and shoulder injuries. There was disappointment for the 1999 FIA Middle East Group N rally champion Nizar Al-Shanfari in his Land Rover 110. The Omani driver complained about engine problems as early as the Prologue stage, but when the situation worsened he retired in Abu Dhabi. The Eastern Desert section also marked the demise of the Dutch Mitsubishi Pajero driver Alex Jansen, entered in the T1 class with co-driver Henk Smit. Transmission problems dictated that they could only engage hi-ratio 4WD and decided to call it a day and return to Liwa. There were no less than 21 nationalities present on the starting list this morning at the Liwa hotel, a testament to the international popularity of this event around the world. Tomorrow's (Thursday) section through the Western Deserts of Rub Al-Khali is the most difficult in this year's UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge and features a number of tricky dune combinations, gatch roads, soft sand sections and several plains and ridges. A 26 kms run out from the bivouac takes crews into the day's 393 kms competitive section. Event officials were carefully monitoring the regional weather forecast on Wednesday evening to determine whether thick fog would be a major factor in determining the actual starting times for the third successive day on Thursday. The event is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander, with full support from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Minister of Defence. The UAE Desert Challenge has the full support of the UAE Government, Dubai and Abu Dhabi Municipalities, the UAE Armed Forces and has an impressive list of co-sponsors, including Oasis, Damas, Hyatt, Konica, Aramex, Ignacio Messina, Tahoe (GM), DTCM, Adnoc and Emarat. Unofficial positions after SS2 (Eastern Desert - 364 kms): Cars 1. Jean-Louis Schlesser/Henri Magne (Renault Megane) 7h 44m 14s 2. Jutta Kleinschmidt/Andreas Schultz (Mitsubishi Pajero) 7h 58m 54s 3. Yayha Bilhili/Khaled Al-Kendi (Chevrolet Tahoe) 10h 02m 40s 4. Jean-Pierre Strugo/Yves Ferri (Mercedes ML 430) 10h 05m 51s 5. Ahmed Soughat/Malik (Chevrolet Tahoe) 12h 33m 07s National category - 1. Jean-Pierre Fontenay (F)/Gilles Picard (F) Mitsubishi Pajero 8h 10m 09s 2. Kenjiro Shinozuka (J)/Thierry Delli-Zotti Mitsubishi Pajero 8h 11m 26s Bikes 1. Cyril Despres (France) KTM 8h 35m 10s 2. David McBride (UAE) KTM 9h 10m 43s 3. Paul Rivet (F) Honda 9h 26m 17s 4. Steve Blackney (UAE) Honda 9h 28m 15s 5. Fabio Benetti (I) KTM 9h 54m 27s 6. Andrea Mayer (D) KTM 9h 55m 57s 7. Hutten (NL) KTM 9h 56m 08s duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no- 121 UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge 2001 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies FIM Cross Country Rallies World Cup - Schlesser draws first blood in UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge Defending FIA World Cross-Country champion Jean-Louis Schlesser is the overnight leader of the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge, which began with a traditional three-kilometre Prologue stage at Dubai Festival City, near the Al-Garhoud bridge in Dubai, on Monday afternoon. Germany's Jutta Kleinschmidt - the Frenchman's main rival for the world title - decided to sit in the stage for a short period to enable her to start from the back of the field when the real desert action begins on Tuesday morning. "Jutta did not want to open the road in the desert," admitted Mitsubishi team manager Dominique Serieys. "It is better for her to start from behind and attack from that position. She can see what is happening in front." Schlesser's Renault-engined Megane finished the stage 17 seconds ahead of his nearest rivals. The UAE's experienced Yayha Bilhili was tied with Tahoe team mate Ahmed Soughat in third place and the Kuwaiti 4x4 champion Nasser Al-Ajmi was fifth overall in a Jeep Cherokee. There was a three-way tie for sixth place between T1 Marathon class front-running Frenchman Jean-Pierre Strugo, Russia's Alexander Khrol and the UAE's Issa El-Hemrani in a Marlboro-supported Mitsubishi Pajero. In the Bikes category, Slovenia's Miran Stanovnik, who tackled the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge last year and ran well on this year's Paris-Dakar Rally, pushed his Husqvarna 610 TE to the front of the field, alongside Frenchman Francois Flick on a KTM 660 Rallye. They were tied with a time of 2m 11s. The UAE's Khalid Khamis was third fastest on a similar Austrian-built machine and Italy's Fabio Benetti and Tunisia's Abdelkarim Gatlani completed the top five on their respective KTM and Yamaha. UAE-based British riders David McBride and Steve Blackney were handily-placed inside the top 10 for a strong push on the opening desert section across the Manassir Plateau on Tuesday. The stage starts at 10.20 with competitors set to arrive at the Liwa bivouac and overnight rest halt in the afternoon. Introduced to determine the starting order when the real desert action gets underway from the Corniche in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday morning, the Prologue attracted a huge crowd anxious to see the opening exchange between Kleinschmidt and Schlesser for the FIA World Cross-Country title. Running first on the road is often seen as a disadvantage in cross-country rallying and there was some strategic racing by several of the front runners today to ensure that they were positioned down the running order. "You know it often pays to run down the field so that you can follow the tracks of others in the dunes and the desert," insisted KTM's French factory rider Cyril Despres. It is these games of cat and mouse which have made this form of rallying so fascinating in recent years. However, on typical Baja events in Southern Europe, through narrow mountain passes in Morocco and along single track savannah paths in Mali and Senegal - where the routes regularly use sinuous rocky tracks and dusty trails - it is often a distinct advantage to run first on the road to avoid the dust of other vehicles. Unofficial positions after Prologue stage: Cars 1. Jean-Louis Schlesser (F)/Henri Magne (F) Renault Megane 2m 09s 2. Bruce Garland (AUS)/Stephen Green (AUS) Holden Jackaroo 2m 26s 3=. Yayha Bilhili (UAE)/Khaled Al-Kendi (UAE) Chevrolet Tahoe 2m 28s 3=. Ahmed Soughat (UAE)/Ahmed Malik (UAE) Chevrolet Tahoe 2m 28s 5. Nasser Al-Ajmi (KWT)/Khaled Al-Ajmi (KWT) Jeep Cherokee 2m 30s 6=. Alexander Khrol (RU)/Alexander Marzaliouk (RU) Mitsubishi Pajero 2m 33s 6=. Jean-Pierre Strugo (F)/Yves Ferri (F) Mitsubishi Pajero 2m 33s 6=. Issa El-Hemrani (UAE)/Imad Nabhan (UAE) Mitsubishi Pajero 2m 33s Bikes 1=. Miran Stanovnik (SLO) Husqvarna 610 TE 2m 11s 1=. Francois Flick (F)) KTM 660 Rallye 2m 11s 3. Khalid Khamis (UAE) KTM 660 2m 12s 4=. Fabio Benetti (I) KTM 660 2m 14s 4=. Abdelkarim Gatlani (TN) Yamaha WRF 2m 14s 6. Lee Gregson (GB) KTM Rallye 2m 15s Dense fog delays start of opening desert section Dense fog delayed the start of the opening desert section but it didn't prevent defending world champion Jean-Louis Schlesser from extending his overnight lead at the end of the 369 kms Manassir Plateau section from Abu Dhabi to the first overnight halt at Liwa. The Frenchman had exercised his option to change his starting order this morning, after setting fastest time in the Prologue stage at Dubai Festival City on Monday, and pressed his advantage home throughout the day's section, which offered a mixture of gatch roads, fast subkhas and three tricky dune ranges between the second and third passage controls. "We had a heavy landing over a dune about 30 kms from the end of the stage," admitted Schlesser. "It damaged the front of the car, punctured a tyre and I couldn't get the wheel off. But we managed to push and open up a good lead." Meanwhile, Germany's Jutta Kleinschmidt was beginning her climb through the field from a starting position of 34th overall after the Prologue stage. "We decided to start at the back and see what was happening ahead of us," said the winner of the Dakar. "My team mates are running close behind me in case I have a problem." She duly moved up to second place, although UAE driver Yayha Bilhili, Russian Vladislav Rakitiyaskiy and Frenchman Jean-Pierre Strugo were all driving well inside the top 10. In the National category, Japan's Kenjiro Shinozuka edged out Frenchman Jean-Pierre Fontenay in the Super Production Pajeros. In the Bikes section, overnight joint leaders Miran Stanovnik and Francois Flick were soon overtaken by French rider Cyril Despres, riding this factory KTM for the first time. Third overall in last year's UAE Desert Challenge, Despres started today's section in 24th place and finished well ahead of the rest of the field after a scintillating performance. "The stage was perfect for me," said the Frenchman. "It is my first time with this bike. It went like a dream." The UAE trio of David McBride, Khalid Khamis and Steve Blackney were well placed and McBride overcame a small GPS problem to move into second place overall. Frenchman Paul Rivet was pushing hard despite losing his GPS after the third passage control and was inside the top 10, although Blackney complained of a lack of power and claimed his realistic goal was a top five placing. The international entourage of bikes, cars and trucks from no less than 21 countries had left Dubai before dawn en route to the official start on the Corniche in Abu Dhabi, but dense early morning fog dictated that the event would not start on time for safety reasons. "It was just not possible to start on time, because it wasn't safe for the helicopters to fly and competitor safety is of paramount importance," said an official spokesman from the organising team. "As a result we were running around two hours behind schedule today." A decision was also taken to move the finish of the stage to a route along the Abu Dhabi to Hameem highway, the outcome therefore shortening the day's section by 46 kms on safety grounds. "There was a tricky section at the end of the proposed stage and we didn't want to run the risk of some backmarkers finishing the leg in darkness," insisted race director Kevin Monaghan. in wednesday the route heads due east from Liwa at 06.30 towards Arada, near the border with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Competitors press on through the Eastern region of the Rub Al-Khali, traversing a diverse range of terrain including tricky dunes and fast compact sand sections. The UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge trail then turns north and west and skirts the Mizaira road underpass, running south towards last year's bivouac site at the Arjan mast and on to a finish north of Hameem. Unofficial positions after SS1 (Manassir Plateau - 369 kms): CARS - 1. Jean-Louis Schlesser/Henri Magne (Renault Megane) 3h 20m 40s 2. Jutta Kleinschmidt/Andreas Schultz (Mitsubishi Pajero) 3h 34m 05s 3. Vladislav Rakityaskiy/Vladimir Demianenko (Mitsubishi Pajero) 3h 57m 57s 4. Jean-Pierre Strugo/Yves Ferri (Mercedes ML 430) 4h 00m 51s 5. Yayha Bilhili/Khaled Al-Kendi (Chevrolet Tahoe) 4h 04m 09s 8. Issa El-Humrani/Imad Nabhan (Mitsubishi Pajero) 4h 14m 01s 9. Bruce Garland/Stephen Green (Holden Jackaroo) 4h 16m 32s Cars - National category - 1. Kenjiro Shinozuka (J)/Thierry Delli-Zotti Mitsubishi Pajero 3h 22m 29s 2. Jean-Pierre Fontenay (F)/Gilles Picard (F) Mitsubishi Pajero 3h 23m 16s Bikes 1. Cyril Despres (F) 3h 36m 02s 2. David McBride (UAE) 3h 56m 14s 3. Paul Rivet (F) 4h 00m 26s 4. Khalid Khamis (UAE) 4h 08m 43s 5. Fabio Benetti (I) 4h 09m 12s 6. Steve Blackney (UAE) 4h 11m 11s 7. Francois Flick (F) 4h 13m 10s 8. Miran Stanovnik (SLO) 4h 30m 13s duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-120 the Middle-east rally championship Trodos rally - final results penultimate round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship BRILLIANT DRIVE TAKES ANDREAS PERATIKOS TO VICTORY IN THE TROODOS RALLY Andreas Peratikos produced a brilliant drive to take his Mitsubishi Lancer to victory in the Troodos Rally in Cyprus, in the , Just 14 of the 39 starters in the rally, considered as one of the most challenging in the Championship made it back to the Nicosia finish.. The first four cars to finish were all competing in Group N, for vehicles without major modifications, and the first three home were Mitsubishi Lancers. For Peratikos, with his co-driver Charis Episkopou it was a sweet moment as he claimed his first victory in an international event after a decade of attempting to win an international rally. The rally held a series of dramatic moments for him. He slipped into the second place yesterday morning, and when the early race leader Andreas Tsouloftas, the current Cyprus champion, crashed off the road in Special Stage 4 in his Mitsubishi Lancer, Peratikos moved into the lead. Tsouloftas, who was expected to win at this point in the rally, had slithered down a bank, and was unable to get his car back up and into the contest. Behind the leader Charalambous Timotheou, also in a Mitsubishi Lancer was threatening Peratikos until his gearbox gave up on him after SS 6. Then Costas Loizides, in Mitsubishi Lancer III grabbed the number two spot, which he held onto until the finish. Peratikos held his number one place from there until the end of the rally, close to the Venetian walls in the centre of Nicosia, capital of the island. He finished 5 minutes 21 seconds in front of Loizides. In third place was Rami Shohatovich,the leading israeli rally driver, in a mitsubishi lancer evo-5 , a further 2 minutes 14 seconds adrift of Loizides. The last special stage had to be cancelled as a precautionary measure by the organisers because military vehicles from an annual military exercise, which had already finished, were still on the road at Stavrovouni. Thirty nine entrants had started out in the rally, and tackled the gruelling course of 235 kilometres of special stages, taking them over two days through four sections forming loops in the mountains which dominate the centre of the island. A shock before the start of the rally, which is organised by the Cyprus Automobile Association, came when Yiannis Papademetriou, from Greece, who had completed scrutineering with his Subaru Ipreza, failed to turn up to take off in the number one position. Papademetriou, who had flown in with his service team and brought British co-driver Allan Harryman, had discovered overnight that his gearbox needed changing, but his team were unable to complete the work and he was scratched from the field. Prizegiving for the Troodos Rally will take place tonight in the Cleopatra Hotel, Nicosia, which has been the HQ for the rally. Final Results 1 A. Peratikos – C. Episkopou Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VI 4:16:19.21 2 C. Loizides – L. Pantelides Mitsubishi Lancer EVO III 4:22:40.98 3 R. Shohatovich – M. Michael Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VI 4:24:14.77 4 P. Theophanides – N. Theophanides Subaru Impreza 4:28:44.19 5 M. Charalambous – N. Panayides Mitsubishi Lancer EVO III 4:30:36.07 6 N. Antoniades – G. Economides Subaru Impreza 4:34:15.15 duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-118 2001 Marlboro UAE Desert Challenge FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies FIM Cross Country Rallies World Cup Entries are continuing to flood in for the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge 2001, final round of both the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies and the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Cup. The event is based entirely within the United Arab Emirates and takes place between October 28th and November 2nd. Spearheading the local challenge, when competitive action gets underway in Dubai with a short Prologue stage on October 29th, will be the UAE national driver Essa Bin Hamraini. No stranger to setting competitive times in this event over the last two years, Essa is supported on this occasion by event sponsors Marlboro and has entered a Mitsubishi Pajero in the T1 class. This is a special FIA category for all-terrain vehicles with near-standard engines and limited modifications from the type of machine you would normally see in dealer showrooms. In recent years Arab drivers have achieved some excellent results in the UAE Desert Challenge. The most notable success story has been the Dubai competitor Mohammad Mattar, twice an outright winner of the Cars section in 1991 and 1992 at the wheel of a Land Rover, before the event became the final round of the FIA World Cup. Mattar has since switched to competing on two wheels and has set several competitive stage times in recent seasons. Dubai-based Yayha Bilhili is also one of the leading local competitors in the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge. A four-wheel drive enthusiast, Bilhili has an impressive record over the sands of the UAE and has been a consistent performer for 10 years. He finished third overall in 1992 in a Nissan Patrol, but maintained that form against world class drivers once the event became a round of the World Championship in 1993. He finished fifth in 1996 in a T1 Nissan Patrol, against the might of the Mitsubishi and Schlesser factory teams and repeated that result the following two seasons, beating former French Formula One Grand Prix star Phillipe Alliott by 18 minutes in 1997. Bilhili's finest performance was arguably fifth overall in 1998, when he and co-driver Wael Marajn beat Spanish World Championship driver Josep-Marie Servia by 29 minutes and were only beaten themselves by four factory teams, with the calibre of drivers such as Jean-Pierre Fontenay, Jean-Louis Schlesser, Kenjiro Shinozuka and Jutta Kleinschmidt; all four of whom have achieved optimum success in the gruelling Paris-Dakar Rally. Two of the finest one-off performances by Arab drivers in the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge occurred in 1993 and 1994. Twice former FIA Middle East rally champion Saeed Al-Hajri, from Qatar, took part in 1993 with the Mitsubishi team and emerged victorious with the experienced French co-driver Henri Magne. He beat former world champions Pierre Lartigue and Timo Salonen on that occasion. The following year it was the turn of another former Middle East rally champion, Abdullah Bakhashab, from Saudi Arabia. Abdullah and co-driver Bobby Willis, who are now tackling the FIA World Rally Championship, finished second overall in a T1 Marlboro Range Rover and beat the highly-rated French driver Thierry de Lavergne and this year's Paris-Dakar winner Jutta Kleinschmidt. The Saudi was beaten only by multiple World Champion Jean-Louis Schlesser. The UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge 2001 is set to attract many of the world's leading endurance and off-road racers to the sands of the UAE, competitors attracted by the warm Arabic welcome and hospitality of the local people, stunning desert terrain throughout the ambitious five-day route and the challenge of competing in one of the world's leading off-road rallies. Frenchman Jean-Louis Schlesser will lead the bumper international entry of bikes, cars and trucks into the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge,Schlesser, a former Formula One Grand Prix racing driver and World Sportscar champion, is also the defending FIA World Cross Country champion and has won the UAE's first world status motorsport event on a record four occasions, taking his first victory back in 1994 at the wheel of a single-seater T3 Buggy. Fellow Frenchman Jean-Pierre Fontenay has been a factory driver for the Mitsubishi team for many years and took victory in 1998 with co-driver Gilles Picard in a Pajero. A determined competitor, with considerable experience on rallies such as the Paris-Dakar and Masters Rally, Jean-Pierre is one member of the strong Mitsubishi Ralliart team entering the UAE Desert Challenge this year. The organisers of the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge have introduced a new 'National Category' to attract a larger number of Arab nationals and expatriate competitors. This new class will regroup all non-homologated cars and allow us to attract a greater number of local drivers," said Mohammed ben Sulayem, chairman of the organising commitee. duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no- 117 the Middle-east rally championship Trodos rally news Forty six crews have entered the Troodos Rally, a round in the FIA Middle East Championship, and will start out from Eleftheria Square on October 20th. The Troodos Rally, organised by the Cyprus Automobile Association, has received foreign entries from Greece, the UAE, and Great Britain. Ioanis Papademetriou, from Greece, who is competing in the Teams Cup of the World Rally championship, has submitted an entry, and will be driving a Subaru Impressa. He was in Cyprus in June for the Cyprus Rally 2001, but was forced to retire. Nicolas Mandrides and Yiannis Joannou, both permanent residents of the UAE, will be travelling to Cyprus to mount their challenge in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI. From Great Britain Yiannis Ioannides will be also be competing in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V1. Amongst the Cypriot entries are Andreas Tsouloftas with co-driver Andros Achilleos, and Chris Thomas and Andros Christodoulides, with both teams also in Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V1s Compatriots who will line up against them include the teaming of Sotos Tricomitis and Georgios Georgiou in a Suzuki Baleno, and Simos Galatariotis and Loizos Louca in a Honda Civic. in the entry list there are 3 israeli drivers - Rammi shochatovitz in mitsubishi lancer evo , danny levi in subaru impreza wrx & nadav dotan in subaru impreza turbo , all in grp-N cars . Troodos Rally Clerk of the Course, Demetris Ioannou said, “The route is ready, and the teams will start their reconnaisance from the 13th October until the 17th October. Scrutineering will be at the Opel Garage in Nicosia on the 19th October, starting at 14.30.” The Troodos Rally will start at 08.00 from Eleftheria Square and will cover a total of 249.03 stage kilometres between Saturday and Sunday, 20th and 21st October, finishing back at Eleftheria Square on Sunday afternoon at 16.15. The Headquarters and press office for the Troodos Rally will be at the Kleopatra hotel, where up to date results will be available. duby miller rally-net, editor
	rally-net no-116 the Middle-east rally championship Trodos rally - preview - Hamad Al Sowaidi will compete for the grp-N title . Qatar’s Hamad Al Sowaidi confirmed today that he will head for Cyprus later this month in a bid to ensure that the race for this year’s Middle East Championship Group N title will be decided in the Dubai International Rally. Al Sowaidi, who had virtually conceded the Group N crown to the UAE’s defending champion, Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi, has changed his plans and will now contest the Troodos Rally, penultimate round of the 2001 FIA Middle East series, on October 20-21. To snatch the title, he will need to take maximum points in Group N in Cyprus, and in Dubai on November 15-16, and also hope that Sheikh Abdullah finishes outside the production class top four in the championship’s last of eight rounds. “There’s only a very small chance for me, but I’ve decided to go to Cyprus to try and win Group N there, and then do my best in Dubai,” said Al Sowaidi. Al Sowaidi, who will be competing in Dubai for the first time, has already topped Group N twice this season - in Jordan and Syria - while also finishing second in the production class in Abu Dhabi and fifth in Bahrain. Sheikh Abdullah has an 18-point Group N championship lead after production class wins in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Bahrain, second places in Jordan and Syria, and third position in Lebanon. He does not plan to compete in Cyprus, knowing that, whatever the outcome in the Troodos Rally, he will secure the Group N title again by finishing in the production class top-four in Dubai, where he won Group N last year. In Cyprus, Al Sowaidi plans to boost his challenge by driving the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6 of Oman’s former Middle East Group N champion, Nizar Al Shanfari. The car was taken to Cyprus for rebuilding after breaking down in Bahrain earlier this year. Middle East Group N Championship leading positions after six rounds: 1. A.Al Qassimi (UAE) 46pts; 2. H.Al Sowaidi (QT) 28pts; 3. M.Al Hajri (QT) 11pts; 4. R.Cremen (AUS) 10pts; 5. Skh J.Al Khalifa (BAH) 6pts; 6. F.Bustami (HKJ) 5pts. duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-115 World Rally Championship Al Wahaibi completes an Arab-record 30th entries in the WRC In a short span of five years, the Omani ace Hamed Al Wahaibi emerged as one of the most spectacular rally drivers of the Middle East region conquering the World Rally arena and achieving remarkable results in a record time. Al Wahaibi set a new Arab record as his recent successful show in the Finland Rally, the ninth round of the World Rally Championship, marked his 30th world entries, a record yet to be claimed by any other Arab driver. With 30th world rallies to his credit, Al Wahaibi simply adds a fresh accomplishment to his long list of honors. The Omani sensation is considered to be the first Arab driver to lead the group N World Rally Championship in 1999. Al Wahaibi eventually finished the season in the second place, the highest finish ever by an Arab driver. The well-known UK-based publication Motor sport News (formerly Motoring News) rated Hamed Al Wahaibi as one of the top ten drivers in the world (1999). After his remarkable achievements in group N, Al Wahaibi moved in the middle of last year to the more powerful group “A” competitions to further demonstrate that a natural talent can make up for the lack of experience in such a demanding and tough sport. Al Wahaibi, though, went on to claim many victories. Earlier this year, Hamed showcased amazing driving skills when the Omani sensation grabbed a spectacular victory in the Rallye Terre D’ Auvergene, the second round of the 2001 French Gravel Rally Championship to declare himself as the first Arab and may be non-European rallist to have won the French event. Now with the combination of both talent and experience, Al Wahaibi, who is partnered with co-driver Tony Circombe, looks set to make it to the top of rallying but he believes that there is still along way to go. Amid an intense competition of the hectic World Championship, one single fact has emerged, Hamed Al Wahaibi is becoming a fully-fledged world-class driver. but now after the FIA cancell the FIA TEAMS cup only time will tell if Hamed will contiue to rally in the WRC or move back to the Middle-east rally championship with his wrc subaru impreza turbo . in my opinion it should be very interesting to watch Hamed against Muhamed Bin- Sulayem in a wrc cars . duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-114 the Middle-east rally championship TROODOS RALLY - preview The Cyprus Automobile Association announced in Nicosia that the Troodos Rally,with points counting towards the Middle East Rally Championship for Drivers and Co-Drivers, will be held in Cyprus between 19th – 21st October. “We are expecting to attract a strong international field,” said Clerk of the Course Dimitri Ioannou. “This will be a very exciting rally, and it has created a lot of interest amongst drivers in the region particularly with the points counting towards the regional championship.” The Troodos Rally is run over 14 special stages and a total of 750 kilometres. The special stages, run within the Troodos Mountain range, account for 250 kilometres of the event. It will be run in two legs, with four sections. Scrutineering will take place on Friday 19th October, and the rally itself will be staged over Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st October. It will begin in Eletherios Square, close to the ancient Venetian walls of the island’s capital, Nicosia, and the finish will be at the same place. The cars will head out from Nicosia to loop around the pine forests of the Troodos range, going as far as Ayios Nicholaos, in the west of the island. The reconnaissance period for drivers is between Saturday 13th and Wednesday 17th October, and the event itself will feature two service parks, one in the Troodos mountains, and the other in the south coast town of Limassol. Apart from counting towards the Middle East Rally Championship for Drivers and Co- Drivers, it will also score points towards the Rally Cup for Drivers, and the Cyprus Automobile Association Cyprus Rally Championship. duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-113 UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge 2001 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies FIM Cross Country Rallies World Cup EVENT ORGANISERS ANNOUNCE UAE MARLBORO DESERT CHALLENGE 2001 The organisers of the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge 2001 have announced details of this year's event, which is again the final round of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies and a round of the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Cup, taking place in the United Arab Emirates between October 28th and November 2nd. Run as the traditional finale to the FIA World Cup since 1993, under the chairmanship of Mohammed bin Sulayem, this year's event again features an ambitious and challenging route across the sands of the UAE and looks set to attract a record- breaking international entry of the world's leading moto riders and endurance rally drivers. "Our event continues to go from strength to strength," enthused Mohammed bin Sulayem, himself a record-breaking 13-times FIA Middle East rally champion. "This year we are looking forward to welcoming competitors and officials from all over the world. Our team have planned a challenging desert route, which will take competitors through some of the remotest and most scenic areas of the UAE. We have moved our bivouac to Liwa this year, but the event has lost none of the special character, which has made it one of the world's most challenging motorsport events in recent years." The rally office has been inundated with enquiries for entries to the five-day desert extravaganza. Organisers are expecting representation from many of the leading professional teams who regularly tackle both the FIM and FIA world championships, with KTM, BMW, Mitsubishi, Schlesser-Renault, Nissan and Mercedes, to name but a few, all likely to feature strongly in the results. Next year the FIA World Cross Country series is being radically restructured and many competitors are expected to use the UAE event as a shakedown for the new season. Besides, the gruelling Paris-Dakar Rally begins shortly after Christmas and many of the leading teams look on this five-day desert classic as an excellent dress rehearsal and testing opportunity for the African Marathon. The UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge 2001 is also likely to attract a large number of semi- professional privateer drivers and riders and a strong representation from other GCC countries, with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE likely to field some of their leading competitors. "It looks like being a fantastic event this year," added Bin Sulayem. "There are still many things to do over the coming weeks to make this the strongest ever UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge, but we are all looking forward to extending a warm welcome to our visitors from all over the world." duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-112 Rogher Feghali on the podium on the Elpa rally !!! Mistral Racing driver Roger Feghali and co-driver Bruno Brissart came second overall and first in Group N on the 9th round of the European Rally Championship of the 26th Elpa Rally - Greece, which finished in the resort of Porto Carras . Once again this is a remarkable victory for the Lebanese driver, considering his limited experience on gravel. Greek driver Aris Vovos, driving a Subaru Impreza WRC, finished first with the total time of 3:17:11.6 (3:28 ahead of Feghali). Feghali and Brissart started the final leg with one aim: hold on to the second overall position; since throughout the first day of the rally the Mistral Racing crew fought a tense battle with Greek driver Panagiotis Hatzitsopanis, driving a Subaru Impreza Group N. Feghali pushed hard to kill off any chance of being caught by Hatzitsopanis. But Hatzitsopanis retirement on the opening stage of leg 2, (SS9 Â– Parthenonas II), gave Feghali the opportunity to slow down his pace a bit. After the departure of Hatzisopanis, Antony Warmbold at the wheel of a Toyota Corolla WRC, became Feghalis other nearest threat as he attacked to climb up to second place. But the Toyota Corolla was well over a minute behind Mistral Racing Mitsubishi Lancer. Feghali said, "I am extremely happy with the result. The rally was very good. The first leg was rough, just like the Acropolis and the second reminded us of the Rally of Finland, with very fast stages. At first I was hoping to finish in first five. I drove very fast both days, and I proved that I am fast on gravel too. This is a major achievement for me, and for the team, of course. The car and the team were just perfect. We had a little problem with the brakes, but nothing important" Team Principal Freddy Zraick said: "It is fantastic! once again we have achieved an excellent result." He added: "Roger has a promising future, he has shown more than once that he has the talent to compete against the best rally drivers in the world". visit the mistarl racing web-site for pics of the rally at :- http://www.mistralracing.com duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no- 111 the Middle-east rally championship Syria intl. rally - final results BEN SULAYEM CAPTURES 13TH MIDDLE EAST TITLE BY TAKING FORD FOCUS WRC TO EMPHATIC WIN IN SYRIA Arab World’s Top Driver Keeps Ford On Course For Another Manufacturers’ Championship Triumph Mohammed Ben Sulayem is FIA Middle East champion for the 13th time after taking his Ford Focus World Rally Car to an emphatic victory in the Syrian International Rally today. The Arab world’s top driver will now look to underline Ford’s Middle East dominance by clinching the manufacturers’ championship in the final round of the season in Dubai in November. That seems little more than a formality, as Ben Sulayem aims for the perfect finale to the season to mark the 100th anniversary of Ford’s debut in motor sports. Even in the unlikely event that Mitsubishis were to win the final two rounds in Cyprus and Dubai, a fourth place by Ben Sulayem in his home event – which he has won 13 times - would be enough to give Ford a fifth double Middle East title success. Partnered by Jordanian co-driver, Khaled Zakaria, in the Ford Focus WRC, Ben Sulayem had 7 mins 59 secs to spare over second-placed Qatari driver Hamad Al Sowaidi as he scored his 54th career victory in the Middle East Championship. Sharjah’s Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi finished third to move within two points of the Middle East Group N championship for the second year in a row. UAE-based Lebanese driver Michel Saleh claimed fourth place ahead of Cypriot champion Andreas Tsouloftas who had slipped from second to fifth on the penultimate stage when his Group A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6 broke its suspension. At the conclusion of the Syrian International Rally’s debut in the Middle East series, the spotlight was once again on Ford, and Ben Sulayem, who said at the finish in Damascus: “I’m happy to be champion again, and now I want to make sure Ford take the manufacturers’ title, because they deserve it. “They are the only manufacturer supporting the championship, and I just hope that others will follow their example and give their backing to drivers in the Middle East.” Tsouloftas, who had been unable to mount a challenge to the Ford Focus WRC while lying second, is close to finalising a deal which would see him driving another World Rally Car in next year’s title race. If Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Bakhashab and Oman’s Hamed Al Wahaibi can be tempted back from the FIA Teams Cup in the World Championship, and Al Qassimi makes the step up from Group N, the expanding Midde East series would be given an extra dimension. Second-day casualties in Syria included Qatar’s Mubarak Al Hajri, who had been lying second overnight before mechanical problems put his Group N Mitsubishi out at the start of the second leg. There were nine finishers out of 23 starters, with Jordanian lady driver Nancy Al Majali recording her best finish to date in ninth spot. Provisional results: 1. M. Ben Sulayem / K.Zakaria (UAE/HKJ) Ford Focus WRC (A) 2hrs 19mins 20secs 2 H.Al Sowaidi / M.Morrissey (QT/IRL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (N) 2:27:19 3. A.Al Qassimi / T.Al Warshaw (UAE/UAE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (N) 2:33:05 4. M.Saleh / M.Al Hariri (RL/HKJ) Toyota Celica GT-4 (A) 2:35:14 5. A.Tsouloftas / A/Achilos (CY/CY) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (A) 2:35:16 FIA Middle East Championship leading positions: 1. M.Ben Sulayem (UAE) 50pts (champion) 2. A.Al Qassimi (UAE) 24pts 3. H.Al Sowaidi (QT)16pts 4. A.Tsouloftas (CY) 12pts Group N Championship: 1. A.Al Qassimi (UAE) 46pts 2. H.Al Sowaidi (QT) 28pts 3. M.Al Hajri (QT) 11pts 4. R.Cremen (AUS) 10pts Manufacturers’ Championship: 1. Ford 50pts; 2. Mitsubishi 33pts duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-110 the Middle-east rally championship Syrian intl. rally - leg 1 BEN SULAYEM KEEPS FORD IN COMMANS AS SYRIA JOINS MIDDLE EAST TITLE RACE Arab World’s Top Driver Takes Ford Focus World Rally Car Into First Leg Lead In Syrian International Rally Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Ford, the dominant combination in the FIA Middle East Championship, took immediate control as the Syrian International Rally made its debut in the FIA regional series today. Chasing a fifth victory of the season in his Ford Focus World Rally Car, Ben Sulayem completed the first leg holding a 3mins 17 seconds lead over second-placed Qatari Mubarak Al Hajri, and was within reach of his 13th Middle East drivers’ title. The Arab world’s top driver was also taking Ford a major step closer to a fifth Middle East manufacturers’ triumph as Syria joined the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon and Cyprus on the championship circuit. And while he may have wait two months more to clinch the manufacturers’ title in Dubai, Ben Sulayem will be confirmed as champion Middle East driver once again in Damascus tomorrow night if he goes on to complete his 54th career win in the regional series. “We lost a drive shaft on the longest stage of the day and had to go for around 30km with only two-wheel drive, but we didn’t loose too much time,” said Ben Sulayem at the end of the leg. “Apart from that, everything is fine, and we have a good lead.” Qatari Al Hajri, in a Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6, was surprisingly holding second place ahead of Cypriot champion Andreas Tsouloftas in a Group A Mitsubishi. Lying fourth on the day, Sharjah’s Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi was well on the way to clinching the Group N Middle East title for the second year in a row, while another Qatari, Hamad Al Sowaidi, completed the top five. While Ben Sulayem and the Ford Focus WRC cruised into a commanding first leg lead there were a stream of casualties. Jordanian champion Faris Bustami, fellow-countrymen Omran Sakkijha, Hamza Dirani and Merza Hatak, Saudi Arabia’s Ahmed Sabban, the Czech Republic’s Pavel Hartl and Jaroslav Cernic, and German lady driver Edith Weiss, all went out with mechanical problems. Partnered by the Ford Focus WRC by Jordanian co-driver Khaled Zakaria, Ben Sulayem had been the first of 23 competitors from 12 countries to be flagged away from the start at the Elba Cham Palace Hotel in Damascus by the Syrian Minister of Tourism, Qassim Muqdad. The super special spectator stage scheduled to follow was cancelled for technical reasons. After an overnight halt in Palmyra, tomorrow’s (Friday) second leg begins at 9am, and the event finishes in Damascus at 6pm after five more special stages. Provisional leading positions after first leg: 1. M. Ben Sulayem / K.Zakaria (UAE/HKJ) Ford Focus WRC (A) 1hr 7mins 16secs 2. M.Al Hajri / A.Harryman (QT/IRL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (N) 1:10:33 3. A.Tsouloftas / A/Achilos (CY/CY) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (A) 1:11:06 4. A.Al Qassimi / T.Al Warshaw (UAE/UAE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (N) 1:11:17 5. H.Al Sowaidi / M.Morrissey (QT/IRL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (N) 1:13:36 duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-109 the Middle-east rally championship Arab World’s Top Driver All Set For Championship Charge In Ford Focus WRC As New Round Wins Sponsorship Boost Mohammed Ben Sulayem takes his Ford Focus World Rally Car on the trail of another double title triumph tomorrow (Thursday) in Syria, where a major sponsorship boost for the FIA Middle East Championship could be quickly followed by one even more important development. Ben Sulayem has warmly welcomed the move by Emirates, the international airline of the UAE, to back the Syrian International Rally, which gets under way in Damascus at 9.30 am tomorrow. On course to clinch both the Middle East drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships for Ford, the Arab world’s top driver said: “Rallying needs the support of sponsors like Emirates to keep it alive.” Ben Sulayem, who could land his 13th Middle East drivers’ crown with victory in Syria, recently urged more manufacturers to follow Ford’s lead in supporting the regional series, and he could get his wish. Seeded second behind Ben Sulayem in Damascus, Cypriot champion Andreas Tsouloftas will become a serious championship contender next year if, as expected, he acquires another World Rally Car from one of the World Championship teams. More good news could follow for the Middle East Championship if Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Bakhashab and Oman’s Hamed Al Wahaibi are encouraged by Tsouloftas’ action to return from the World Championship circuit and make their own challenges to Ben Sulayem and Ford. The prospect of a season-long battle of World Rally Cars developing in the Middle East over the next two years is Ben Sulayem’s hope, although for the next two days his mind will be focused on the immediate job at hand – to win the Syrian International Rally on its championship debut. The presence of Tsouloftas, Middle East Group N champion elect Sheikh Abullah Al Qassimi, and a succession of other Mitsubishi entries, means that Ford is getting more serious opposition, bent on derailing its regional supremacy with a fifth manufacturers’ title. “We’ll be taking it one step at a time,” said Ben Sulayem, partnered again in the Ford Focus WRC by Jordanian co-driver, Khaled Zakaria. “We could have really done with another day’s practice, because the stages are long and some of them are quite a distance from Damascus. “But we’re looking forward to the start of a new rally in the championship. I hope it’s a big success because the organisers are working hard to make the right impression.” Starting from the Ebla Cham Palace in Damascus tomorrow morning, the rally finishes there at 6pm on Friday at the end of an 877-km route containing ten special stages amounting to 253-km. With Ben Sulayem and the Ford Focus WRC dominating the overall picture, fellow-UAE driver Al Qassimi is looking to clinch his second successive Middle East Group N title in Syria, although he faces opposition over the next two days from his two closest challengers, Qatar’s Hamad Al Sowaidi and Mubarak Al Hajri. duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-108 the Middle-east rally championship BEN SULAYEM WELCOMES CYPRIOT STAR'S CHALLENGE TO FORD FOCUS WRC's MIDDLE EAST SUPREMACY It’s What The Championship Needs, Says Arab World’s Top Driver As Tsouloftas Tries To Keep Up DUBAI, UAE, 3 September, 2001 – Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who could clinch the FIA Middle East Championship drivers’ title for the 13th time in Syria next weekend, has welcomed the news that Cypriot champion Andreas Tsouloftas plans a major challenge next year to Ford’s grip on the regional series. Tsouloftas has already conceded that he is powerless to prevent Ben Sulayem from taking his Ford Focus WRC to victory in the two-day Syrian International Rally, sixth round of this year’s championship, starting on Thursday morning. But the Cypriot driver has also revealed that he is on the verge of wrapping up a deal with a World Rally Championship team that would see him launch a full assault on next year’s Middle East series at the wheel of a World Rally Car. “That’s great news – it’s just what the championship needs,” said Ben Sulayem, who arrived in Damascus on Saturday to prepare for Syria’s debut in the Middle East series. “We need more World Rally Cars, and we need more manufacturers to follow Ford’s example in supporting the championship.” Tsouloftas, who tested the World Rally Car in the UK recently, said: “It’s a big surprise. I’m not going to say which car it is until the deal is completed, but I’m 90 per cent certain of getting it. This is a big thing for me, and if it comes off, I’ll be entering most of the rounds in the championship next year and trying to push Mohammed. In Syria, I’ll just be going for second place behind Mohammed. The only way I can win is if he has some problems. Next year it could be different.” Victories in Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan at the wheel of his Ford Focus WRC have seen Ben Sulayem cruise to within reach of another Middle East triumph, and he relishes the prospect of a World Rally Car showdown next year. “This is what rallying is all about,” said the Ford MERC Team star. “We all need to be put under pressure to bring out the best in us. I just hope that Andreas gets his WRC, and that one or two others arrive in the Middle East to make things more interesting.” Partnered by Jordanian co-driver, Khaled Zakaria, Ben Sulayem is also within reach of a fifth Middle East manufacturers’ title. Tsouloftas’s Group A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6, one of the cars that could mathematically delay Ford’s championship party, was being shipped from Limassol to Beirut before being transported by road to Damascus for the start of the Syrian International Rally at 9.30am on Thursday. Ben Sulayem’s Ford Focus WRC is the first of 30 cars from 13 countries lined up for the 877-km event, which contains ten special stages amounting to 255km. The international line-up also features Qatar’s Hamad Al Sowaidi, Mubarak Al Hajri and Abdullah Al Kuwari, Australian Ron Cremen, Saudi Arabia’s Ahmed Al Sabban and Farouk Al Gourab, Lebanon’s Ziad Feghaly, Jordanian champion Faris Bustami, and Britain’s Middle East Super 1600 champion, Amrik Sehmbi. There are also two lady drivers, Jordan’s Nancy Al Majali and Germany’s Edith Weiss duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-107 ROGHER FEGHALI HEADS TO ELPA HALKIDIKIS RALLY , GREECE . Mistral Racing driver heads for the 26th Elpa Halkidikis Rally Mistral Racing heads for the 26th Elpa Rally Halkidikis, Greece- the 9th round of the European Rally Championship. Team driver, Roger Feghali will be driving the teams Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6, Gr N, and will be co-driven by Bruno Brissart. The Elpa Rally is regarded as the second most important rally of Greece and one of the most important rallies of the European championships as it has the top coefficient (20), and is the only one that is held on gravel roads. For Feghali this is another very important rally, since it will give him the opportunity to test his driving skills on gravel roads. Noting that this is Feghalis second rally on gravel. "I am very excited about this forthcoming rally, as it will be a new experience for me, I will try new roads, and will face new competitors." Said Feghali, "I dont have so much experience on gravel, but I prefer it to tarmac as it is more fun and challenging. This is a big opportunity for me. We are well prepared and are quite confident at the moment. I hope we can get a good result, but the most important thing is to learn and finish the rally". The 14-stage, 715 kilometres rally, which starts on September 8, is based in Halkidikis and divided into two legs, with 275 kilometres of stages. Elpa Rally is regarded as the most difficult of the European championship rallies. This year chosen special stages are fast and relatively soft. 59 teams have entered the event, 53 from Greece and six from other countries. you can follow R.feghali & the mistral racing team at : http://www.mistralracing.com duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-106 the Middle-east rally championship Arab World’s Top Driver Heads For Damascus Chasing Fifth Win Of The Season And Another Ford Middle East Title Double Mohammed Ben Sulayem heads for Syria next week knowing that one major obstacle has already been removed from his path towards a fifth victory of the season in his Ford Focus World Rally Car, and another double Middle East title triumph. While Ben Sulayem is relishing his return to action in the Syrian International Rally on September 6-7, Saudi Arabian star Abdullah Bakhashab has cancelled plans to enter the new event in the FIA Middle East Championship. Bakhashab, concentrating on the FIA Teams Cup in the World Rally Championship, finished third in July’s Rally of Lebanon and had pencilled in a second Middle East outing of the season in Syria. The Saudi driver has now decided that he will enter no more Middle East events until next season, and his decision means that two familiar rivals from the UAE will be the biggest challengers to Ben Sulayem’s Ford Focus WRC in Syria. Sharjah’s Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi lies second to Ben Sulayem in the race for this year’s Middle East drivers’ crown, although his main priority is the regional Group N title which he could clinch for the second year in a row in Syria. UAE-based Lebanese driver Michel Saleh is also hoping to make a big impact in Damascus to brighten up a largely disappointing season in which his highlight to date was sixth place in Lebanon. Ben Sulayem, however, is a powerful favourite to record his 54th win in the regional series, a result which would give him the Middle East drivers’ title for a remarkable 13th time. Partnered again by Jordan’s Khaled Zakaria in the Ford Focus WRC, he tops the entry list of 30 drivers preparing for the start of the two-day Syrian International Rally in Damascus on Thursday week (September 6). With two more rounds remaining in Cyprus and Dubai, a top-three finish for Al Qassimi or another Mistubishi driver in Syria would delay the double celebrations for Ford, who are on course for a fifth manufacturers’ championship. But it is likely to be only a short delay at the most, leaving Ben Sulayem with the opportunity to wrap up the manufacturers’ title on home territory in Dubai. That would be a fitting way for the man who has won more FIA rallies, and more FIA championships, than any other driver, to mark the 100th anniversary of Ford’s debut in motorsport. FIA Middle East Championship positions after five rounds 1. M.Ben Sulayem (UAE) 40pts 2. A.Al Qassimi (UAE) 20pts 3. H.Al Sowaidi (QT), A.Tsouloftas (CY) 10pts 5. M.Al Hajri (QT) 6pts Group N Championship: 1. A.Al Qassimi (UAE) 40pts 2. H.Al Sowaidi (QT) 18pts 3. M.Al Hajri (QT) 11pts 4. Skh J.Al Khalifa (BAH), - R.Cremen (AUS) 6pts Manufacturers’ Championship: 1. Ford 40pts; 2. Mitsubishi 27pts duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-105 the Middle-east rally championship Special interview with Muhamed Bin-Sulayem BEN SULAYEM RARING TO GO IN SYRIA, AND AIMING TO GIVE FORD AN ANNIVERSARY TITLE – Mohammed Ben Sulayem is aiming for a winning return to action when he chases a fifth victory of the season at the wheel of his Ford Focus World Rally Car in the Syrian International Rally on September 6-7. The Arab world’s top driver has fully recovered after his dramatic exit from last month’s Rally of Lebanon, and he looks forward here to the latest event to enter the FIA Middle East Rally Championship. Q: Have you and your co-driver, Ronan Morgan, recovered fully from your accident in Lebanon? A: Thankfully, we have. It’s well known now that I was treated for first-degree burns to my face and neck, and Ronan had treatment for second-degree burns to the right side of his face and both hands. But neither of us has been left with any after-effects. We were blessed. Q: How has the accident affected you? A: It has definitely made me even more conscious of the need to prepare thoroughly for all events, and take every precaution. We were both wearing our rally suits at the time, and they protected us from more serious injuries. I’ve seen drivers roll down their suits to the waist after completing a stage, and this was a lesson to everyone to make sure you’re wearing the best protective clothing at all times during an event. Now, I can’t wait to drive the Ford Focus WRC in Syria. It’s the car I drove in Jordan, although it’s been completely rebuilt since then. I’m just as eager as ever to win the Middle East drivers’ championship, but my main goal is to give Ford the manufacturers’ title again to mark the 100th anniversary this year of the company’s debut in motorsport. Q: It's a pity that the accident marred your last rally with Ronan Morgan. How much has he brought to your rallying career? A: Ronan has played a huge part in my success. We were a team, working together to get the best out of each other. He wasn’t just my co-driver, he was my best friend, and someone I could always rely on, trust, and depend on. He gave a huge amount of effort and commitment to me, and I’ll always be grateful to him. We won’t be competing together again, but we’ll be friends as long as we live. Q: How hard has it been to find a replacement? A: You can’t replace someone like Ronan easily. Our partnership was the most successful in international rallying in terms of the number of rallies, and championships, we won in our 14 years together. Of course I’ll miss him, but we’ll always be friends. Khaled Zakaria was with me this year in Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan, and we won all three rallies. He’ll be rejoining me for Syria, and we’ll take it from there, with just one other event to follow for me in Dubai this year. Khaled has done very well so far, and we’ll sit down at the end of the season and discuss plans for next year. Q: What do you see as the future for the Middle East Championship, it seems to be creating a lot of interest for overseas drivers/spectators? A: The future looks very bright. The championship is expanding. Cyprus and Bahrain joined the championship in the last couple of years, and Syria is in the championship for the first time this year. Saudi Arabia has now held two rallies and that’s a very exciting development which could lead to Saudi becoming another major championship venue in the next few years. The championship really needs the support of more manufacturers. Ford is the only major manufacturer actively involved in the championship at the moment. I’d like to see some of the other major manufacturers, particularly the Japanese, supporting Middle East drivers. These guys already drive their cars in the championship, and the manufacturers get a lot of good mileage out of it through media coverage, without contributing. They sell a lot of cars in the Middle East, and they should support motor sport here. Q: Are there many new challengers coming into the championship that could challenge your domination? A: There are some very good drivers capable of challenging me, but two of them are competing in the World Championship at the moment – Abdullah Bakhashab of Saudi Arabia, and Hamed Wahaibi from Oman. I had some tremendous battles with Abdullah before he left the Middle East, and although Hamed has only competed here in Group N, he is obviously a very talented driver and would be a big threat if he was here. It’s not for me to say where they should drive in the future, but if they did return to the Middle East Championship, it would be great for rallying here. Q: What do you do to relax after demanding events of hard competition? A: It’s takes some time to unwind. After each rally finishes, there are a lot of media interviews, requests for photographs from the press, and rally fans, a press conference, and then a prizegiving dinner. All that can be tiring, especially if it’s been a really tough event. After all the official business is over, I always like to get home as soon as I can to see my children, and being with them helps me relax. Q: What do your friends / family think of your passion and success in the sport? A: Generally, I think they understand my love of rallying, and they’re all proud of what I’ve achieved, just as I am. Q: How much longer will you continue to compete? A: Because of my relationship with Ford, I get to drive the best rally cars in the world, and that’s something that excites me. I’ll carry on for as long as I feel that excitement. I still have a lot of driving ahead of me, and I haven’t thought seriously about retirement, although I know that will come some day. * the interview was taken by the total pr. duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no- 104 the Middle-east rally championship Arab World’s Top Driver Eager For Return To Action In Damascus En Route To Another Ford Double Title Triumph BEN SULAYEM TAKES FORD fOCUS wrc BACK ON VICTORY TRAIL IN SYRIA Mohammed Ben Sulayem is eagerly looking forward to a return to action at the wheel of his Ford Focus World Rally Car (WRC) next month, as the FIA Middle East Rally Championship crosses another new frontier into Syria. With the Syrian International Rally taking its place in the regional series for the first time on September 6-7, Ben Sulayem has the chance to extend a winning record that includes victories at every venue where he has competed in the regional championship. Despite his exit from last month’s Rally of Lebanon, when Ben Sulayem and co-driver Ronan Morgan were treated in hospital for burns after their rally car caught fire, the Arab world’s top driver remains firmly on course for another double Ford Middle East title success. Linking up again in his Ford Focus WRC with Jordanian co-driver Khaled Zakaria, the 12-times Middle East champion could clinch both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles if he pulls off the 54th win of his career in the regional series. “That’s a possibility, although it could go down to the last round in Dubai, and I’ll just be taking it one step at a time,” said Ben Sulayem. “I’m eager to get back behind the wheel, and put what happened in Lebanon behind me. It’s always nice to welcome another new event to the championship, and I’m looking forward to returning to Syria for what should be a very good event.” Ben Sulayem took his Ford Focus WRC to victory in Syria last year when the rally was run as a non-championship event, under the observation of a representative of the FIA, motor sport’s world governing body. He returned to Damascus in May as a special guest of the organisers, the Syrian Racing Organising Company, to help promote the event at a news conference. Ben Sulayem recovered quickly from burns to his face and neck. Morgan, who had announced earlier in the year that the Rally of Lebanon would be his last event, has also avoided any serious after-affects from burns to his face and hands. Currently enjoying a holiday in Spain with his family, the Irishman said: “I’m almost completely mended. My right hand is still giving me some discomfort and I won’t be able to go out in the sun without wearing cream on my face for a while, but there are no other after effects.” Zakaria partnered Ben Sulayem to three successive victories in the Ford Focus WRC in Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan earlier this year. “He’s rejoining me in Syria, and we’ll take it from there, with just one other event to follow for me in Dubai this year,” said Ben Sulayem. “Khaled has done a very good job so far, and we’ll just have to sit down at the end of the season and discuss our plans for next year.” duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no- 103 the TOYOTA race of champions - report . In the 26 & 27 of july some of the great rally drivers in the Middle-east meet in Jeddah , Saudi-arabia for the first ever intl. rally-sprint race in the middle-east . the race were orgenized by the bin-laden group and managed by the great saudi rally driver A.bahashab , who drive in the world championship teams cup with toyota corola wrc . the race was on a special circut built only for this event . in the first day the drivers drove on a rally-built toyota rav-4 and 10 drivers qualify for the next round lead by lebanon driver R.feghali . 2nd was Hamed al-wahibi from oman and 3rd was another lebanon driver , J-P nasrallah . A.bahashab only came in 7th place . in the quarter final there were 8 drivers that were lead by the feghali brothers , A.bahashab ,J-P nasrallah , H.al-wahibi , N.shanfari . to the semi-final , in a toyota corola wrc arrived the 4 fastest drivers and it was R.feghali -vs- J-P nasrallah in all Lebanon fight and in the other semi-final it was all Oman fight with H.al-wahaibi -vs- N.shanfari . In the Lebnon fight the winner and through the final was Roger Feghali and in the oman dual it was Hamed al-wahaibi in front . Roger Feghali , to those of you who dont know him is a young and talented rally driver who start this year to compete in the WRC ranks with a mitsubishi lancer evo-6 in group-N class , he start his season in the Catalunya rally and did it very well there in a mistral-racing car , took 2nd place in class in his first rally . he also took part in his home rally , the Lebanon round of the Middle-east rally championship but had to retire there , his next target is the rallies of san-remo & corsica in the wrc . Hamed al-wahaibi , from oman , driving this year in the all-star team of subaru prodrive in his racing for oman colors . his season is going not so well till now scoring points only in the 2nd round of the championship , in the portugal rally . in the final R.feghali in line-A started better and this gave him the win from the lane-B H.al-wahibi . this great event was orgenized very well and show all the motor-sport fans that there is another forms of race types , also it gave the fans a chance to see all their heros from close distance . we all hope that this event will become a tradition in the middle-east and may be we could form a rally-sprint championship of this type. officall results can be shown on the mistarl racing web-site at: http://www.mistralracing.com duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-102 the Middle-east rally championship This 2001 season so far made me think about some thing , the future of this great series . The dominance of the Ford team ME and Muhamed bin-sulayem , with 4 wins in a raw could make this championship to fall. The luck of competitors in the A-8 class (grp-A, WRC ) is not good for the championship and only 2-3 drivers at the top are taking part in this class , M.bin-sulayem , M.salah & A.tseloftas from cyprus , who start the season well but not appeare in Jordan & Lebanon , and this is not a real competition . in the only rally where there was more cars in this class , in Lebanon , we saw a good dog fight between Liatti , Feghali , Bahashab , Nasrallah & Bin-sulayem . So may be the solution is to try and bring more WRC class drivers to the Middle-east rally championship (like Liatti done in Lebanon ) for guest appearance , or to bring back the top arab drivers as - A.bahashab & H.al-wahibi for some rounds of the championship , may be the manufactorers , mitsubishi & toyota , should take some comitment and put a works teams in this championship as mr. Bin-sulayem said some month ago , or may be A.al-qassimi has to move to the grp-A (he allready has the car...) to a stright fight with Bin-sulayem, may be the championship should move to only super 1600 class or to only grp-N class cars , but Ford dont have the car for that.... well , those were just some thoghts about the future of the championship , i hope to hear what you think about it . duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-101 the Middle-east rally championship FIA investigates fires The FIA has launched an informal investigation into the series of recent fires involving World Rally Cars. Prodrive Subarus have caught fire in Greece and Cyprus, both Petter Solberg and Toshihiro Arai retiring as a result, while Ford and Peugeot have also been involved, not necessarily on World Championship rounds. Only one fire has led to injury, Ford crew Mohammed Bin Sulayem and Ronan Morgan suffering burns in their retirement from the Lebanon Rally. The FIA is said to be examining a range of factors, including the use of magnesium alloy and kevlar, high-pressure hydraulic systems (which frequently operate differentials and gearchanges, as well as power steering) and high temperatures associated with turbochargers and catalytic converters. Engineers were reluctant to leap to conclusions or to identify patterns, but Prodrive's David Lapworth suggested that increasing fire extinguisher capacity might be a good idea. Fire has not been a major problem since Group B was banned at the end of 1986. duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-100 the Toyota race of champions in Saudi-Arabia The Count Down For The 1st Motor Sport Event In Saudi-arabia Has Begun . With the starting of counting down to launch Toyota Race of Champions which will take place at the end of this month, whilst Jeddah is preparing itself to receive the participating delegates of rally champions in the Gulf and Middle East, the contracting company has completed building and preparation of the special track where the race will take place. The track looks like the champion track built in Canary islands in Spain. Saudi Bin Ladin Group has prepared and built, in Dallah Club in Jeddah, a double track with two parallel lines, under the supervision of specialized engineers whom were chosen for this purpose. They have prepared a complete design of highly and best safety measures. The track which is 2,4 km long, has lot of identical and wide curves, which require more efforts from the drivers, and as well, required vast experience and high driving skills to prove the capability of competition. The track has been subject to various tests from the organizers and safety observers to enhance safety and protection means. Also, drivers participating in this Race will be given the chance to test drive the track to be familiar with it. It is expected that the track would form a genuine challenge to the drivers capabilities and their concentration on driving on such track. The double track contains a sand barrier between both lines to avoid clashes and to enhance safety and protection. The racers will start by driving twice in the track passing by over 20 curves to show the driving skill, in addition, there is a bridge where it will be passed by one driver in the first lap then the second driver will pass by the bridge in the second lap. Other artificial obstacles were built to increase the spectators excitement and enjoyment. Mr. Abdullah Bakhashab, the organizer of Toyota Race of Champions, has expressed his happiness where a national company Saudi Bin Ladin Group had built such track in accordance to the international standards and under the supervision of a highly qualified Saudi engineers. He added: " The Toyota Race of Champions will form an important step for the motor sport in the Kingdom. The participation of such big number of Middle East top rally drivers, and the presence of sport celebrities to attend such event will enhance its importance and will put Jeddah on the agenda of motor sport concerned people in the area" . there are 28 drivers allready in the entry list , between them we can find - Abdullah Bakhashab ,michell salah , Saeed Alhajry ,Mubarak Alhajry , Hamad Alwahibi , j.p nasrallah , roger & abdo feghali . in the 1st day the drivers will use a rally preperd TOYOTA RAV 4 and in the 2nd day they will use a TOYOTA COROLA WRC . duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-99 The Middle-east rally championship - half season report The calender of the 2001 season included 9 rallies - from Uae, Qatar , Baharen , Jordan , Lebanon , Syria , Dubai & 2 rounds in Cyprus . that one of them , the "TOUR of CYPRUS ", cancelled allready. As in the last couple of years we saw a dominance of the Ford team , with the 12 time middle-east champion , Muhamed bin-sulayem , winning the first 4 rallies in a raw . His main rivel is the cyprus driver , Andreas Tseloftas who took part in the championship with some nice results but missed the Jordan & Lebanon rallies . After the first round , Bin-sulayem co-driver , Ronan morgan decided to retire from his roll and haled zachria from jordan took his seat near bin-sulayem in the focus . Morgan only appeare one more time in the Lebanon rally , which end with flames , when the ford focus burned and the crew were sent to hospital with burns . sad end to morgans career . So the only rally that we didnt see a ford win came in the 5th round of the championship , Lebanon , the best rally in the championship , when guest driver , italian pierro liatti won the rally in a subaru impreza wrc . In the group- N it was also clear from the start of the season , Abdallah al-qasimi won the first 3 rounds of the championship with his new mitsubishi lancer evo-6 , taking 2nd to al-sowaidi in jordan only meant that the championship will be decided in lebanon were al-qasimi took the crown . Good apearance in the championship was mubaraq al-hajiry , new as a driver in a ron cremen preperd mitsubishi lancer . Al-hairy got some good results and sure will be a name to recone with in the future . In the 1600 class , cyprus driver Nearcous in a proton took the lead of the championship with 2 wins , 2000 champion shambi & czhech driver hartl with a skoda taking 1 win each . The championship is going now for a break till september,when the Syria intl. rally will take place. Some issues that came through the year in the championship was the problems with the Joradn rally that was solved by malcolm neil, as a clerk of the course in this rally, the trying of the Lebanon rally to get a WRC status for the comming years, but the big question is - who will stop bin-sulayem from taking another title ? duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-98 the Middle-east rally championship Victory for Liatti and Subaru team in Rally of Lebanon After the dramas of the second day, when multiple regional champion Mohammed bin Sulayem witnessed his Ford Focus WRC destroyed by a freak fire on a road section, all eyes turned to the battle for outright victory between the Italian Piero Liatti and last year's winner Roger Feghali, the duo in a pair of Subaru WRCs. Liatti maintained his advantage through the early tests on Sunday and the contest was settled in his favour on the first of the final loop of stages when Feghali was sidelined with engine failure. Twice former winner Jean-Pierre Nasrallah was second and Saudi Arabia's Abdullah Bakhashab reclaimed the final podium place in his Toyota. This was the fifth round of this year's FIA Middle East Rally Championship and was being observed by the FIA as a candidate for future inclusion in the FIA World Rally Championship. Australia's Ron Cremen and Qatar's Mubarak Al-Hajri survived the rigours of a gruelling 25th Rally of Lebanon and reached the finish in Jounieh in an excellent ninth and 12th places overall. This was Cremen's best ever finish on the event and Al-Hajri's first ever asphalt rally. Cremen, a former regional Group N champion who intends to tackle the UAE national series in 2002, was driving his new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6 on an asphalt surface for the first time with South African co-driver Wayne Boshier and support from Ralliart and AAT. As his rivals were delayed by problems, so Ron kept out of trouble and drove at a consistent pace throughout to eventually finish fourth in the Group N section, behind category winner Doumit Abu Doumit, Corsican former factory driver Yves Loubet and the newly-crowned Middle East Group N champion Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi. "It was a tough rally," said Cremen, who is also supported by Silverstone Tyres and Mobil 1. "Congratulations to Abdullah for winning the Group N title here. It gives him the chance now to go for the overall crown on the final three rounds. For me it was great to reach the finish and get into the top 10 on a very difficult rally, where local knowledge gives you a massive advantage." Al-Hajri, driving the EFG Hermes-supported Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6, set a steady and sensible pace throughout the daunting 22 special stages, which make this Lebanese motorsporting showpiece so unique. He clipped a kerb stone and damaged a wheel on the opening special stage in Beirut on Friday evening and then incurred time penalties repairing the rear differential. A flat tyre cost him further time at the end of the second day, but the Qatari and his Ulster co-driver Alan Harryman were delighted to reach the finish of the toughest round of the regional series. "For me it was a steep learning curve," admitted Al-Hajri. "This was my first rally on tarmac and what an event to pick for your first time! The stages were very slippery and really demanding. To get to the finish was a bonus, but we have learned such a lot from this experience." The next round of the regional series will be the 2nd Syrian International Rally at the start of September. Based in Damascus, the event features an overnight halt at the Roman city of Palmyra. Final results 1. Pierre Liatti (I)/Carlo Cassina (I) Subaru impreza WRC 2h56m 13.2s 2. Jean-Pierre Nasrallah (RL)/Yusif Bassil (RL) Subaru Impreza WRC 3h01m 15.1s 3. Abdullah Bakhashab (KSA)/Bobby Willis (GB) Toyota Corolla WRC 3h05m 32.8s 4. Doumit Abu Doumit (RL)/Naji Njeim (RL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo5 3h08m 26.5s 5. Yves Loubet (F)/Jean Renucci Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 3h 10m12.8s 6. Michel Saleh (RL)/Ahmad Ghaziri (RL) Toyota Celica GT4 3h19m 25.8s 7. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi (UAE)/Fred Gocentas (LT) Mitsubishi LancerEvo6 3h 21m 47.8s 8. Chris Thoma (CY)/C Christodoulides (CY) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 3h26m 31.0s 9. Ron Cremen (AUS)/Wayne Boshier (SA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 3h 27m14.2s 10. Mohammed Al-Sarraf (KWT)/Waleed Al-Sarraf (KWT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 3h 28m 36.1s 2001 FIA Middle East Championship points after round 5 of 8 (Tour of Cyprus cancelled): 1. Mohammed bin Sulayem (UAE) 40 2. Abdullah al Qassimi (UAE) 20 3. Piero Liatti (I) 10 3. Hamed al Sowaidi (QA) 10 3. Andreas Tsouloftas (CY) 10 6. Jean-Pierre Nasrallah (RL) 6 6. Mubarak Al-Hajri (QA) 6 2001 Group N positions: 1. Abdullah al Qassimi (UAE) 40 2. Hamed al Sowaidi (QA) 18 3. Mubarak Al-Hajri (QA) 11 Manufacturers 1. Ford 40 2. Mitsubishi 27 1600 class: 1. Nearchos Nearchou 20 2. Amrik Sehmbi 16 3. Georges Tohme (RL) 10 4. Jaroslav Kernik (CZ) 6 *the pic that attached here was taken by jorge ferrari . duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-97 the Middle-east rally championship STATEMENT FROM THE FORD MERC TEAM ON MOHAMMED BEN SULAYEM AND RONAN MORGAN Middle East Rally champion Mohammed Ben Sulayem and co-driver Ronan Morgan were both treated in hospital tonight after their car caught fire on the road section immediately following the tenth and penultimate stage in the second leg of the Rally of Lebanon – around 6:30pm, Beirut time (+3:00GMT). Ben Sulayem, who was treated for first-degree burns to his face and neck at Sayidat Al Maounet Hospital in Jbeil, later returned to his hotel in Jounieh. Morgan, who was treated for second-degree burns to the right side of his face and both hands, remained in hospital overnight under observation. A resident doctor at the hospital said that, in both cases, the burns were not serious. Ben Sulayem’s Ford Focus World Rally Car was completely destroyed by the fire -- the cause of which is not yet determined. Ben Sulayem had reported steering problems after completing the tenth stage. The Ford Middle East Rally Championship team is conducting a full examination to determine the cause of the fire. A senior Ford spokesperson said: “We are relieved that even though regrettably both Mohammed and Ronan were injured in the incident, their condition is not serious. We wish them both a prompt recovery.” later today there will be "rally-net" addition with the Lebanon rally full results . duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-96 the Middle-east rally championship ROGER FEGHALI SETS PACE IN LEBANON Arab World's Top Driver Prepares To Mount Big Challenge in Ford Focus World Rally Car As Intriguing Battle Ignites Middle East Championship The Rally of Lebanon was living up to its promise to ignite the 2001 FIA Middle East Championship today, as home favourite Roger Feghali set the initial pace, and Mohammed Ben Sulayem shrugged off an early setback to keep his Ford Focus World Rally Car in the hunt for victory. While stage records fell to the Subaru World Rally Cars of Italian pre-event favourite, Piero Liatti, and then Feghali, on the second leg's first two stages, Ben Sulayem was delayed by a loss of turbo boost pressure, a problem quickly resolved during the first service halt. And with Feghali taking a 19-seconds lead from Liatti after five stages, and Lebanon's Jean-Pierre Nasrallah holding third place in another Subaru, Ben Sulayem climbed from sixth to fourth position in the Ford Focus WRC to suggest that the real battle was about to begin. Going in the opposite direction was Saudi Arabia's Abdullah Bakhashab, who lost three minutes on stage five through mechanical problems in his Toyota Corolla WRC to drop from second place to sixth, leaving him with a mountain to climb. Chasing his fifth career win in Lebanon, and protecting a 100 per cent record this year, Ben Sulayem knew before the start that he faced a mighty challenge from Liatti, one of the world's top tarmac drivers, from Bakhashab, and the top Lebanese pair. Seeded first in his Ford Focus WRC, the Arab world's top driver had a clear disadvantage on Friday night's opening super special stage in the heart of Beirut, and on today's early stages. "Nobody really wants to be first away, because you're just sweeping the road for the cars behind," said Ben Sulayem. "It's very slippery, and we've been sliding around quite a bit." Early casualties included the Mitsubishi of Lebanon's Abdel Hak and the Skoda of the Czech Republic's Pavel Hartl which both crashed out of the event on the third stage, as well as the Renault Clio Williams of Lebanon's Elie Nehme Leb Renault which retired on the same stage with mechanical problems. Three other Lebanese drivers, Mathieu Reboisson and Moussa Chebli in a pair of Renaults, and Nabil Abdelhak in a Peugeot, as well as Saudi's Ahmed Al Sabban, also went out. The succession of departures emphasised that it would be foolish to predict a winner, with another 17 stages remaining before tomorrow night's finish, and only 69 seconds separating the top four. Competing for the last time with Ronan Morgan before the Irishman retires from co-driving after a 26-year career, Ben Sulayem has put Ford firmly on course for a fifth double manufacturers' and drivers' championship success this season with wins in the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan. And while Feghali, Liatti and Nasrallah were all trying to break his winning run in the Ford Focus WRC, Ben Sulayem was determined to conclude a remarkably successful 14-year partnership with Morgan by scoring his 54th win in the Middle East Championship, and their 42nd together. Lying seventh overall, Lebanon's Doumit Bou Doumit led Group N in his Mitsubishi from French veteran Yves Loubet, with reigning Middle East Group N champion, the UAE's Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi, holding fourth place in the production class, and looking to strengthen his grip on this year's title race. Qatar's Mubarak Al-Hajri and Australia's Ron Cremen held 14th and 17th places overall. The rally finishes at the Automobile and Touring Club of Lebanon in Jounieh at 7.30pm local time tomorrow (Sunday) after a third and final leg featuring 11 special stages. Provisional leading positions after five special stages: 1. R.Feghali / Z.Chehab (RL/RL) Subari Impreza WRC (A) 39:47:6 2. P.Liatti / C.Cassina (IT / IT) Subaru Impreza WRC (A) 40:06:6 3. J.P.Nasrallah / Y.Bassil (RL/RL) Subaru Impreza WRC (A) 40:20:3 4. M. Ben Sulayem / R.Morgan (UAE/IRL) Ford Focus WRC (A) 40:56:9 5. A.Feghali / M.Haddad (RL/RL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (A) 42:18:0 6. A.Bakhashab /B.Willis (KSA/UK) Toyota Corolla WRC (A) 43:16:4 7. D.Bou Doumit / N.Njeim (RL/RL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 (N) 43:18:3 8. Y.Loubet / J.Renucci (F/F) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (N) 43:37:3 9. M.Saleh / A.Ghaziri (RL / RL) Toyota Celica GT04 (A) 44:00:1 10. H.Massad / Z.Chaloub (RL/RL) VW Golf GTI Kit Car (A) 44:27:2 you can up-date with the rally on-line live in the great web-site of lbcar.com at : http://www.lbcar.com also the pic that attached to this articall is from LBCAR.COM . duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-95 the Middle-east rally championship Ford’s Multiple Middle East Champion Ready For A Fight To The Finish As Morgan Brings Co-Driving Career To An End Mohammed Ben Sulayem is prepared for an all-out assault on the Rally of Lebanon in his Ford Focus World Rally Car, knowing that he faces one of the most difficult examinations of his career over the next three days. Italian tarmac specialist Pierro Liatti, French star Yves Loubet, Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Bakhashab, and Lebanon’s Jean-Pierre Nasrallah and Roger Feghali, join Ben Sulayem for a World Rally Car super show when the fifth round of this year’s FIA Middle East Championship gets under way in Beirut tomorrow night. “I can’t remember seeing such a strong line-up for a Middle East Championship rally - this has all the makings of a great event,” the Arab World’s top driver said at the official Ford Middle East Rally Team news conference at the Holiday Inn Martinez, Beirut, today. “We all know how good Liatti is on tarmac, and he must start as the favourite. I’m sure Abdullah has learnt a lot from competing on the World Championship circuit, and he could be challenging hard. “Loubet is very experienced and capable, and Jean-Pierre and Roger will be giving everything they’ve got to try and give Lebanon a win.” Added Ben Sulayem: “They’re all capable of winning, but once the rally starts it’s all down to who is most committed on the special stages. The pace is going to be very fast, and there’s going to be no let up from start to finish. But I’m ready for that.” Also ready for one of the biggest challenges of his 26-year co-driving career is Ronan Morgan, who partners Ben Sulayem in the Ford Focus WRC for the last time before retiring from competition. “This is a big one, and I certainly didn’t come here to finish second,” said Morgan. Heading a 36-car line-up, Ben Sulayem gives a Middle East debut to a new lighter version of the Ford Focus WRC, brought in for Lebanon only, and says: “This is the first real tarmac car I’ve ever driven in Lebanon. The cars in previous years have basically been built for gravel events, and modified just for this rally.” Robert Boustany, general manager of Boustany Dahdah Automobiles, the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury dealer in Lebanon, told the news conference: “ Mohammed and Ronan start their last event together knowing that they face very tough competition. We’re hoping that another Rally of Lebanon victory lies ahead for the Ford Focus World Rally Car, and for the most successful driver / co-driver partnership in the sport. We’re sorry to be losing Ronan, who has made a major contribution to Ford's success in Middle East rallying. But we’re certain that Ford will continue to be successful in the Middle East Rally Championship. Sue Nigoghossian, Manager, Public Affairs, Ford Middle East and North Africa, said: “Mohammed and Ronan are eager to seal their partnership with another victory, and I know they’re just as determined to take Ford one step closer to a fifth Middle East manufacturers’ championship. That would be a nice way to mark the 100th anniversary of Ford’s debut in motorsports. Mohammed has already paid tribute to Ronan, but I’d like to add Ford’s thanks, appreciation, and congratulations to him on a superb co-driving career.” * - you can follow on-line coverge of the LEBANON RALLY at the great motor-sport web-site : http://www.lbcar.com
	rally-net no-94 the Middle-east rally championship Middle East Champion Takes Ford Focus WRC Into Another Tussle With Saudi Arabia World Championship Contender Abdullah Bakhashaba return to Middle East action in next weekends Rally of Lebanon has set the scene for another action-packed encounter between the Saudi Toyota Corolla driver and Mohammed Ben Sulayem in his Ford Focus World Rally Car (WRC). While Bakhashab's appearance in Lebanon cannot derail Ben Sulayems latest title drive with Ford, the meeting of the 12-times Middle East champion could ignite the fifth round of this years series, which starts on Friday. The Arab worlds top driver has been a major influence on Bakhashabs career, which currently sees him contesting the FIA Teams Cup on the World Championship circuit And while Ben Sulayem makes Italian tarmac specialist Pierro Liatti the favourite in Lebanon, he is also expecting a major assault from Bakhashab, as he looks to extend his 100 per cent record this season in the Ford Focus WRC. Abdullah is a very good driver, said Ben Sulayem, who will be partnered for the last time by his co-driver for the last 14 years, Ronan Morgan. He came to me as a student, and he became my biggest challenger in the Middle East since the great battles I had with Saeed Al Hajri in the 1980s. â€œIn the last nine or ten rallies that we competed against each other, I won most and he won one, but they were all very close, and thats how I think it will be this time. Added Ben Sulayem: He kept me on my toes, made me concentrate, and helped bring out the best in me. The championship misses him, and Im pleased that he's coming back, even if it's only for the Lebanon event. Bakhashab became Ben Sulayems codriver after earning the chance of a rallying career in 1992 by finishing top of a rally driving school in Saudi. After winning successive regional Group N titles in 1993 and 1994, Bakhashab claimed the Middle East Championship outright the following year as Ben Sulayem competed overseas. The Saudi driver then had to accept second best to Ben Sulayem and Ford when the UAE star returned to reclaim his Middle East crown, and Bakhashab admitted recently: I got frustrated when he kept beating me. Some times luck was on his side, some times he was just better. I'll always be grateful to him for the help and support he gave me, and he knows that. He was my hero, and the reason I became interested in rally driving in the first place." Added Bakhashab:Now I think I'm much better prepared to compete against Mohammed. I have a lot more experience than before, and I'll be driving a World Rally Car, so it will be good to see where we stand against each other. You can't take anything away from him. He' s a very good driver. It's nonsense to say that he only wins just because he has the best car. He's a fighter. And he keeps his sponsors happy. That's a lesson others could learn from. There have been a lot of other drivers with ability in this part of the world, but they didn't give anything back to their sponsors. Where are they today, the Saudi driver concluded. duby miller
rally-net no-92 the Middle-east rally championship BEN SULAYEM KEEN to keep focus on ford as pressure BUILDS UP in lebanon Middle East Champion Geared Up For One Of His Toughest Tests As Italian Tarmac Ace Liatti Joins Rally Of Lebanon Battle Mohammed Ben Sulayem, facing one of the toughest tests of his career in Lebanon next week, aims to provide further evidence that the Ford Focus World Rally Car (WRC) is now the most potent force in international rallying. The presence of Italian star Pierro Liatti (Subaru) in the Rally of Lebanon means Ben Sulayem will have to beat one of the world’s best tarmac specialists if he is to maintain his 100 per cent record at the wheel of his Ford Focus WRC this season. And although he acknowledges that Liatti poses a major threat to his bid for a fifth win in Lebanon from June 29-July 1, the Arab world’s top driver is determined to keep Ford on course for a double triumph at both Middle East and World Championship levels While Ben Sulayem has been dominating this year’s Middle East series with four successive wins, Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz have also been raising hopes that Ford can win the manufacturers’ and drivers’ titles in the World Championship. “That would be a fantastic achievement, and I think it’s a real possibility,” said the star of Ford's MERC Rally Team. “The car has been under development for more than two-and-a-half years, and we’re now bearing the fruits of all the hard work put in.” Added Ben Sulayem: “In Lebanon, I’ll be driving a lighter version of the Ford Focus WRC, which is better for the slippery conditions there, and both the car and myself will have to be at our best to take on Liatti. “He’s one of the top tarmac drivers in the world, and will be very tough to beat. I can’t make any promises – all I can do is give my best. But the car is getting better, and more reliable all the time, and that’s so important.” Liatti will be at the wheel of one of four Subaru WRC’s entered in Lebanon, the others being driven by French star Yves Loubet, Lebanese champion Roger Feghali, and his countryman, Jean-Pierre Nasrallah. Facing up to the challenge, Ben Sulayem takes confidence from Ford’s superiority over Subaru in this year’s World Championship, especially after McRae’s third successive win in Greece this week which saw him top the drivers’ standings, and increase Ford’s lead in the race for the manufacturers’ title. Said Ben Sulayem: “There’s still a long way to go in both championships, but the results we’re seeing now are the reward for a tremendous amount of commitment, and this has the makings of a great season for Ford.” QATARI AND AUSTRALIAN DUO PREPARE FOR LEBANESE TARMAC CHALLENGE Cremen and Al-Hajri bid for Group N success in Rally of Lebanon As preparations for the Marlboro Rally of Lebanon, round five of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship, enter their final week, international rally drivers Ron Cremen and Mubarak Al-Hajri are putting the final touches to their plan of attack for the gruelling two-day, all-tarmac special stage rally on twisty and slippery mountainous roads to the north and east of Beirut. Regarded as the strongest rally in the annual timetable, the Lebanese event has already been short-listed for inclusion in a future FIA World Rally Championship calendar and both Cremen and Al-Hajri will be bidding for a top result when action gets underway with a short 'super special' stage, near Beirut city centre, next Friday evening (June 29th). Both Cremen, from New South Wales in Australia, and his Doha-based colleague Mubarak Al-Hajri will drive a pair of highly-rated Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI rally cars entered in the Group N . They line-up against a competitive entry, which includes defending regional champion Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi, Kuwait's Mohammed Al-Sarraf, Jordanian champion Faris Bustami and a plethora of rapid Lebanese drivers. Cremen will be co-driven by Wayne Boshier, a South African computer programmer based in Dubai. He co-drove for Ron in the recent Champions Rally and the pair finished third overall and won the Group N category, Cremen duly missing the last round of the regional series in Jordan as a result. His new Lancer Evolution VI has now been converted to tarmac specification with the support of Cremen Motorsport's main team sponsor Ralliart and AAT (Arabian Automotive Technologies) of Sharjah. Cremen's car runs on Silverstone tyres and the Australian who will be combining driving and team management duties has additional support for his programme from Mobil Oil. The Australian flies into the Middle East for each event and prepares his car at the AAT workshops in Sharjah, the operation owned by none other than the defending showroom champion Abdullah Al-Qassimi. "I'm looking forward to the challenge of the Lebanon Rally immensely," confessed Cremen, taking a break from his complex preparations for running a two-car team. "I've driven Mitsubishis in the Middle East series for several years and decided to upgrade to an Evolution 6 recently. We took the car out on a national rally in Dubai, but Lebanon will be the first time I've driven it on an international in the Middle East." "Silverstone will provide Ron with stronger tyres for his rally activities in the Middle East rally championship," confessed Malaysia-based Russell Palmer of Silverstone. "Silverstone has a range of rally tyres built for normal rallies, but places like the Middle East, Africa and Greece are strong markets for us and we want our rally tyres to also be used in these countries." Mubarak Al-Hajri was one of the most experienced co-drivers in the Middle East, before switching to driving duties at the start of this season. He suffered the ignominy of an early retirement in Abu Dhabi with electrical problems, but has improved markedly in recent events and set some excellent stage times in both Qatar and Bahrain, a freak timing error costing him a better finish in the Jordan International Rally last month. With support from new sponsor EFG Hermes (a Cairo-based investment and financial group), the Qatari is tackling an international tarmac event as a driver for the very first time and teams up with Ulster co-driver Alan Harryman. The pair have their sights set on a top 10 finish. "Driving on asphalt will be a new experience for me," confessed Al-Hajri. "I have improved this year on gravel and desert surfaces, but this will be a new test. Our team still has a lot to learn about this side of the sport, but we are looking forward to the challenge of competing on this top class rally against a strong international field. I am feeling confident. I have a new sponsor and Ron will help out with some of the logistical planning. "Alan has wide experience of reading pace notes in Europe and his father Terry was one of the most knowledgeable of all the world class co-drivers. This should give me a big lift next weekend." To comply with new guidelines laid down by the FIA to standardise events including in and bidding for inclusion in the coveted FIA World Rally Championship, the Marlboro Rally of Lebanon will run a shorter and more compact route this year. The stages have retained their unique character, but the route format is centred around the city of Beirut and road mileage is reduced to allow for centralised service parks and refuelling zones.
	rally-net no-91 the Middle-east rally championship Liatti and Loubet to join Feghali and Mistral Racing for the 25th Rally of Lebanon. Mistral Racing will be competing, with no less than three cars, in the 25th Rally of Lebanon - 5th round of the 2001 Middle East Rally Championship and a strong candidate for the FIA World Rally Championship. For this occasion, Mistral Racing has joined forces with two internationally renowned world Rally drivers, Piero Liatti and Yves Loubet, who will join team driver Roger Feghali. Italian-born, Liatti, will be driving a Subaru Impreza WRC. This first time participant in the Rally of Lebanon and certainly one of the most experienced tarmac drivers in the world is expected to provide quite a unique challenge for this rally. Liatti’s huge experience in World Rally Championships as well as European Rally Championships and his extended knowledge of the Subaru WRC, make of him a potential winner. Mistral Racing’s driver, Roger Feghali, is also driving a WRC Subaru Impreza. Feghali, four times Lebanese Rally Champion (1997-1998-1999-2000) and winner of the Rally of Lebanon 2000, is aiming for another victory this year, as he will battle to defend his title. “I know this rally very well, and it will be easier than all the other rallies, because I am home. But since it will be the first time I drive a world rally car, I feel there will be a lot of pressure. Anyhow I feel confident and I think it will be a very exciting and challenging rally.” Feghali stated. Combining Liatti’s huge experience with Feghali’s talent and his mastery of this particular event, Mistral Racing has clearly positioned itself as a strong contender for first place. Both cars are backed by the local Subaru distributor, “Amin Bazergi & co”, and technically supported by the Italian company PROCAR SRL. The third Mistral Racing driver is French man Yves Loubet who will be driving a Group N Mitsubishi Lancer, technically supported by the Belgian company R-TEC SPRL. Loubet’s participation is also of great importance, as this will be his third participation in the rally of Lebanon. His knowledge of this rally, and his overall rally victories make of him a favorite for victory in the Group N production category. The Rally takes place from 29 June until 01 July and covers about 1060 kilometers. It offers 22 special stages totaling 288 kilometers. duby miller
rally-net no-90 the Middle-east rally championship Leading Internet Portal Tracks Ben Sulayem As He Chases Second Anniversary Win For Ford Focus WRC In Lebanon Motor sport enthusiasts visiting one of the Middle East’s leading Internet portals will be able to track Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s bid to produce a second anniversary win for the Ford Focus World Rally Car (WRC) in Lebanon. Ben Sulayem took the Ford Focus WRC to victory in the 1999 Rally of Lebanon on its first competitive appearance outside the World Rally Championship. As he now looks for a repeat performance in the 2001 version of the event, from June 29 – July 1, www.yalla.com.lb has built a range of website features around the Ford MERC Team's star, and the Ford Focus WRC. From Saturday (June 16), visitors to Yalla! will enjoy a colourful, lively and detailed analysis of Ben Sulayem’s career and the Ford MERC Team's background, in addition to the qualities of the pace-setting Ford Focus rally and road cars, and a look at Ford's 100th Anniversary in racing. Avid rally racing fans around the world also can subscribe to the free SMS updates that will be sent to their GSM cellular phones. All they need to do is to subscribe to the service and they will be updated during the two-day event. Yalla! will be looking in detail at Ben Sulayem’s remarkable winning record, and his 14-year partnership with Irish co-driver Ronan Morgan, through articles, superb photography, and a multimedia section including video action. The Ford Middle East Rally Championship Team profile will also carry Rally of Lebanon route information and special stage details, as well as regularly updated results during the three-day event, while Yalla! members will have daily chances to win Ford Racing T-shirts and caps. A special section will look at how the success of the Ford Focus WRC – currently leading the World Rally Championship – has been matched by the success of the Ford Focus road car, the first vehicle ever to receive both the North American Car of the Year and the European Car of the Year awards. The Ford Focus road car was successfully introduced by Boustany Dahdah Automobiles S.A.L. the Ford dealer in Lebanon, shortly after Ben Sulayem’s impressive Middle East debut win at the wheel of the Ford Focus WRC in the 1999 Rally of Lebanon. Since then, the road car has gone on to capture a succession of awards, while Ford’s Middle East dominance has been underlined by Ben Sulayem who is on course this year for another double of manufacturers’ and drivers’ titles in the FIA regional championship. SAIF-ZONE GIVES SHEIKH ABDULLAH OVERSEAS DRIVE New sponsors hands Middle East Group N champion chance to take rally programme outside home region for first time Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi, on course for a double rally title success on home territory this year, is setting his sights on an overseas campaign, and a possible World Championship debut. Boosted by the backing of Sharjah International Airport Free Zone, the reigning Middle East Group N champion is planning to extend his rally programme outside the region for the first time to tackle events in some of his new sponsor’s key overseas markets. “There’s a possibility that I might be able to fit in one overseas event later this year, and if not, I’ll definitely be looking to compete outside the Middle East next year,” the four-times UAE national champion told a press conference at SAIF-Zone today. “I’m very grateful to SAIF-Zone for their support, and I’m determined to repay them for the confidence they have placed in me, and that means designing a rally programme to include events in overseas countries where SAIF-Zone is looking to attract investors.” Added Sheikh Abdullah: “My team will be doing everything we can to increase awareness of SAIF-Zone, and at the same time, I’ll be looking to gain more rallying experience by taking part in top international events overseas, possibly in the World Championship.” With his brand new Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6 now decorated in the SAIF-Zone livery, Sheikh Abdullah has a commanding lead in this year’s race for the Middle East Championship Group N title, which he won last year, and in 1998. He also leads the UAE championship after driving his SAIF-Zone Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 5 - now upgraded to Group A – to victory in last weekend’s fifth round of the national series duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-89 the Middle-east rally championship RALLY of LEBANON - news the 25th rally of lebanon , 5th round of the middle-east rally championship & 2nd round of the lebanon national rally championship will take place from 29\6 - 1\7 . the competition this year will be hard one as top names and top rally cars are comming to Lebanon . 3 subaru impreza wrc , 2 toyota corola wrc , 1 ford focus wrc & many mitsubishi evo's are in the list , which has the most quality in the middle-east rallies so far. leading the entry names is pierro liatti in a prodrive subaru impreza wrc , abdullah bahashab in a toyota corola wrc , muhamed bin-sulayem with a new tarmac\asphalt preperd ford focus , mishel sallah in a new toyota corola wrc that he rent and will race with it also next year , ives loubet from france in a mitsubishi lancer evo-6 (N) , roger feghali also in a subaru impreza wrc that the mistarl team get him for this rally , abdo feghali in his mitsubishi lancer evo-6 (A) , abdullah al-qassimi in his mitsubishi lancer evo-6 (N) , the famus lebanese rally driver j.p nasrallah in a subaru impreza wrc that he get from cilti-sport , chris thomas from cyprus in a kouloumas preperd mitsubishi lancer evo-6 (A) , ron cremen - mitsubishi lancer evo-6 and also many local drivers . this year the rally is expecting 40 drivers to start the rally from the center of Beirut . it will be a 3 legs rally & 1 single service place in the marina dbaye where a small village is being built . you must remember that the Lebanon rally is aiming for FIA WRC entrance for next year championship . last year we saw in the rally mr. david richards & shaker mahateh from the FIA . duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-88 the middle-east rally championship Ben Sulayem-Morgan Duo Aims For Grand Finale in Lebanon in Ford Focus WRC Arab Worlds Top Driver And Long-Time Irishman Co-Pilot Plan Another Ford Triumph To Round Off 14-Year Partnership. Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Ronan Morgan team up for the last time in Lebanon later this month, aiming for one more victory together in the Ford Focus World Rally Car (WRC) to conclude the most successful partnership in international rallying. Linking up again in the Rally of Lebanon with the Irish co-driver who has guided him to ten of his 12 Middle East titles, Ben Sulayem has now accepted that his right-hand-man for the last 14 years has turned a new corner in his career. Ronan has made up his mind, and I respect that, so this will be our last rally together, said the Ford Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) Team star. We had a fantastic run of successes together, and Ronan has contributed tremendous efforts to my career, both as a co-driver and a friend. I cant thank him enough for his support, loyalty, and professionalism over the years, but it would be a great finish to our partnership if we could win in Lebanon one more time, he added. After a 26-year co-driving career, Morgan is pursuing other opportunities in the field of motor sports and event management. He announced his retirement as a rally competitor after helping Ben Sulayem take his Ford Focus WRC to the first of four wins this season in Abu Dhabi in January. Agreeing to partner Ben Sulayem one last time in the Rally of Lebanon, fifth round of this years FIA Middle East Championship (June 29-July 1), Morgan helped to select Jordans Khaled Zakaria as his likely successor. Zakaria stepped in to the co-drivers seat for the rounds in Qatar, Bahrain, and his native Jordan, all of which produced wins for Ben Sulayem. He now happily stands down to let Morgan make his final appearance, and the Irishman hopes to sign off by steering Ford one step closer to a fifth Middle East Championship double triumph. "It will be a very emotional rally for Mohammed and myself, because we achieved so much together," said Morgan, "and it would be nice to round it all off with another win in one of the premier rallies in the championship. Our partnership with Ford has been one of the highlights, and I love to finish by helping to take them to the drivers and manufacturers titles once more. Morgan guided Ben Sulayem to 41 of his 53 victories in Middle East Rally Championship events, collecting ten regional co-drivers titles along the way. Together, they made Ford the dominant force in Middle East rallying, with four successive manufacturers championships. Their record includes also two World Championship Group N victories in Spain and Argentina. In addition, the duo established the UAE Desert Challenge as one of the top events in the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies, with Ben Sulayem as chief organiser, and Morgan as event director. Dubliner Morgan began his career as a navigator in local Irish events, and has partnered more than 30 drivers, including British stars Russel Brooks, Tony Pond, Malcolm Wilson and Mark Lovell, and Irishman Billy Coleman, as well as QatarÂ’s Saeed Al Hajri. duby miller
	rally-net no-87 the Middle-east rally championship BEN SULAYEM TAKEs Ford backing to SYRIA’s middle east rally debut Arab World’s Top Driver Will Defend Syrian Rally Title in Ford Focus World Rally Car Mohammed Ben Sulayem welcomed the arrival of the Syrian International Rally into the FIA Middle East Championship (MERC) as another positive step for the regional series, and looked forward to defending his title in the event at the wheel of his Ford Focus World Rally Car. The 12-times Middle East Champion and star of Ford's MERC Team took his Ford Focus WRC to victory in Syria last year when the rally was run as a non-championship event, under the observation of a representative of the FIA, motor sport’s world governing body. Both the FIA, and Ben Sulayem, were suitably impressed. The rally has been included in this year’s FIA Middle East Championship, and Ben Sulayem happily accepted an invitation from the organisers, the Syrian Racing Organising Company, to attend an official news conference staged in Damascus to announce details of the event. “We entered the rally last year as an official Ford MERC team because we wanted to support efforts to give Syria a place in the championship,” said Ben Sulayem. “It was a well organised event, and I’m very happy that it has been included in the championship. We need new events and new rally venues to boost interest in the sport in the Middle East.” Taking place on September 6-7, the 2001 Syrian International Rally will see Ben Sulayem bidding to extend the sport’s best winning record in his Ford Focus WRC. His recent victory in the Jordan International Rally was his 53rd career win in the FIA Middle East Championship, and his fourth success in a row this season, kept Ford firmly on course to land both the manufacturers’ and drivers’ titles for a fifth time in the same year. Ben Sulayem, who arrived in Damascus as a guest of honour of the Syrian Racing Organising Company, will be attempting to extend his 100 per cent record in the Ford Focus WRC this season in next month’s Rally of Lebanon. duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-86 the Middle-east rally championship SPECIAL INTERVIEW WITH MUHAMED BEN-SULAYEM - 12TH TIME MIDDLE-EAST RALLY CHAMPION . hi all about a month ago i visit as usuall the great web-site of the 12th time middle-east rally champion , muhamed ben-sulayem (http://www.mohammedbensulayem.com ) and a thought jump into my head , if i cant meet him now why not to try to do interview with him through the internet , so i sent him e-mail ask him if he like to do it , and after short time i got the response from him . he told me that this will be no problem , to sent him the questions and he will answer them .this interview is defenetly the highest point of my career as a rally journalist , so far , so here is the short interview with Muhamed ben-sulayem , the middle-east rally champion : Q) what does the middle-east rally championship means to you ? A) - Nearly my life. Q) do you think that there are things or rallies that have to be change in the championship ? A) Yes, what we need is more manufacturers to be involved in the championship. Q) what is your favorit rally in the championship ? A)- Everyone has a diffrent flavour but definetly home rally and Bahrain Q) why are you not taking part in the rallies in cyprus ? A) I did it before it is a good rallie but becuase we are leading the championship we donot need to go but i would love to do it again. Q) why you are not taking part in even one round of the WRC ? A)I do not have much time and also the ford sponsorship Q) what do you think about the situation in the middle-east ? and the situation between the palestinians & israel ? A) Everybody should live in peace and booth parties have the right to live there but it should be a fair peace.Otherwise there will always be problems there.. Q) if there ever will be peace , would you consider to come to do a rally in israel ? A) Yes, there has been talk about doing a peace rally Q)- after so many years in the middle-east rallies , is it not a time to change and try other rally championship ? A) Yes, but we need more people to enter the championship Q)- in all your rally career , who was your hardest contender ? A) Saeed Al Hajri Q)what was your first rally car ? and the best car ? A)- Opel Manta 400, and the best is the Ford Focus Q)what was your best and worst moment in rally ? A)- Winning the championship in 1988 with a full cast and a broken neck the worst moment was when i broke my neck. well , thats it . thank you again for agree to take this interview . i hope there will be a peace one day in the area and we can meet . duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-85 the Middle-east rally championship Arab World’s Top Driver Will Get a Special Version of the Ford Focus World Rally Car for Tough Lebanon Rally Mohammed Ben Sulayem took victory in the Jordan International Rally again , knowing that a special version of the Ford Focus World Rally Car is already waiting to improve his odds at the next FIA Middle East Rally Championship challenge in Lebanon. A dedicated version of the Focus WRC, specially built and tuned for all-tarmac road conditions, is being readied for one of the biggest challenges facing the Arab champion, the Rally of Lebanon (June 29 – July 1), where he will team up for the last time with his former co-pilot, Ronan Morgan. Based on knowledge acquired both by Ford's World Rally Championship team, with Ford drivers Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz, and the Ford MERC team led by Ben Sulayem, a lighter version of the Focus WRC has been developed for next month's rally, during a process of constant development. “The car I’ll be driving in Lebanon is lighter than the regular current one," said the 12-times Middle East champion, "It will give me even better handling on the twisty and slippery tarmac roads there. I will go back to my regular Focus WRC afterwards.” He added: “A tremendous amount of work constantly goes into the development of the Focus, to keep it the best rally car on the road today, regardless of the conditions, whether it's Jordan , Lebanon next month, or Argentina, where Colin just has scored a great World Championship win." . Middle East Group N champion aims to give new sponsors a double title success this season. the UAE’s Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi has been given a new lease of life as he pursues his third Middle East title, and his fifth UAE championship. The reigning Middle East Group N champion says the support of major new sponsors, Sharjah Airport International Free Zone, has given a fresh impetus to his rally programme in the fourth round of this year’s UAE National Championship. Decorated in the SAIF-Zone livery, his brand new Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6 made its debut in last weekend’s Jordan International Rally, and Sheikh Abdullah took another big step towards retaining his Middle East Group N crown. “I really wanted to win Group N to thank SAIF-Zone for supporting me,” said Sheikh Abdullah, edged out by Qatar’s Hamad Al Sowaidi after a hat-trick of Group N wins in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Bahrain. “But my second place has put me in a very strong position to win the Group N title, and that’s my main aim this season.” Added Sheikh Abdullah: “I feel a little bit like a kid with a new toy. I’m very pleased to have the new car, For the UAE championship, he will continue to use his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5, which has now been updgraded to Group A, and has also been decorated in the SAIF-Zone livery. Sheikh Abdullah will be looking to extend his lead in the race for this year’s UAE title when the fourth round of the series gets under way on the Ras Al Khaimah Road near Dreamland in Umm Al Quwain on Thursday, with three stages on the first leg to be followed by three more on Friday. New car & sponsership for lebanon mishel salah Lebanon’s Michel Saleh, announced that he has signed a two-year sponsorship agreement which establishes the Damas UAE Rally Team. Driving his ageing Toyota Celica GT-4 in Jordan, Saleh hopes the backing of the leading UAE jewellery chain, which boasts endorsement links with supermodel Claudia Schiffer, can add more than a touch of glamour to his rally programme. He says he will drive a rented World Rally Car in the Lebanon and Dubai rounds, and while his prospects in this year’s championship are limited, he plans to complete the purchase to launch a powerful assault on the 2002 Middle East series. mishel salah is also in the entry list for this year WRC cyprus rally in his "old" celica turbo . duby miller rally-net , editor

rally-net no-84 israeli leading rally driver heads to wrc round in cyprus Rammi shochatovitz , the israeli leading rally driver , that lead the cyprus rally championship this year after 2 great results there , winning the - "east safari" rally and 2nd in the "venus " rally , is in his final preperations for the wrc round in cyprus . Shochatovitz is the only israeli prioroty B FIA rally licence holder will drive mitsubishi lancer evo-5 in the rally . Since the organizers of the rally publish the road book rammi started with his co-driver to practice for the rally with his recce car , mitsubishi lancer evo-1. This is the 3rd time rammi is rally in a wrc round , after acropolis and cyprus before . He will compete in group-N against drivers like - manfred sthol , gustavo treles , gabriel pozzo & stig blomqvist . Also there will be a strong local line up of drivers heading by cyprus group - N champion andreas paraticous . Rammi is starting no-49 in the rally that will start in limasol , 31\5 and finished there in 3\6. This rally has 22 gravel special stage. The cyprus WRC is the biggest motor-sport event in the middle-east . A special crew of "rally-net" is going to cyprus to follow the rally and to be with rammi shochatovitz there. Also in this rally will take part middle-east rally championship top contender , andreas tseloftas in a evo-6 mitsubishi lancer , and mishel salah , the lebanon driver , for the last time in his toyota celica turbo before his replace it to a toyota corola wrc (more on that soon..) duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-83 the Middle-east rally championship Arab World’s Top Driver Scores 11th Win In Hashemite Kingdom And Moves Closer To Another Ford Double Title Triumph Mohammed Ben Sulayem took his Ford Focus World Rally Car to an emphatic victory in the Jordan International Rally today to tighten his grip on the FIA Middle East Championship. The Arab world’s leading driver reached the finish in Amman this afternoon with a 6 mins 26 secs cushion over second-placed Qatari Hamad Al Sowaidi, who pushed Sharjah’s Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi into third position to top the Group N production class. It was Ben Sulayem’s fourth successive win in this year’s Middle East series, the reliability of the Ford Focus WRC giving him a commanding lead in what is, so far, a perfect season for the 12-times champion who continues to extend rallying’s best winning record. He scored his first international win in Jordan back in 1984, and this was his 53rd success in the Middle East Championship. The win also gave his co-driver, Khaled Zakaria, the honour of becoming the first Jordanian to taste victory in the Hashemite Kingdom’s round of the Middle East series. It also kept Ford firmly on course for another manufacturers’ and drivers’ title double. “The car was perfect, and I had no problems at all,” said Ben Sulayem. “Just as a precaution, we reduced the power by about 20% today because I had a good lead overnight. I was testing some new Pirelli tyres for Ford for the World Championship Safari Rally, and they were excellent.” While Ben Sulayem remained in total control in his Ford Focus WRC, Al Sowaidi was initially pushed hard today by Al Qassimi in his new SAIF-Zone Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6, as the Sharjah driver chased his fourth consecutive Group N win of the season. But after moving to within 44 seconds of Al Sowaidi on the day’s first of four special stages, Al Qassimi immediately lost a minute to the Qatari on the next stage, and had to settle for third place, although he still holds a big lead in the Middle East Group N title race. The major last leg casualties were Bahrain’s Hassan Al Sadadi and Qatar’s Abdullah Al Kuwari, who both lost their grip on sixth place. Sadadi was first to suffer as a major oil leak put his Subaru out on the day’s opening stage, while mechanical problems on the final stage dropped Al Kuwari to eighth. Britain’s Amrik Sehmbi won the 1600 class , a result which boosts his hopes of a second successive Middle East Super 1600 title. Jordan’s Nancy Al Majali, the last of 11 finishers, earned the ladies’ prize. After almost losing its Middle East Championship place following problems with safety last year, the new-look Jordan International Rally has made a highly successful turnaround. final results: 1. M. Ben Sulayem / K.Zakaria (UAE/HKJ) Ford Focus WRC (A) 2:17:33.50 2. H.Al Sowaidi / M.Morrissey (QT/IRL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (N) 2:23:59.20 3. A.Al Qassimi / T.Al Warshaw (UAE/UAE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (N) 2:26:06.50 4. M.Abu Samra / A.Shamaylih (HKJ/HKJ) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 (N) 2:29:57.10 5. A.Al Sabban / H.Downey (IRL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4(N) 2:40:57.50 6. F.Bustami / S.Bustami (HKJ/HKJ) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4(N) 2:44:45.10 7. M.Al Hajri / A.Harryman (QA/IRL) Mitsubish Lancer Evo 6 (N) 2:50:52.30 8. A.Al Kuwari / Z.Abu Zaid (QA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III (N) 2:54:46.50 9. K.Charalambus / J.Charalumbus (CYP) Opel Astra GSI (A) 3:10:55.10 10. A.Sehmbi / Z.Mughal (GB/GB) Opel Vauxhall (A) 4:05:50.50 FIA Middle East Championship positions after four rounds 1. M.Bin Sulayem (UAE) 40pts 2. A.Al Qassimi (UAE) 20pts 3. H.Al Sowaidi (QT), 10 pts A.Tsouloftas (CY) 10pts 5. M.Al Hajri (QT) 6pts 6. Skh J.Al Khalifa (BAH) 4pts 7. M.Abu Samra (HKJ) 3pts 8. F.Bustami (HKJ), A.Al.Sabban (KSA) S.Fadhel (UAE), N.Shanfari (OM), R.Cremen (AUS) 2pts; 13. C.Armeftis (GB) 1pt Group N Championship: 1. A.Al Qassimi (UAE) 36pts 2. H.Al Sowaidi (QT) 18pts 3. M.Al Hajri (QT) 11pts 4. Skh J.Al Khalifa (BAH) 6pts 5. F.Bustami (HKJ) 5pts 6. M.Abu Samra (HKJ), S.Fadhel (UAE), N.Shanfari (OM) 4pts 9. A.Al Sabban (KSA), C.Armeftis (GB), R.Cremen (AUS) 3pts 12. A.Peratikos (CY), A.Al Kuwari (QT) 2pts 14. R.Oakeley (UAE), A.Wahid Al Haye (QT), A.R.Ghuloom 1pt Manufacturers’ Championship: 1. Ford 40pts; 2. Mitsubishi 24pts 1600 Championship 1. N.Nearchou (CY) 20pts; 2. A.Sehmbi (GB) 16pts; 3. P.Hartl (CZ) 10pts duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-82 the Middle-east rally championship BEN SULAYEM TAKES CONTROL WITH FORD FOCUS WRC SUPER SHOW Big Surge Keeps Middle East Champion Well On Course For Another Ford Title Double Despite Unexpected Desert Obstacles Mohammed Ben Sulayem stamped his authority on the Jordan International Rally today with a typically impressive surge in his Ford Focus World Rally Car. Staying firmly on course for another double Ford Middle East title triumph, Ben Sulayem led Qatar’s Hamad Al Sowaidi by 3mins 50 seconds at the end of the first leg, with the UAE’s Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi a close third. Any thoughts that the Arab world’s top driver could lose his grip on an event he has already won ten times were quickly dispelled as he swept clear of the early pace-setter, Lebanon’s Michel Saleh, whose moment of glory on the first day was followed by disaster on the second. While Saleh had held a one-second lead after the previous evening’s 1.9km super stage in Amman, Ben Sulayem had been saving his best for the stages that matter in the desert south of the Jordanian capital. That message was rammed home by another immaculate show of power and reliability by the Ford Focus WRC, while Saleh’s ageing Toyota Celica GT-4 went out on stage six after a trail of problems which began when it sprang an oil leak after hitting a ditch. Earlier, three rogue water tankers wandering across the rally route had forced the organisers to halt the day’s opening stage. With the first five cars safely through, all those following were credited with the same time as the fifth fastest on the stage, Al Sowaidi. On the next stage, with Saleh’s super stage glory fading fast, Ben Sulayem increased his lead, while fellow-UAE driver Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi, the reigning Middle East Group N champion, took his brand new SAIF-Zone Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6 into second place. With Ben Sulayem again extending his advantage over the next two stages, Al Sowaidi and Jordan’s Marouf Abu Samra moved above Al Qassimi, whose bid for a third successive Group N win this season was hindered when he lost time after going off course on stage four. But Al Qassimi climbed above Abu Samra on stage six, suggesting that, while Ben Sulayem’s Ford Focus WRC was again in a class of its own, the Group N battle was just beginning. Saudi Arabia’s Ahmed Al Sabban and Kuwait’s Abdullah Al Kuwairi completed the top six ahead of Bahrain’s Hassan Al Sadadi, while another Bahraini challenger, Abdel Rahman Ghulum, made his exit when his Mitsubushi suffered mechanical failure on stage five. Another of the leading Group N contenders, Qatari Mubarak Al Hajri, had plunged from contention on Thursday evening when he received a six-minute penalty after arriving at par ferme too early following the super stage. Also joining the casualty list today were Jordan’s Amjad Farrah and his co-driver wife, HRH Basma Bint Ali, who retired their Group N Ford Escort Cosworth on stage four with mechanical problems. There were no problems, however, for Ben Sulayem, who is aiming to extend a 100 per cent record in his Ford Focus WRC in this year’s FIA Middle East Championship after victories in the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. The rally finishes in Amman at 4pm tomorrow (Saturday) after four more stages. Provisional leading positions at end of first leg: 1. M. Ben Sulayem / K.Zakaria (UAE/HKJ) Ford Focus WRC (A) 1:11:52.80 2. H.Al Sowaidi / M.Morrissey (QT/IRL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (N) 1:15:42.50 3. A.Al Qassimi / T.Al Warshaw (UAE/UAE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (N) 1:16:40.90 4. M.Abu Samra / A.Shamaylih (HKJ/HKJ) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 (N) 1:17:42.80 5. A.Al Sabban / H.Downey (IRL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4(N) 1:25:01.40 6. A.Al Kuwari / Z.Abu Zaid (QA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III (N) 1:25:02.20 7. H.Al Saddadi / H.Al Jabry (BAH/OM) Subaru WRX (N) 1:26:12.70 8. K.Charalambus / J.Charalumbus (CYP) Opel Astra GSI (A) 1:27:21.10 9. F.Bustami / S.Bustami (HKJ/HKJ) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4(N) 1:32:13.70 10. M.Al Hajri / AlHarryman (QA/IRL) Mitsubish Lancer Evo 6 (N) 1:33:13.60 the Jordan intl. rally web-site : http://www.racj.com duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-81 the Middle-east rally championship SALEH TOPS SUPER STAGE UAE-based Lebanese driver Michel Saleh was fastest on the super special spectator stage which brought the Jordan International Rally to life tonight (Thursday), but Mohammed Ben Sulayem remains hot favourite for victory in his Ford Focus World Rally Car. Watched by hundreds of spectators,and also live on T.V , Saleh grabbed a one-second advantage on the 2km super stage at Amman Trade Fair, although Ben Sulayem will be planning to turn on the power when the rally begins in earnest in the desert outside the Jordanian capital in the morning (Friday). Giving a debut to his SAIF-Zone Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6, Sharjah’s Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi was seventh fastest overall and well-positioned to extend his lead in the race for this year’s Middle East Group N title. Provisional leading positions after super special stage: 1. M.Saleh / A.Ghaziri (RL/RL) Toyota Celica GT-4 (A) 1:40:00 2. M. Ben Sulayem / K.Zakaria (UAE/HKJ) Ford Focus WRC (A) 1:41:40 3. H.Al Sowaidi / M.Morrissey (QT/IRL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (N) 1:41:60 4. A.Al Kuwari / Z.Abu Zaid (QA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III (N) 1:43:80 5. M.Al Hajri / AlHarryman (QA/IRL) Mitsubish Lancer Evo 6 (N) 1:44:30 6. A.Al Sabban / H.Downey (IRL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4(N) 1:44:40 7. A.Al Qassimi / T.Al Warshaw (UAE/UAE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (N) 1:44:60 8. M.Abu Samra / A.Shamaylih (HKJ/HKJ) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 (N) 1:46:70 9. F.Bustami / S.Bustami (HKJ/HKJ) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4(N) 1:48:30 10. A.Al Daoud / F.AlNaber (HKJ/HKJ) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolition 3 (N) 1:50:50 duby miller rally-net , editor

rally-net no-80 the Middle-east rally championship BEN SULAYEM SEES ANOTHER RIVAL “CONCEDE” TITLE CHASE TO FORD Arab World’s Top Driver Set To Take Big Step Towards New Middle East Double In Ford Focus WRC As Cypriot Star Stays At Home The route of the new-look Jordan International Rally has survived recent rain storms sweeping the deserts of the Hashemite Kingdom, but another obstacle has been removed from Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s path towards a fourth win of the season in his Ford Focus World Rally Car next weekend. Cypriot champion Andreas Tsouloftas had been hoping to mount a serious challenge to Ben Sulayem’s dominance of the FIA Middle East series this season, but he now appears to have dropped out of contention. While the Arab world’s top driver began his build-up in Amman to the fourth round of this year’s Middle East campaign starting on Thursday, Tsouloftas has remained in Cyprus to prepare for the island’s World Championship event next month. This effectively means he is conceding the Middle East drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships to Ben Sulayem and Ford, who could make a decisive move towards clinching another double success in the three-day Jordan International Rally. “I’m sorry Andreas isn’t here, because he has done well in Jordan in the past and could have given me a good fight,” said Ben Sulayem. “I fully understand why he would want to concentrate on his country’s own World Championship rally, and I hope we’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the future, because the Middle East series needs drivers of his ability.” In the absence of Tsouloftas, the biggest challenge to Ben Sulayem’s bid for an 11th Jordan Rally victory could come from another former winner of the event, Lebanon’s Michel Saleh, who today announced that he has signed a two-year sponsorship agreement which establishes the Damas UAE Rally Team. Driving his ageing Toyota Celica GT-4 in Jordan, Saleh hopes the backing of the leading UAE jewellery chain, which boasts endorsement links with supermodel Claudia Schiffer, can add more than a touch of glamour to his rally programme. The UAE’s Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi has won the backing of Sharjah Airport International Free Zone for his bid to capture a second successive Group N title in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship. The signing of a major new sponsorship agreement with SAIF-Zone provides the Sharjah-based driver with a powerful boost ahead of this week’s Jordan International Rally, fourth round of this year’s Middle East series. “We are pleased to confirm our sponsorship of Sheikh Abdullah’s 2001 FIA Middle East Rally programme, beginning with the Jordan International Rally,” said Taryam Matar Mohd Taryam, director general, SAIF-Zone. “By forming an association with one of the Middle East’s leading rally drivers, and by establishing our presence within a championship which attracts a great deal of media and public attention, we will be raising the profile of SAIF-Zone, and alerting many more investors about the wide range of business advantages we offer.” Sheikh Abdullah, who will be aiming to strengthen his grip on the Middle East Group N title in Jordan, said: “I’m naturally delighted to have won the support of SAIF-Zone Sharjah. My hope is that this will be the beginning of a very fruitful partnership, and my aim now is to produce results, both on and off the rally circuit, which will reward SAIF-Zone for the trust they have placed in me.” He added: “The arrival of a major new sponsor for my rally programme is wonderful news, and I’m excited that I will now have the chance, through international rallying, to promote a facility which is a major business asset for the emirate of Sharjah.” The SAIF-Zone livery now decorates the brand new Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6 which has been built at Sheikh Abdullah’s state-of-the- art Arabian Automotive Technologies car maintenance facility in Sharjah, ready for its competitive debut in the Jordan Rally, which gets under way in Amman on Thursday. Sheikh Abdullah, a four-times UAE national Rally champion, is firmly on course for a third Middle East Group N Championship triumph in four years after scoring successive Group N victories in the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain this season. The Jordan International Rally is “the mother of all Middle East rallies” says Qatari competitor Mubarak Al-hajiri "and the most renowned in the Middle East in terms of organization, the type of stages, and climatic conditions which are lacking in other rounds of the Middle East Championship” Al Hajiri added. The Qatari driver said long stages make the Jordan rally more interesting than other rounds in the Middle East Championship. He stressed that “drivers who use the capabilities of their cars wisely will achieve good results”. Alhajiri said that the nature of this region is “similar to a Safari” and having the long stages prevents the Rally from turning into an Autocross or Rally Sprint. He pointed out, however, that long special stages require excellent physical fitness. A maintenance crew form Ireland accompanies the Qatari competitor. His Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6 was equipped by Ralliart of Australia. Al-Hajiri is competing with co-driver Alan Harryman of the U.K. Harryman started taking notes for his legendary father Terry Harryman when he was seven years old. “This rally should become one of the rounds in the World Rally Championship”, Al-Hajiri said. The Jordan intl rally : 17-19\5\2001 http://www.racj.com duby miller rally-net , editor	SAIF-Zone brand new Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6

	rally-net no-79 the Middle-east rally championship 30 Teams to Compete in the Jordan International Rally 30 teams will compete in the Jordan International Rally which will be held during the period May 17-19, Rally Organizing Committee said. The deadline for receiving entry forms elapsed and there will be no new participants. The unofficial list of participants includes 13 teams from Jordan, 2 teams from the UAE, 3 from Qatar, 3 from Cyprus, 3 from Bahrain, 2 from lebanon, 2 from the Czech Republic, 1 from Saudi Arabia and 1 from the UK. Rally Organizing Committee Chairman Bashar Bustami expressed satisfaction with the number and caliber of the competing teams. He said this year’s Rally will include big names in the Middle East Rally Championship 6 of whom are FIA seeded, a record number for the Jordan International Rally. “This will ensure an exciting and competitive performance”, Bustami added. Jordanian driver Marouf Abu Samra will compete in a Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V along with his co-driver Amjad Shamayleh. Abu Samra expressed his readiness for this year competition and is looks forward to the reconnaissance period, which starts on Monday. He said he intends to “go on the offensive” from the early start because of the heavy competition in this group. “Winning Group N is like winning the whole Rally”, Abu Samra added. Rallyart of Belgium equipped Abu Samra’s car. The car placed fifth in Group N in the Swedish round of the World Rally Championship last February. The car was modified to compete in the desert environment of Jordan. A technical team from Sweden will arrive in Amman Saturday to perform the final mapping on the car. However, Abu Samra’s maintenance crew during the Rally will be all-Jordanian. The Jordanian driver is looking forward to the long special stages particularly the stages at Hafira and Swaqa. He said that he always performed better in long stages. “I have the ability to withstand the pressures of long stages. These stages allow the driver to make up for any lost time”, Abu Samra said. Bustami said the long stages require a “high degree of physical fitness without which the driver would not be able to concentrate on the road”. Meanwhile Jordanian driver Amjad Farrah said his new car would not be ready on time to compete in the Jordan International Rally. The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI (Clubman A) is being equipped by Rallyart in Frankfurt, Germany. He expressed hope to have the car ready for the upcoming Rumman hill climb in Jordan and the all-tarmac Lebanon round of the Middle East Rally Championship which will be held on the 28th of June. The Jordan Rally Organizing Committee extended invitation to attend this year’s event to past winners. Among those invited are Said Al Hajiri, Hamad Al Thani, and Abbas Al Musawi of Qatar, and Abdallah Bakhashab of Saudi Arabia. the Jordan intl. rally web-site : http://www.racj.com duby miller

rally-net no-78 the Middle-east rally championship BEN SULAYEM HOPES FOR TOUGH JORDAN TEST IN FORD FOCUS WRC Arab World’s Top Driver Wants To Be Pushed For Victory As Middle East Championship Returns To Hashemite Kingdom. With new life being pumped into the Jordan International Rally, Mohammed Ben Sulayem returns to the scene of some of his best FIA Middle East Championship successes next week hoping to face the toughest test of the season so far in his Ford Focus World Rally Car. After comfortable victories in the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain, the 12-times Middle East champion wants the fourth round of this year’s regional series to provide a bigger examination of his ability to guide Ford to another double title triumph this season. “We’ve had a virtually perfect season so far, and that’s great for the team,” said the Arab world’s top driver. “But to be honest, I would really like to be pushed harder this time.” Added Ben Sulayem: “We have a strong lead in the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships, and my aim is to give Ford the two titles again. “But like every driver, what I enjoy most is a good battle, as I’ve had in Jordan in the past. That’s what the Jordan Rally, and the Middle East Championship as a whole, needs to make things interesting.” Ben Sulayem, who will be partnered again in the Ford Focus WRC by Jordanian co-driver Khaled Zakaria, has won ten times in the Hashemite Kingdom, a record which began with his first international win in the same event back in 1984. While it is difficult to see Ford’s supremacy being seriously challenged when the three-day event roars to life next Thursday, Ben Sulayem refuses to take another victory for granted. “That would be a big mistake,” he says. “I’ll be preparing for this rally as thoroughly as I ‘ve done for every event throughout my career. The moment you start relaxing is the time when this sport can catch you by surprise, and I won’t be taking any chances.” One of the Jordan Rally’s staunchest supporters over the last two decades, Ben Sulayem was heartened by the administrative shake-up which has seen a new-look organisational structure, created by HRH Prince Faisal Bin Al-Hussein, bringing in major changes to the rally format following last year’s problems with safety. The 2001 Jordan International Rally gets under way at 5pm on Thursday May 17 with a 2km super special spectator stage at the Amman International Fair. The main action begins at 7am the following morning, with Ben Sulayem’s Ford Focus WRC leading the rally away from the Sheraton Hotel in Amman, the event’s official headquarters, on a re-designed 1,040-km desert route. Both the Friday (May 18) and Saturday (May 19) legs feature five special stages each to be run twice, with other new features including timing equipment accurate up to a tenth of a second. duby miller

	rally-net no-76 the Middle-east rally championship The history of Jordan International Rally - by JIHAD HAKIJ Jordan international Rally is a very special rally in Middle East Championship. it is also a rally with long history. International, regional and local competitors have long respected the Jordan International Rally for the organization and for the wealthy human respect and interest in all aspects. It is also a rich source of human-interest stories for newspaper and magazine .The rally possesses something for everyone, Competitors from almost all parts of the Middle East usually compete in the event. The Jordan International Rally is known for its long dessert stages, which make great demands on the skills and stamina of competitors. Jordan is a country of surprising contrast and variety; this can be noticed through the different special stages. The terrain provides a magnificent backdrop for television and film coverage. From gravel to desert tracks, the rally poses a daunting task for the unwary driver. Since the Beginning, the RACJ has continuously improved upon the high quality and professionalism of the event. It will forever be a tribute to the late King, his Majesty King Hussein, who as an enthusiastic motor sport fan, competitor and champion, did so much to establish motor sport in this young and developing Kingdom. Following his father’s steps, king Abdulla Ben Al Hussien is also a competitor and champion, Prince Feisal l Ben Al Hussien is another member of the Royal family to work for his father highly valued sport. Prince Feisal Bin Al Hussein is the Chairman of motor sport executive council, with his personal follow up and instructions, motor sport in Jordan is becoming a more popular sport . First official Jordan International rally was in 1981 .the Lebanese driver Michel Saleh with his co-driver Tony Samia took the first position in Toyota Celica GT Second was Nabil Dirani (HKJ) with his co-driver Osama Marar (HKJ) in Renault 17 Gordini , and that was the first and last time a Jordanian stand in the second position .no Jordanian ever won the rally till now . Third position was for Ziad Bustami (HKJ) Mu'taz Dikr (HKJ) in Datsun 160J SSS In 1982 Michel Saleh did a second victory, which was taken by Saeed Al Hajiri in 1983 . Mohd. Bin Sullayem entered the hot competition in 1984 and won his first international event in his Toyota Celica Turbo. Second position was for Michel Saleh . in 1985 Saeed Al Hajiri was the one to be declared as Rothmans Jordan Rally championship pushing Bin Sullayem to the third position in that year and to the second position in 1986 .HRM Abdullah ( Prince Abdullah at that time ) took the third position with his jordanian co-driver Amr Bilbeisi in Opel Manta 400 In 1987 Mohd. Bin Sullayem succeeded in keeping Saeed Al Hajiri in second position , While jordanian driver Hani Bisharat was in third position in Toyota Celica GT In 1988 Mohd. Bin Sullayem did it again with Saeed Al Hajiri , he took the title after a fierce competition . H.R.M King Abdullah and Ali Bilbeisi classified third in Opel Manta 400 In 1990 Mohd. Bin Sullayem took another record for the rally . jordan international rally cancelled in 1991 due to some local political situation . in 1992 Abbas Al Mosawi (QA) finished first on podium in Toyota Celica GT4 Sh. Hamad Al-Thani (QA) won 1993 event in Mitsubishi Gallant VR4 And Moudar Al-Asad (SYR) Mansour Zaqqa (RL) in Nissan Pulsar GTI-R took the second place . 3rd was Amjad Farrah (HKJ) in Toyota Corolla GT Mohd. Bin Sullayem came back to joradn rally after long absence, but this time to compete with Abdullah Bakhashab .in 1994 Mohd. Bin Sullayem won the event and Bakhashab took the second place . Bakhashab golden chance was in 1995 where he got his first title as Jordan rally champion . Ma'rouf Abu Samra (HKJ) was in the third place in Ford Sierra Cosworth 4x4 Last 5 years of Jordan international rally were a story to tell for Bin Sullayem .it became like a “standard “ result for him to be always in first position .he took the rally in 1996,97,98,99. In 2000 he got his victory after facing some problems with the organizing committee. Finally he was announce as the winner of 2000. FIA was going to cancel the rally for this year, but with the efforts of prince feisal and Racj, it came back again. it is also said that bin sulyem shared in this effort to get the rally back to middle east championship . Bin Sullayem getting ready for his next victory , Andreas Tsoulftas of Cyprus and local Jordanian heroes, Ma’rouf Abu Samra and Amjad Farrah will be amongst the regional stars lining up for the start of this year’s event. Jordan rally will be different this year ,and it is going to be special event with a new team of organisers, headed by HRH Prince Feisal Bin El-Hussein, taking the first steps of an ambitious plan to establish the rally as a premier world motor sports event. the jordan intl. rally is the 4th round of this year middle-east rally championship after the "tour of cyprus" rally was postpone. it will held between 17-19\5\2001 duby miller rally-net, editor

rally-net no-75 the Lebanon rally championship rally du printemps Yestarday , 5th of may was held the 1st round of the lebanon national rally championship , the 18th Rally du Printemps. The lebanon championship has a 3 round series , also included the Rally du liban in the end of june, and Rally des cedres in the beginnig of october . 15 drivers started the rally from near mount lebanon .the first stage was won by the hot favorit for this rally and the cahmpionship abdo feghali & marc haddad in their group - A mitsubishi lancer evo-6 , finishing the stage nearly 9 seconds ahead of the group - N evo-5 of doumit bou doumit . but this was not what the rally has to show us . In ss-2 abdo feghali got a puncture and move down to 4th , doumit took the lead which he held till the end of the rally. The rally held in 3 speciall stages that was done 3 times .it was on a very sliperry tarmac , as usuall in the rallies in lebanon . For the happy winner , doumit it was the first time he drove a 4wd car . After the rally , abdo feghali said that it was a very hard rally for him as he got puncture and also differential and suspension problems . The 2nd place finishing man , ziad feghali in a nissan sunny GTI-R told after the rally that he had many problems but after taking 2nd place he felt that he could hold it till the end of the event . 3rd place finished ziad chabtini in a renault clio williams 16v . and only 4th finished abdo feghali . the drivers now will be ready for the next round , the rally du liban , when they will meet the top drivers of the middle-east rally championship . final results : 1- d. bou doumit \ n. njeim - mitsubishi lancer evo-5 (group - N ) 2- z.feghali \ g.nasr - nissan sunny GTI-R (group-A ) 3- z.chabtini \ g.bejjani- renault clio williams 16v (group - N ) 4- a.feghali \ m.haddad - mitsubishi lancer evo-6 (group - A ) 5- e.germany \ f.attieh - v.w golf GTI kit-car (group-A ) duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-73 the Lebanon national rally championship Rally du printemps - preview The 18th rally du printemps is the first round of the 2001 lebanon national rally championship . the rally held near the area of mount lebanon and it is on asphalt , like all the rallies in this country . It is a very special asphalt as the there is more oil in the lebanon asphalt so it is more sllipery conditions there . The rally will be on saturday 5th of mayand will start from MECHREF CLUB . there will be 3 legs on the rally. its a one day event . 16 lebanon rally drivers sign for the rally and in the top of the entry list there is Doumit BOU DOUMIT & Nabil NJEIM in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V grou- n , Abdo FEGHALI & Marc HADDAD in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI group - a , ABDEL HAK & KOMBOZ in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI group - n , Elie GERMANY & Fadi ATTIEH in VW Golf GTI Kit Car , Rodrigue RAHI & Patrick ZIADE in Lancia Delta HF Integrale , Elie DIB & Georges EL-HAYEK in Peugeot 306 S16 . abdo feghali & marc haddad are hot favorit for a win and their main target this year is to take the lebanon rally championship and to make it one step closer to a world rally championship levell. The total lentgh of the rally du printemps is 330 km . with 105 of them on special stages . duby miller

rally-net no-71 the middle-east rally championship BEN SULAYEM TAKES FORD focus WRC BACK ON VICTORY TRAIL IN JORDAN Arab World’s Top Driver Aims To Take Ford Closer To Another Middle East Title Double In New-Look Jordan International Rally Mohammed Ben Sulayem takes his Ford Focus World Rally Car back into action in the new-look Jordan International, aiming to extend a brilliant winning record in the event which gave him his first international victory. After last year’s safety problems almost cost the event its place in the FIA Middle East Championship, a major administrative shake-up has brought dramatic changes to the rally format, but Ben Sulayem is determined to ensure that one thing will not change. Since his first Jordan triumph back in 1984, he has largely dominated the event, winning it ten times overall, scoring five successive victories since 1996, and he now sees the rally, on May 17-19, as the next step towards another Middle East title double for Ford. A hat-trick of wins in the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain already this year in his Ford Focus WRC have put the Arab world’s No.1 firmly on course for a 13th Middle East drivers’ title, and given Ford control of the manufacturers’ championship once again. “It’s been a perfect season so far, and I’m thoroughly looking forward to going back to Jordan, where I’ve made so many friends, and the rally has been so good to me,” said Ben Sulayem. “The new organisation, established by HRH Prince Faisal Bin Al-Hussein, has been working hard to ensure that the event meets the FIA’s safety standards. Jordan is one of the stronghold’s of Middle East rallying, while this event has been one of the best in the championship over the years, and I hope it can now go from strength to strength.” Chasing his 53rd rally victory in the Middle East Championship, Ben Sulayem will again be partnered by Jordanian co-driver Khaled Zakaria, who has filled the vacancy left by Ronan Morgan, the UAE star’s co-driver for almost 14 years. While Morgan will assist Ben Sulayem one more time in the Rally of Lebanon, Zakaria has the chance to become permanent successor to the Irishman who is now developing a career in motor sport administration. The 2001 Jordan International Rally gets under way at 5pm on Thursday May 17 with a 2km super special spectator stage at the Amman International Fair. The main action begins at 7am the following morning, with Ben Sulayem’s Ford Focus WRC leading the rally away from the Sheraton Hotel in Amman, the event’s official headquarters, on a new 1,040-km desert route. Both the Friday (May 18) and Saturday (May 19) legs feature five special stages each to be run twice, with other new features including timing equipment accurate up to a tenth of a second. visit the mohhamed bin-sulayem officall web-site at: http://www.mohhamedbensulayem.com duby miller rally-net , editor

	rally-net no-70 special edition SCCA PRO-RALLY 2001 - the u.s rally championship hi all , i know it sound strange to you , what is for "rally-net" and the scca pro-rally championship . All the talking in the rally world today is that U.S is to get a world rally championship round , so i decided that now , when the middle-east round - the tour of cyprus - postpone , to write this articall about the scca pro-rally championship . Its a 10 round rally series sanction by the fia , there are group- a & n cars and also some gt & stock cars from u.s.a . The first round is the Sno*Drift rally in atlanta , michigen, held in 26-27\1 and won by Paul Choiniere & Jeff Becker in a Hyundai Tiburon(coupe) , 2nd came the 1986 british rally champion Mark Lovell & Steve Turvey in a subaru impreza and 3rd finished Seamus Burke& Frank Cunningham in a mitsubishi lancer evo-iv . The second round of the championship was the Cherokee Trails International Rally , 15-17\3 , in Cleveland,tennesse .the winner in this rally was richard tuthill &john beannie in a mitsubishi lancer evo-6 , 2nd came john buffum in his hyundai tiburon , and 3rd Seamus Burke&Frank Cunningham in a mitsubishi lancer evo-iv . The 3rd round in this rally championship was the Oregon Trail rally ,7-8 april , in Tillamook , oregon . the winner this time was Mark Lovell & Steve Turvey in the subaru impreza turbo ,2nd came Richard Tuthill & John Bennie in the evo-6 , and 3rd was once again in the hands of Seamus Burke & Frank Cunningham in another evo . i hope to give up-dates from this championship later in the year . Duby Miller "rally-net" http://rally-net.20m.com


rally-net no-69 2001 lebanon rally championship - preview The 2001 lebanon rally championship will kick start at the 4th of may in the Rally du Printemps . this is a 3 round national championship that include also the intl. Rally du LIBAN , part of the FIA middle-east rally championship and a top contender for wrc status , that run on the end of june , and the last round of the championship is the Rally des Cedres in october . One of the great names of lebanon rally is jean pierre nasralla . Nasralla is keen to take part in all of the 3 rounds with a grifone preperd toyota corola wrc sponsered by cyberia . He also intend to rally in the cyprus round of the wrc , all depends on money . Another big favorit for the lebanon championship is young abdo feghali in a mitsubishi lancer evo-6 , sponsered by fiberlink . C will try hard this year to win the championship and make a step closer to the world rally championship as his brother roger did with the new mistarl racing team , roegr won last year the intl. Rally du Liban , after the retirments of nasralla & muhammed bin-sulayem . More top lebanon rally drivers that take part in the championship are: doumit bou doumit , elie dib , philip kazan . 2001 calender : 4-6 May 18me. Rallye du Printemps 28-30 June - 1. July 25th. Marlboro Rally of Lebanon 5-7 Octobre 11me. Rallye des Cedres	Abdo Feghali

	MOHAMED BEN SULAYEM AND AL AWAEL LAUNCH MIDDLE- EAST WIDE COMPETITION AL AWAEL TO LAUNCH UNIQUE COMPETITON WITH SEVEN WINNERS FROM THE REGION Dubai, 16/4/2001: Arab Digital Distribution (ADD), and Mohamed Ben Sulayem, Middle East Rally Champion, revealed plans to launch this week a Middle East wide competition in conjunction with the forthcoming international motor Rally championship in Jordan on 17^th to 19^th May 2001 in which Ben Sulayem, the current champion, will participate. The exciting competition will result in seven lucky winners from across the region receiving an all expenses paid trip (from their Middle East location to Jordan), hotel accommodation and spending money to watch the thrilling final of the Jordan Rally on the 19^th May. In addition, they will be interviewed on ART TV network, get to spend a day with Mohamed Ben Sulayem as he takes the winners through some of his expert tips for safe driving and enjoy the company of the Arab world’s top motor sport champion. The competition will be open to all new and existing Al Awael and ART subscribers in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Oman and Bahrain. “We are very excited about launching this competition with Mohamed Ben Sulayem as one of the Arab World’s most internationally recognized sportsmen,” noted Dr. John Tydeman, CEO of ADD. “All you have to do to enter is be a subscriber (existing or join while competition is running) of any Al Awael bouquet available in your country. Then, simply contact an ADD call center or ADD distributor near you or access our web site, www.adduniverse.com, and complete the form to participate. The draw will take place on 9^th May 2001 during which we will contact lucky contestants by telephone until seven winners have been selected,” said Dr. John Tydeman, CEO of ADD. “Indeed, we see our exclusive cooperation with Mohamed as complementing the very unique and extensive sports programming on our newly launched Al Awael family bouquet that includes English Premier League (exclusively on ART from May 2001), ART Sport, ART Sport2, Manchester United TV, Real Madrid TV, Eurosports, EuroSports News, Nile Sports and SuperSport,” added Tydeman. “To win, however, participants will first have to answer correctly a key question about my rallying history,” confirmed Mohamad Ben Sulayem. This year’s Jordan rally (17-19 May 2001) features a new 1040-km all-desert route, 5 special stages each repeated twice, and a 2-km super special stage. These new course challenges will add an extra element of surprise for both the drivers and the spectators in Jordan. Issued on behalf of ADD by Zeidan Consultancy, Dubai, Tel: 97150-4550723, Fax: 97150-4550458, URL: www.zeidan.net Email: ceo@zeidan.net download arab version (.pdf file)

rally-net no-67 the middle-east rally championship team profile :- peugoet sport cyprus the peugoet sport cyprus rally team was founded in 1980 just after the talbot team stop rallying. first cars of the team were 504 coupe and the little 104 zs. after a while the team moved to the 205 gti 1.6 & 1.9 litre , and then to 309 gti 1.9 that gave the peugoet rally team its first 2wd championship in 1995 with menelaos melissas and kypros kyprianou at the wheele . in the last 2 years the team using a 2 peugoet 306 gti-6 group - a and 1 peugoet 306 s-16 , a works car , and also 3 peugoet 106 xsi and one old 205 gti 1.9 . the peugoet team won again the 2wd championship in 2000 , both the drivers and manufactorers , with kikis koutsakos and pambos laos . the team runs under the managment of george kyprianou and antonis michaelides and sponsership from valvoline motor oil . the peugoet sport cyprus is based in nicosia . the drivers of the team are :kypros kyprianou , koustas kikis , miltiadous nikos , pavlos pavlou. the co-drivers are :"rockys" , laos pambos , charalambous giannakis , elena pavlou . the peugoet sport cyprus intend to enter the cyprus wrc rally with 2 cars , 306 s-16 for kypros kyprianou & rockys , and a 306 gti-6 for kikis koustas and pambos laos . duby miller

	rally-net no-66 the Middle-east rally championship Jordan international rally - preview The Organizing Committee of the Jordan International Rally announced that this year’s event will take place during the period May 17-19, Clerk of the Course, Malcolm Neill, said this year’s event will incorporate several new features including a new Organizing Committee, new 1040-km all-desert route, 5 special stages each repeated twice, and a 2-km superspecial stage. Neill pointed out that the Jordan International Rally will adopt a series of measures aimed at providing maximum safety for the participants and spectators alike. “We hope to establish the Jordan International Rally in its rightful place in the Middle East Rally Championship”, Neill said. Chairman of the Rally Organizing Committee, Bashar Bustami, announced that this year’s Rally will have several new features including the use of new timing equipment with accuracy of up to the tenth of a second, a feature being introduced for the first time in the Middle East Rally Championship. The Organizing Committee will also utilize a new communication system which will guarantee a quick and accurate flow of information, Bustami added. Deputy Clerk of the Course, Ziad Loza, said all stages will take place in the south of Jordan. Some of the stages will be used for the first time while others will utilize old routes that have been altered, Loza added. The Federation Internationale de L’automobile (FIA), the governing body of motor sport worldwide, agreed to readmit the Jordan International Rally in the Middle East Rally Championship series. HRH Prince Faisal Bin Al-Hussein, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Motor Sport Council, ordered the policy-making body of motor sport in Jordan to be restructured. The new measures aim at revitalizing motor sport in Jordan and strengthening the Jordan International Rally within the Middle East Championship series as a step towards possible inclusion in the World Rally Championship in the future. Jordan Television will provide live coverage of the 2-km super special stage, which will start on Thursday May 17 in the afternoon. The venue of this stage was carefully selected adjacent to the Amman International Fair at Marj Al-Hamam. Deputy Clerk of the Course, Ziad Loza, pointed out that the stage would allow spectators to follow the participants closely. He added that the venue has several viewing locations overlooking the stage, which will allow the crowds to enjoy the action from a safe distance. duby miller

rally-net no-65 the Middle-east rally championship "Tour of cyprus" rally is postponed . due to some money difficulties between the nicosia motor club and the cyprus automobile association the "tour of cyprus" rally that suppose to be at the end of this month is postpone , for now , till the end of september . the "tour of cyprus" rally was the 3rd round of the cyprus rally championship and also the 4th round of the middle-east rally championship . last year there were also alot of problems in cyprus between all the clubs there and the drivers and the "tour of cyprus" didnt run . duby miller rally-net , editor

	rally-net no-64 A win for Paraskevas , another great result for shochatovits This weekend was the 2nd round of the cyprus national rally championship , it was the Venus rally near papfus . the rally was a very hard gravel and a rough one . After 2 days of rally the winner was cyprus rally driver , and may be the cyprus answer to the dominance of andreas tselouftas , Paraskevas , driving a mitsubishi lancer evo-5 . but the great result of the rally came once again from israeli best rally driver today , rammi shochatovits , driving evo-5 mitsubishi in group-n. rammi drove hard in the first day and put himself in 2nd place overall and first in group- n , a place that he didnt leave till the end of the rally . the winner , paraskevas , driving a group - a lancer evo-5 . 3rd place came Peratikos in a mitsubishi lancer evo-6 also in group - n , and only 4th came the cyprus rally champion , and the middle-east rally driver challenger , andreas tseloftas , also in a mitsubishi lancer evo-6 from group - a . shochatovits show once again that he is the main contender for this year cyprus championship . in the 2wd category the winner and 7th overall, was Koutsakos , driving a peugoet 306 gti-6 , 2nd in this category and 8th overall was Miltiadous , also driving a peugoet 306 gti-6 . the rally was hit by a very bad news , cyprus rally driver chris armeftis was hit by a car with a drunk driver , armeftis was taken to hospital in a very bad condition and we all wish him well . the 3rd round of the cyprus rally championship will be at the end of the month , the Tour Of Cyprus rally , which is also part of the middle-east rally championship . results : 1) P.Paraskevas - J. Constantinou Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V A/8 02:33:00 2) R.Shochatovic - M.Michael Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V N/4 02:33:25 3) A.Peratikos - C.Episkopou Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI N/4 02:33:53 7th Overall and 1st 2WD K.Koutsakos - P.Laos Peugeot 306 GTi-6 A/7 8th Overall and 2nd 2WD N.Miltiadous - J.Charalambous Peugeot 306 Gti-6 A/7 duby miller rally-net , editor

rally-net no-63 the Middle-east rally championship Lebanon waits in the wings The organisers of the Rally of Lebanon have informed the FIA that they are ready to change the date of this year’s event and join the World Championship as a replacement if any of the current rounds are called off by Europe’s outbreak of foot and mouth disease. All major rallies in Britain and Ireland have been suspended until further notice because of the disease, but there have been suggestions that other rallies may be cancelled, especially when so many of the works teams come from Britain. The Catalonia Rally was in doubt only days before the start and restrictions were imposed on spectators on certain stages. The next three rounds of the world series – Argentina, Cyprus and the Acropolis – are not in question, but other rallies may prove vulnerable. The Lebanese were planning to run their event to the World Championship blueprint this June in any case as part of their bid to become another Middle Eastern round of the series. duby miller rally-net , editor	Jean Pierre Nasralla

rally-net no-61 Roger Feghali Second in Group N in catalunya rally 25 March 2001-Rallye Catalunya-Costa Brava, the fourth stage of the world rally championship ended at 16:56 hrs. Leg 3 and the last day for the WRC Catalunya - Costa Brava, saw Feghali's invasion of the WRC. Roger Feghali, first time participant in a World Rally Championship and four times champion of the Rally of Lebanon, has completed the Catalunya Rally with an astonishing result. His overall ranking at the end of the rally was nineteen, and second in his category, Group N. Today, the competition was fought out over six special stages and 188 kilometers, including two runs over the famous stage underneath the bridge (Collsesplanes) where thousands of spectators got a birds-eye view of the action. This is where thousands of spectators saw Feghali's finest performance as he completed the stage with a scratch in Group N. On SS15 (Collsesplanes) Feghali-Brissart became the leaders of Group N. Feghali and co-driver, Bruno Brissart, started the day with an amazing performance as they completed the first special stage SS13 (Coll des Bracons) of the day in second position in Group N. Feghali was so eager to maintain his third position that he decided to adopt the strategy of attack. So eager that on SS15 he managed to get the best time in Group N. After this stage Feghali clearly secured his position in second place. SS17 (Osor) was interrupted after ten cars, and all remaining competitors were given the slowest times of the first ten cars. SS18 (Collsespanes) was the last stage of the day. Feghali completed this stage in fourth position, but at the end of the rally he finished nineteenth in the general classification and second in Group N. Feghali was overjoyed with his performance. He said: "I feel I am on top of the world." more about roger feghali http://www.mistarlracing.com
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rally-net no-60 up-date news from the middle-east Roger feghali , the lebanon rally driver finished today his first rally with the new mistral rally team mitsubishi evo-6 in 19th position over all and 2nd in group - N . This is a great result for the new team , that was just arrived in the rally scene couple of weeks ago .
	Last sunday there were OFA CHARITY autocross race in cyprus , here are the results of the race : 1-Marios Panagiotou Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VI Gr.A 1.21.886 2-Prodromos Prodromou Mitsubishi Lancer EVO III Gr.N 1.21.962 3-"Parmenion" Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VI Gr.A 1.22.761 4-Manolis Kouloumas Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VI Gr.A 1.22.858 5-Costas Georgiou (Chips) Subaru Impreza Gr.A 1.22.916 First 2WD - Lakis Parellis Opel Corsa this are the points standing after the race : 1-Chips 22pnts 2-M.Panagiotou 17pts 3-P.Prodromou 16pts 4-K.Ioannidis 9pts 5-Parmenion 4pts
Between the 31\3 - 1\4 there will be the 2nd round of the cyprus rally championship , it will be the venus rally in papfos. it is a very rough rally . the RS racing team , of rammi shochatovits , the winner of the 1st round are going to cyprus to practice before the rally , and hope for a good result again .


	rally-net no-59 the Middle-east rally championship Rally Of Lebanon bids for WRC status. Rally of Lebanon organisers made a bid for the Rally of Lebanon to be included in the World Championship. The 2001 running of this rally, at the end of June is intended to be to WRC standards, though not to the full length. The 2000 event was attended by two FIA observers. With their guidance and advice from special guests including David Richards, TV rights holding company ISC's Chairman, Rallies Commission President Shekhar Mehta and Middle East Championship organiser Derek Ledger, the organisers are confident of attaining the necessary WRC standards this year. The event will again be closely scrutinised by the FIA, which is known to be interested in including an event run in the Middle East as early as 2002. Unusually for a middle-eastern rally this is run on tarmac, and this year will feature a stage in Beirut, centralised service and the majority of stages in the nearby mountains. The Championship lost it's Asian round when China failed to raise the necessary sponsorship last year and Indonesia was cancelled after just two mid '90s years in the series. Cyprus stepped into the gap at short notice last year and the event was a success, but the pressure is on for the series to expand into the more populous far east. FIA President Max Mosley supports the inclusion of a round in India in the future, and the Japanese manufacturers would like to have a round in Japan, so Lebanon faces tough opposition both in the short and long term. duby miller rally-net , editor .

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rally-net no-58 ISRAEL RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP - 2001 !!! The israeli racing club , under the managment of mr. baruch shalit , started last week the perperation of the israeli rally championship for 2001 season . After a long discussions in the high-court in israel , there is a permision to do racing in israel. the israeli racing club is intend to run a season with no less then 7 races - posibility of 9 . There will be 4 rallies in the rally championship and other 5 auto-sprint/rally-sprint . Baruch shalit , the chairman of the israeli racing club , started the talks with the police to come and inspect the races. shalit said that he is thinking that this is a new begining for the motor-sport in israel , and he is looking for about 50 drivers to take part in the races . israeli rally championship : 19\5\01 - arad rally 01\09\01 - golan rally 03\11\01 - high galil rally no date - valley rally israeli auto-sprint championship : 23\06\01 - park ashkol 25\08\01 - park ashkol 24\11\01 - park ashkol 08\12\01 - park ashkol 22\12\01 - park ashkol duby miller rally-net , editor
	rally-net no-57 Mistral Racing: a new vision of Rallying Mistral Racing, a team formed by a group of motor sports enthusiasts with one common passion to motor-sport & rally . Team Principal, Mr. Freddy Zraick, said that the main aim of the new team are to encourage talented drivers to develop a broad range of skills in order to fully realize their potential, and to provide specialist management services to professional rally drivers through a highly efficient and competent representation. the new mistarl team , from lebanon , will use mitsubishi lancer evo-6 "makinen edition" , the group-n version . the driver will be lebanon roger feghali (a familier name to the "rally-net"readers) and co-drive him will be french navagator bruno brisart. the mistral team program for this season will start in catalonya rally , then albena rally in bulgarya in may , rally du liban in the end of june, elpa halkidikis in greece , rally san-remo , rally tour de course. duby miller rally-net , editor
rally-net no-56 Mitsubishi Ralliart Bahrain International Rally, 2001 FIA Middle East Rally Championship, round 3 of 9 BIN SULAYEM TAKES SECOND SUCCESSIVE WIN IN BAHRAIN RALLY Bahrain's Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalifa finishes in a podium place. Twelve-times Middle East rally champion Mohammed bin Sulayem extended his lead in the 2001 FIA regional series, by winning the Mitsubishi Ralliart Bahrain International Rally. The event was held on mixed surface stages over two days and finished at the Gulf Hotel in Manama on Friday afternoon. Sulayem and Jordanian co-driver Khaled Zakaria extended an overnight advantage of 3m 08s to over seven minutes after 19 timed sections to the south of Manama. Victory marked Sulayem's third success in this year's series and his second in Bahrain in consecutive seasons. He now has a 14-point lead in the regional series. "We had a good run today," confessed Sulayem. "It was disappointing for Andreas to retire when he did, but it boosted our lead in the championship. Abdullah is still in contention, but it means that we can take a look at the programme for the year and now we don't have to go to Cyprus or maybe even Lebanon, which is an event which relies on a substantial budget." The Dubai driver's closest challenger was the Cypriot Andreas Tsouloftas, tackling this event for the first time in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6. In need of at least second place to keep him on the heels of Sulayem, Tsouloftas set the fastest time on the opening stage of the second day at Al Riffa, only to drop back with a flat tyre in the subsequent Tree of Life test. As he fought hard to regain the lost time, he survived a huge moment in unlucky stage 13, wrecked the underside of the Mitsubishi on bumpy ground in the 14th stage and was unable to reach the service point. This handed second overall to the runaway Group N leader Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi, who collected a hat-trick of victories in the showroom section and now lies second in the overall championship. "It was a good rally for us and gives us a commanding position in the Group N championship," said Al-Qassimi. One of the drives of the event came from Bahrain's Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalifa and Ulster co-driver Terry Harryman in their Mitsubishi Ralliart Germany-prepared Lancer Evo6. The fighter pilot was up to fourth overall at the start of the final day and quickly moved up to third following the demise of Tsouloftas. "We drove well today," said Sheikh Jaber. "But Terry and I thought we heard a noise at the back of the car before the second service and we weren't sure whether it was a puncture or the suspension. I spoke to Niels Jung from Ralliart Germany, who looks after our car, and they checked it over to make sure it was okay." A nip and tuck battle developed for the minor placings, with Qatar's Mubarak Al-Hajri taking a fine fourth overall in his Cremen-run Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6. Team manager and rival competitor Ron Cremen lost time during the first leg with front differential problems, but was delighted to take his first finish of the season, the Australian coming home in fifth, well ahead of a troubled Hamed Al-Sowaidi, the Qatari delayed by a flat tyre and fuel pump problems. Bahrain's Abdulrahman Ghuloom brought his new Mitsubishi Lancer home in seventh place, with Saudi Arabia's Ahmed Al-Sabban, Qatar's Abdullah Al-Kuwari and Bahrain's Sajjad Kunzad completing the top 10. Victory in the Super 1600 section fell to the Czech driver Pavel Hartl, the Skoda driver comfortably beating former champion Amrik Sehmbi, who brought up the tail end of the surviving cars. Many of the retirements occurred during the opening leg. Oman's Nizar Al-Shanfari succumbed to transmission problems, Toufic Mitri's suspension collapsed on his Mitsubishi and there was further disappointment for Nancy Majali, Nearchos Nearchou and Jaroslav Cernik. Britain's Howard Paterson was the first of the day two retirements with failing oil pressure in his Volkswagen Golf GTI. He was soon followed by Cumbrian Simon Nutter, who was sidelined with a broken driveshaft. The UAE's Raed Baker had been up to fifth overall before the engine let go in his Toyota and Jordan's Faris Bustami cruelly retired with a broken gearbox a mere three stages from the end.. The fourth round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship takes place in Cyprus at the end of April on twisty gravel special stages in the Troodos Mountains. This event is not in Bin Sulayem's 2001 motorsport programme and Tsouloftas will, therefore, be looking for victory on home soil to rekindle his fading championship hopes. Final results : 1. Mohammed bin Sulayem (UAE)/Khaled Zakaria (HKJ) Ford Focus WRC 2h 42m 53s 2. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi (UAE)/Gaby Khoury (UAE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo5 2h 50m 44s 3. Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalifa (BAH)/Terry Harryman (GB) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 2h 52m 16s 4. Mubarak Al-Hajri (QA)/Alan Harryman (GB) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 3h 00m 19s 5. Ron Cremen (AUS)/Sean Kukula (GB) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo4 3h 06m 45s 6. Hamed Al-Sowaidi (QA)/Michael Morrissey (IRE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 3h 09m 23s 7. Abdul Rahman Ghuloom (BAH)/Esther Ghuloom (BAH) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo5 3h 20m 15s 8. Ahmed Al-Sabban (KSA)/Joe Downey (IRE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 3h 21m 15s 9. Abdullah Al-Kuwari (QA)/Nasser AL-Kuwari (QA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 3h 29m 02s 10. Sajjad Kunzad (BAH)/Jameel Al-Ghanim (BAH) Ford Escort RS Cosworth 3h 41m 07s 28 starters, 16 finishers 2001 FIA Middle East Championship points after round 3 of 9: 1. Mohammed bin Sulayem (UAE) 30 2. Abdullah al Qassimi (UAE) 16 3. Andreas Tsouloftas (CY) 10 4. Mubarak Al-Hajri (QA) 6 5. Hamed al Sowaidi (QA) 4 Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalifa (BAH) 4 7. Sadiq Fazal (UAE) 2 Nizar Shanfari (OM) 2 Ron Cremen (AUS) 2 10. Faris Bustami (HKJ) 1 Chris Armeftis (CY) 1 2001 Group N positions: 1. Abdullah al Qassimi (UAE) 30 2. Mubarak Al-Hajri 10 3. Hamed al Sowaidi (QA) 8 4. Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalifa (BAH) 6 5. Sadiq Fazal (UAE) 4 Nizar Shanfari (OM) 4 7. Faris Bustami (HKJ) 3 Ron Cremen (AUS) 3 Chris Armeftis (CY) 3 10. Andreas Peratikos (CY) 2 Abdullah Al-Kuwari (QA) 2 12. Abdul Rahman Ghuloom (BAH) 1 Abdul Wahid Abdul Haye (QA) 1 Ron Oakeley (UAE) 1 Manufacturers: 1. Ford 30 2. Mitsubishi 18 Super 1600: 1. Nearchos Nearchou 20 2. Pavel Hartl 10 3. Amrik Sehmbi 6 duby miller rally-net , editor

rally-net no-55 Mitsubishi Ralliart Bahrain International Rally - day 1 2001 FIA Middle East Rally Championship, round 3 of 9 BIN SULAYEM AHEAD AFTER DAY ONE OF BAHRAIN RALLY Bahrain's Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalifa up to fourth overall Dubai's Mohammed bin Sulayem was the leader at the end of the opening leg of the Mitsubishi Ralliart Bahrain International Rally, which began today . Sulayem and co-driver Khaled Zakaria were well ahead of the Cyprus champion Andreas Tsouloftas and runaway Group N leader Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi,from Sharjah. "I had a small problem in the first stage when we got caught on a tight corner in some soft sand," admitted Sulayem. "We had to reverse out and this cost us about 15-20 seconds. Then we had a flat tyre in the third stage. It meant that we didn't quite have the lead we would have liked early on. But we had no problems in the next few stages and built up a good lead by the end of the leg, despite a flat tyre ripping off some of the bodywork on Khaled's side in the seventh stage." One of the drives of the day came from Bahrain's Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalifa, tackling his first event of the season with Ulster co-driver Terry Harryman. Sheikh Jaber was flying up to fourth place, close behind Group N leader Al-Qassimi and well clear of Qatar's fifth-placed Mubarak Al-Hajri with Harryman's son Allan alongside. The UAE's Raed Baker was up to sixth place in his Toyota. Australia's Ron Cremen, the Bahrain duo of Hassan Al-Sadadi and Abdulrahman Ghuloom and Jordan's Faris Bustami completed the top 10. Nizar Al-Shanfari retired in the ninth stage after earlier front suspension problems. There was first stage disappointment for the UAE's Toufic Mitri, when the front suspension collapsed on his Toyota. Mechanical problems also sidelined the Czech Republic's Pavel Hartl, Britain's Amrik Sehmbi, Jordanian Nancy Almajali and runaway FIA Super 1600 series leader Nearchos Nearchou, although Qatar's Hamed Al-Sowaidi managed to survive fuel pump problems which dropped down to 10th place.
Positions after SS10 (top 8 - end of leg one): 1. Mohammed bin Sulayem (UAE)/Khaled Zakaria (HKJ) Ford Focus WRC 1h 17m 43s 2. Andreas Tsouloftas (CY)/Andreas Achilleos (CY) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 1h 20m 51s 3. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi (UAE)/Gaby Khoury (UAE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo5 1h 22m 04s 4. Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalifa (BAH)/Terry Harryman (GB) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 1h 22m 44s 5. Mubarak Al-Hajri (QA)/Alan Harryman (GB) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 1h 23m 21s 6. Raed Baker (UAE)/Nabil Ahmadi (UAE) Toyota Celica GT4 1h 24m 13s 7. Ron Cremen (AUS)/Sean Kukula (GB) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo4 1h 28m 14s 8. Hassan Al-Sadadi (BAH)/Hamoud Al-Jabry (OM) Subaru Impreza 1h 34m 34s .
15.march 2001 rally-net no-55 Mitsubishi Ralliart Bahrain International Rally - preview : 2001 FIA Middle East Rally Championship, round 3 of 9 SULAYEM LEADS TOP INTERNATIONAL ENTRY INTO BAHRAIN RALLY Multiple Middle East rally champion Mohammed bin Sulayem leads an international entry from 13 nations into the Mitsubishi Ralliart Bahrain International Rally, starting on Thursday. Sulayem, from Dubai, and the current leader of the FIA Middle East rally championship after successive wins in Abu Dhabi and Qatar, will be hoping to extend his 100% record over the third round of the nine-event series. The event marks his second appearance with Jordanian co-driver Khaled Zakaria in their powerful Ford Focus World Rally Car. Standing in their way will be the multiple Cyprus champion Andreas Tsouloftas and his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6, although Tsouloftas realises the importance of reaching the finish of the two-day, 19-special stage rally, "It should be a fascinating contest between Mohammed and Andreas," said Sheikh Tariq bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa, chairman of the Bahrain Motor Federation. "They drive powerful Group A cars and should be the men to beat, but there is a very healthy representation in the Group N category for near-standard cars as well." Supporting the Group A category are two of the region's most underrated competitors, the UAE's Raed Baker and Toufic Mitri. Baker wheels out his Toyota Celica GT4, while Mitri enters a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo3. He has already co-driven on one event this season and lines up this weekend with the former clerk of the course of the Qatar International Rally Faez Chehab as his navigator. "We should have a good advantage on the downhill sections," quipped his co-driver. Leading the way in the 'showroom' category is the defending champion Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi, from Sharjah, and co-driver Gaby Khoury. They took maximum points on the opening two rounds and head for this weekend's action in confident mood. Victory in their Mitsubishi Lancer would give the UAE crew a massive advantage in the regional series. Attempting to prevent them from running away with the victory laurels will be the Qatar duo of Hamed Al-Sowaidi and Mubarak Al-Hajri, Bahrain's Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalifa, Oman's Nizar Al-Shanfari and Australia's Ron Cremen in a fleet of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions. Both Shanfari and Cremen have won the series in the past, but Sheikh Jaber will be tackling his first event of the season with veteran co-driver Terry Harryman and both Sowaidi and Al-Hajri realise the importance of amassing championship points on this occasion and will be reluctant to take risks. Also looking forward to pressing hard in the showroom section is the UAE driver Ron Oakeley, Jordan's Faris Bustami, Saudi Arabia's Ahmed Al-Sabban, Qatar's Abdullah Al-Kuwari and the leading Bahraini entrants Hassan Al-Sadadi and Abdulrahman Ghuloom. "The event is also a round of the Super 1600 series," admitted Sheikh Talal bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa, Vice President of the Bahrain Motor Federation. "These cars don't have the power of the four-wheel drives, but they are eligible for the championship and an ideal low-cost way of tackling international rallies." Heading the list is runaway championship leader Nearchos Nearchou, from Cyprus, in his Proton Wira. Nearchou took maximum points on the opening two rallies, when arch rival Amrik Sehmbi retired with engine problems, but Sehmbi put together a late deal to rekindle his championship campaign and returns to the series with a rebuilt engine and a determination to beat his Cypriot rival. The series is further supported by a pair of Skodas from the Czech Republic in the hands of Pavel Hartl and Jaroglav Cernik, while the British duo of Simon Nutter and Howard Paterson wheel out a two-litre Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf GTI, but are ineligible for championship points. Both are partnered by their respective wives Fiona and Ruth. duby miller rally-net , editor dubymil@netvision.net.il Leading starters: 1. Mohammed bin Sulayem (UAE)/Khaled Zakaria (HKJ) Ford Focus WRC 2. Andreas Tsouloftas (CY)/Andreas Achilleos (CY) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 3. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi (UAE)/Gaby Khoury (UAE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo5 4. Nizar Al-Shanfari (OM)/Fred Gocentas (LIT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 5. Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalifa (BAH)/Terry Harryman (GB) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 6. Hamad Al-Sowaidi (QA)/Michael Morrissey (IRL) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 7. Mubarak Al-Hajri (QA)/Alan Harryman (GB) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 8. Raed Baker (UAE)/Nabil Ahmadi (UAE) Toyota Celica GT4 9. Toufic Mitri (UAE)/Faez Chehab (UAE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo3 10. Ron Cremen (AUS)/Sean Kukula (GB) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo4 11. Hassan Al-Sadadi (BAH)/Hamoud Al-Jabry (OM) Subaru Impreza 2001 FIA Middle East Championship points after round 2: 1. Mohammed bin Sulayem (UAE) 20 2. Andreas Tsouloftas (CY) 10 Abdullah al Qassimi (UAE) 10 4. Mubarak Al-Hajri (QA) 3 Hamed al Sowaidi (QA) 3 6. Sadiq Fazal (UAE) 2 Nizar Shanfari (OM) 2 8. Faris Bustami (HKJ) 1 Chris Armeftis (CY) 1 2001 Group N positions: 1. Abdullah al Qassimi (UAE) 20 2. Hamed al Sowaidi (QA) 6 Mubarak Al-Hajri 6 4. Sadiq Fazal (UAE) 4 Nizar Shanfari (OM) 4 6. Faris Bustami (HKJ) 3 Chris Armeftis (CY) 3 8. Andreas Peratikos (CY) 2 Abdullah Al-Kuwari (QA) 2 10. Abdul Wahid Abdul Haye (QA) 1 Ron Oakeley (UAE) 1 Manufacturers 1. Ford 20 2. Mitsubishi 12 Super 1600 1. Nearchos Nearchou 20
	rally-net no-53 the middle-east rally championship hi all great result for israeli rally driver rammi shochatovitz , after he won the east-safari rally , first round of 2001 cyprus national rally championship . the east-safari rally is around the city of perelimni in the coast of cyprus. it is a very fast rally. shochatovitz , driving a mitsubishi lancer evo-5 in group-n won 1st place overall in time of 1:17:47 . 2nd place was cyprus driver chris timoteo, driving group-a subaru impreza turbo, 2 seconds behind rammi. 3rd was another cyprus subaru driver,constantinu circaou, 6 seconds behind . the big drama in the rally was 2 stages to the end when rammi , leading the rally, was given red flag in the stage by mistake, giving the lead to timoteo , but then in the last stage it was rammi again , full trotlle , beating 13 seconds gap to the finish line in first position, winning the rally . 2 other israeli drivers , driving subaru impreza turbo in group-n, dani levi and nadav dotan finished 12th & 13th . the 2nd round of the championship , the venus rally is in the end of the month. duby miller rally-net , editor dubymil@netvision.net.il

MOHAMED BEN SULAYEM AND AL AWAEL LAUNCH MIDDLE- EAST WIDE COMPETITION

AL AWAEL TO LAUNCH UNIQUE COMPETITON WITH SEVEN WINNERS FROM THE REGION