Friday, May 10, 2013
Dead Sea, Jordan: The UAE’s Shaikh Khalid Al Qasimi battled to keep his chances of victory in the Jordan Rally alive today as the third round of the 2013 FIA Middle East Championship created the most dramatic action so far in this year’s regional series.
Partnered by British co-driver Scott Martin in his Abu Dhabi Citroën Total World Rally Team DS3 RRC, Al Qasimi was once again locked in a classic tussle with Nasser Al Attiyah as he tried to put pressure on the championship leader from Qatar.
After a spectacular first loop of four special stages in the Jordan Valley, Al Attiyah’s Ford Fiesta led by 17.8 seconds from UAE driver, who was 11.7 seconds ahead of Lebanon’s Roger Feghali in another Ford in third place.
“I have been working with the engineer to make a few changes and get a better feeling for the car, and the first stage went OK,” said Al Qasimi after reaching the service park, beside the Dead Sea, the lowest land spot on earth at 420m below sea level.
“On the second stage we were completely over-shooting the corners and had to back off because there was so much loose gravel. Stage three was good but on the next stage the tyres became really slick because of all the wear and the heat, and the car was all over the place. But we’re fine, and still in the battle.”
Three of Al Qasimi’s Abu Dhabi Racing teammates each gave a good account of themselves over the first four stages, which twisted along the gravel trails winding around the slopes of historic Mount Nebo.
Accompanied by Irish co-driver John Higgins in a Subaru N15, Majid Al Shamsi held 10th place overall and third in the Group N production class, with Bader Al Jabri and Frenchman Denis Giraudat 13th overall and fifth in Group N.
Mohammad Al Mutawa, accompanied by Irish co-driver Stephen McAuley in an Abu Dhabi Citroën DS3 R3 2WD, headed the two-wheel class after team-mate Mohammad Al Sahlawi had been forced to retire following a moment of real drama on the first special stage.
Al Sahlawi and Irish co-driver Allan Harryman were left hanging on the edge of a cliff above a river in their Citroën DS3 R3 2WD before the car was pulled to safety by spectators and marshals.
Al Sahlawi said: “It was a blind corner and I was worried about it so I was slowing down. But everyone had been cutting from the left and there weren’t any lines to follow. I stopped when I saw the water but the front right wheel went over the edge and we got stuck. We just waited for someone to pull us back. We were scared we might fall off.”
Staff Report
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