- Al Mazrouei is the new King of the Hill -


Liwa, UAE, 16th April, 2004: A record breaking double by Abu Dhabi’s Hamdan Al Mazrouei was the showstopper when the UAE’s most powerful 4WDs came face to face with Moreb Hill on the second night of the Red Bull Reach the Top challenge.
 
Partnered by co-driver Abdullah Al Hamli in the 8-cylinder category and watched by thousands of spectators gathered in the desert on the edge of the Empty Quarter, Al Mazrouei made light of the pre-event talk of rival Badr Ibrahim Ali by shattering Ali’s record time of 13.5 seconds for the ascent of the 250m face of Moreb Hill.
 
An explosive first record-breaking run of 12.417 seconds – slicing a full second off the previous best – had the crowd on its feet after seeing a number of other drivers fail to conquer the towering sand dune.
 
And as if that wasn’t enough, Al Mazrouei and Al Hamli returned for a second run and stormed to beat their own best time and set another new record of 12.313 seconds.
 
The pre-event talk of Ali’s new 1,200bhp, glass fibre Nissan Patrol proved unfounded when the Formula Workshop driver appeared with his regular machinery. And with the rest of the field breathing easy again in the two-night event - staged under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan – it was left to the boys from the Abu Dhabi Team to set off on their record breaking runs.
 
“We were pretty scared after reading about Badr’s new car in the newspapers,” smiled Al Hamli, after setting the new record in front of Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed. “But as you can see our car is also a bit special and we have a strong team of our own behind us.
 
“During testing and practice, we’ve done the climb of Moreb Hill in just 11 seconds so we’re well aware of the car’s potential. But doing it in competition and getting the set-up right is hugely important so obviously, this is a very big win for us.”
 
A customised Nissan Patrol with a super-charged 800bhp V8 Chevy engine, Al Mazrouei’s vehicle stormed the punishing 60 degree climb three times on a night when Moreb Hill won as many battles as it lost.
 
On the third run, however, a lack of nitrous oxide injections meant a loss of power for the new champions and a relatively tame time of 15.243 seconds. But the damage had already been done and they took the 8-cylinder title by more than half a second from Dubai’s Majid Eid Bin Mudia with Mohammed Al Qubaisi in third just four-hundredths of a second adrift
 
On a dramatic night of exhilarating action, the top three finishers in the 8-cylinder category all broke the previous best time of Badr Ibrahim Ali but, unfortunately for the former record holder, he wasn’t one of them finishing in fifth place with a disappointing time of 14.211 seconds.
 
Organised and sponsored by Red Bull, co-sponsored by Axiom and with the backing of the FIA, the FIM and the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, the final night of the Red Bull Reach the Top Challenge resulted in mechanical disaster for many competitors. The gruelling nature of the climb up one of motorsport’s toughest sprint tracks took its toll with fires, explosions and breakdowns hitting the majority of the field.
 
In the 6-cylinder category it was a whitewash for the team of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
 
Three Nissan Patrols from this impressive racing ‘stable’ took the honours with the leading car completing the course in 15.170 seconds, over three seconds quicker than its nearest team-mate. Typical of this proud team, the drivers refused to take personal glory opting instead to have the name of the team credited as the driver of each vehicle.
 
In total some 91 cars, bikes and quads gathered under the floodlights for the 2004 Red Bull Reach the Top Challenge. Judging by the thousands who turned out over the two nights of competition, it’s an event set to secure its place as one of the most colourful and spectacular challenges on the Middle East motorsport calendar.
 
Provisional Results – Day Two Red Bull Reach the Top Challenge
4x4 Cars (8 Cylinder)
           
1. Hamdan Al Mazrouei (UAE)                          12.313s (New record)
2. Majid Eid Bin Mudia (UAE)                           12.923s
3. Mohammed Al Qubaisi (UAE)                       12.963s
 
4x4 Cars (6 Cylinder)
 
1. Team Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed (UAE)             15.170s
2. Team Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed (UAE)             18.570s
3. Team Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed (UAE)             20.919s
 
-Ends-
 
For further information:
Alan Ewens,
Red Bull Reach the Top Challenge Press Office.
Tel: 02 8822926.
Fax: 02 8822293.
Mob: 050 4514188.
 

© Press Release 2004