Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi aiming for win in Dubai International Rally

Sport360 staff 07:55 19/11/2015
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  • Aiming for victory: Al Qassimi.

    Eight UAE drivers will spearhead the home challenge when the final round of the 2015 FIA Middle East Rally Championship gets underway in Dubai on Thursday night.

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    Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi leads the entry list of racers for the 2015 Dubai International Rally, and will be hoping for his third Dubai victory in 2015.

    However, he will have to work hard to contain Qataris Abdulaziz Al Kuwaiti and Khalid Al Suwaidi as the trio battle for second place in the final championship standings, while champion Nasser Al Attiyah, has elected to miss the event.

    Among the other UAE drivers on the list are Sheikh Abdulla Al Qassimi and his son Sheikh Mohammed Al Qassimi, who is making his international debut in Dubai, while competing alongside his father in the UAE National Rally Championship this season.

    X Dubai World Rally Team’s Rashid Al Ketbi will start his only Middle East rally of the season in his Ford Fiesta R5, while Mansour bin Jaber joins the race in a Mitsubishi Evo.

    Abu Dhabi Racing junior drivers Mansour Bel Helei, Saeed bin Towq and Mohammed Al Mutawaa will fight it out for two wheel drive honours in a trio of identical Citroen DS3s.

    Al Mutawaa comes home to Dubai straight after competing in Wales Rally GB – marking the final round of the 2015 World Rally Championship.

    Organised by the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATC- UAE), the rally boasts a field of 17 teams, and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, himself a staggering 15-time winner of the event, commended the quality of the start list.

    “I am delighted to see such a strong entry list in terms of the number of drivers,” he said.

    “The MERC rounds in Jordan, Qatar, Iran and Cyprus all had less than 15 entries, so to have 17 entries for the final round when the championship has already been decided is exceptionally good going.”

    Stressing on his keenness to participate and compete in this race, Al Qassimi said: “My participation in the Dubai International Rally differs from any other rally event because it is being held in the UAE.

    “I consider representing the country and competing to win as a national duty first and foremost.”

    He added: “I have completed all preparations for this year’s race, but the world of motorsport is always full of surprises. Technical problems or mechanical failures often affect the final results.

    “However, I am fully confident in my ability to win and mark another sporting achievement for the UAE. I hope to enter the race full throttle from the very beginning to achieve the desired result.”

    Aside from the main event, champion Michel Saleh will look to retain the ‘N’ Class title, while leader and title holder Salah bin Eidan will look to do likewise in the ‘M’’ Class. 

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