Entries still open for forthcoming Qatar International Baja
Entries still
open for forthcoming Qatar International Baja
· Al-Attiyah
and Seaidan lead FIA World and Middle East Cups after round one
· Emirati
Mohammed Al-Balooshi tops FIM Bajas World Cup standings
LUSAIL (Qatar): The Qatar Motor
and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) has been delighted with the response for
entries for the forthcoming Qatar International Baja, which will host the
second rounds of the FIA World and Middle East Cups for Cross-Country Bajas and
round two of the FIM Bajas World Cup on March 15th-18th.
With international cross-country
rallying attention switched to this week’s Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in the
UAE, the QMMF is expecting a late flurry of additional entries before the
closing date on Wednesday, March 1st.
Officials in Qatar are currently
finalising the start and finish locations and fine tuning the route for the
2023 Baja, which will again run under the chairmanship of QMMF President
Abdulrahman Al-Mannai, QMMF’s Executive Director Amro Al-Hamad and board member
Abdulrazaq Al-Kuwari.
Competitive action gets underway
with a Prologue stage on Thursday, March 16th from 15.00hrs.
The FIM, the governing body for
world motorcycle racing, has recently announced minor changes to the later
events in the 2023 FIA Bajas World Cup calendar and a revised competition
format for this season.
Riders have already taken part
in the opening round in Saudi Arabia and Emirati Mohammed Al-Balooshi will
bring a five-point advantage over the Qatar-based Australian rider Martin
Chalmers into the Qatar Baja weekend next month.
This year’s FIM Bajas World Cup
now comprises eight rounds in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, two in Spain, Hungary,
Portugal, Dubai and Jordan and a rider will be able to count his best six
scores towards the final classification.
Qatar’s national hero Nasser
Saleh Al-Attiyah won the car category of the Saudi Baja and holds an
eight-point cushion over his Toyota team-mate Juan Cruz Yacopini in the FIA
World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas Drivers’ Championship. Polish veteran
Krzysztof Holowczyc is third.
It’s an all-Saudi affair at the
top of the FIA Middle East Cup standings. Yasir Seaidan claimed maximum points
and leads the way from Hamad Al-Harbi and Abdullah Al-Shegawi.
The QMMF is offering generous
concessions to competitors who pass both administration and scrutineering
checks. Entrants in the FIA car, T3 and T4 categories from the GCC will be
offered a shipping allowance of $3,000, with international entrants receiving
$6,000 if they started their trip from an international destination.
GCC motorcycle and quad riders
will be eligible for $1,500 and $3,000 will be offered to international riders
starting their trips from international destinations.
The QMMF will also book economy
class return tickets for drivers and co-drivers after entry fees have been paid
and a twin hotel room with breakfast will be offered for five nights.
For further event information,
competitors and teams can contact Davy Patterson, Competitor Liaison Officer
(CRO), Email: davypatterson777@gmail.com and
WhatsApp: +44 7980 613944.
FIA World Cup for
Cross-Country Bajas – standings after round 1:
1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah
(QAT)
40pts
2. Juan Cruz Yacopini
(ARG)
32pts
3. Krzysztof Holowczyc
(POL)
24pts
4. Saleh Al-Saif
(SAU)
5. Fernando Alvarez
(ESP)
16pts, etc
FIA Middle East Cup for
Cross-Country Bajas – standings after round 1:
1. Yasir Seaidan
(SAU)
2. Hamad Al-Harbi
(SAU)
3. Abdullah Al-Shegawi
(SAU)
23pts
4. Ahmed Al-Shegawi
(SAU)
20pts
5. Salem Al-Dhafeeri
(KWT)
15pts, etc
FIM Bajas World Cup –
standings after round 1:
1. Mohammed Al-Balooshi
(ARE)
25pts
2. Martin Chalmers
(AUS)
3. Alex McInnes
(GBR)
4. Jonathan Finn
(CAN)
5. Mishal Al-Ghuneim
(SAU)
11pts
6. Abdullah Abu Aisheh
(JOR)
10pts
7. Hamdan Al-Ali
(ARE)
8. Brett Hunt
(GBR)
9. Andrew Houlihan
(AUS)
7pts
10. Sultan Al-Balooshi
(ARE)
6pts, etc
Comments
Post a Comment