Tabuk Toyota Rally – May 8th-11th, 2024
2024 Saudi Toyota Championship, round 2
For immediate release
Monday, May 6th, 2024
BUMPER ENTRY ANNOUNCED FOR SECOND ROUND OF SAUDI TOYOTA CHAMPIONSHIP IN TABUK
- Thirty-five cars, 18 motorcycles and eight quads on entry lists in Tabuk
TABUK (SAUDI ARABIA): The Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) has today announced the entry list for the Tabuk Toyota Rally 2024, round two of the Saudi Toyota Championship, which takes place this coming weekend (May 8th-11th).
The three-day event has attracted 35 entrants in the car category, 18 motorcycles and eight quads. They will tackle a Prologue, two special stages and approximately 419 competitive kilometres in a route of 807km laid on by the SAMF.
Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk claimed a narrow victory at the opening round of the Saudi Toyota Championship in Ha’il and are joined by Dania Akeel and Stéphane Duplé at the head of the field in a pair of Overdrive Racing Toyota Hiluxes entered in the Ultimate P category.
They face 11 Saudi rivals in the Ultimate section in a variety of Nissan machinery with the likes of Abdulaziz Al-Yaeesh, Faris Al-Moshna and Khalid Abdullah Al-Shammeri leading the way.
The Challenger section has attracted six entrants and Saleh Al-Saif is the top seed at the helm of his Dark Horse OT3 in which he and Qatari co-driver Nasser Al-Kuwari finished fifth overall at the Ha’il International Rally and claimed maximum Challenger class points. Competition comes from five Can-Am Mavericks in the hands of Germany’s Annett Quandt and the Saudi quartet of Hamad Al-Harbi, Maha Al-Hameli, Hamza Bakhashab and Abdullah Al-Haydan.
Moaaz Hariri heads four Saudi rivals in the SSV section and lines up against the Shegawi Racing duo of Esraa Al-Dkheil and Abdullah Al-Shegawi, Dark Horse team-mate Waleed Al-Dakheel and R-X Sport’s Orjwan Ammar. All five drive Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RRs.
The Stock category for series-production cross-country vehicles is well-supported once again and 11 crews will compete for honours. Muneef Al-Shammeri, Sufian Al-Omer and round one winner Majed Al-Thunayyan lead the way in their Nissan Patrols.
MX Ride Dubai’s Mohammed Al-Balooshi topped the standings at the opening round in Ha’il and the Emirati heads a 16-strong field of up-to-450cc motorcyclists that includes his closest Kuwaiti rival Abdullah Al-Shatti and local rider Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera, who finished third in Ha’il.
The list also includes entries from Saudi riders Hamdan Al-Ali and Mishal Al-Ghuneim, Bahrain’s Salman Farhan, Ehab Al-Hakeem and Al-Balooshi’s brother Sultan. Philip Horlemann and Hassan Al-Sulaiti ride the two bikes in the over-450cc category.
The quad section is well supported once again and eight riders will compete for supremacy in Tabuk.
Haitham Al-Tuwaijri won the opening round in Ha’il and tops the field on his Yamaha Raptor from his three closest championship rivals, Hani Al-Noumesi, Abdulaziz Al-Shayban and Abdulaziz Al-Atawi. Al-Tuwaijri, Al-Noumesi and Al-Shayban head back to Tabuk straight from competing in last weekend’s Badajoz-based Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura, round two of the FIM Bajas World Cup. Al-Shayban won the section outright in Spain from Al-Noumesi.
Abdulrahman Abdullatif, Abdulaziz Al-Shammeri, Osama Abdulkareem and Mohammed Al-Name complete the list of quad entrants.
The service park located close to the Grand Millennium Hotel in Tabuk opens tomorrow (Tuesday) and administration and scrutineering checks will be held on Wednesday, prior to the pre-event press conference at 19.00hrs.
Ends
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For further information: Saudi Toyota Championship (samf.gov.sa)