Nissan Patrol named as official car for sixth consecutive year
FIA Vice President for Sport, President of the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Organizing Committee, Mohammed Ben Sulayem tipped UAE national drivers to make a big bid for victory in this year’s Desert Challenge after clinching the support Nissan Middle East FZE for the sixth consecutive year.
The agreement, which makes the Nisan Patrol the rally’s official car, was signed between Sulayem and Atsuo Kosaka, Managing Director of Nissan Middle East FZE at the ATCUAE headquarters (this afternoon).
Traditionally, the final round of the FIA World Cup and FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, the Desert Challenge will now start the FIA and FIM off-road rallying seasons renamed as the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. The event has the crucial backing of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) as title sponsor for the first time.
“We’re grateful to have the continued support of a major manufacturer that wants to work closely with us to build on the success of the Desert Challenge,” said Sulayem, who launched the event in 1991. “We have developed a strong working partnership with Nissan and their backing certainly will help further secure the event’s future. We’ll be working hard to make sure it remains the top event on the international cross country rallying calendar,” he added.
The agreement puts a fleet of Nissan Patrols at the disposal of the organisers in the build-up to the event.
“The Nissan patrols will be put to very good use in the days ahead,” said Sulayem. “Vehicles that perform well in the toughest conditions and handle a wide variety of tasks are crucial in the staging of an event like this.”
Nissan’s Kosaka said: “We are very happy to further extend our commitment to the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. We are confident that the event will go from strength-to-strength, more so as the Desert Challenge has over the last 18 years built itself a formidable reputation in rallying circles worldwide.
“In the highly competitive world of international cross country rallying some of the most experienced drivers and teams continue to choose Nissan, and this is a powerful endorsement of how trustworthy our vehicles are,” Kosaka added.
On the challenge ahead, Sulayem believes that UAE national drivers are in with a chance of claiming outright victory in this month’s Desert Challenge, which runs from March 20-27.
Sulayem, who has won more FIA regional championships and more international rallies than any other competitor in history and has been Middle East champion 14 times, said UAE sights are on Emirati, Yayha Al Helai who last year came close to winning the 19-year-old event for the host nation, successfully achieved podium finish and second overall in Nissan Patrol.
"Yayha is the most experienced of the UAE drivers confirmed for next week’s opening round of the FIA cross-country series. It would a real thrill for the veteran driver to win on this occasion, and quite fitting following the news that ADTA is the event’s title sponsor for the first time," said Sulayem.
Al Helai and experienced Emirati co-driver, Khalid Al Kendi are the local favourites and will drive a powerful 4.8-litre Nissan Patrol, which is being prepared by Ivan Ingrilli’s workshops in Sharjah.
Nissan is also the chosen vehicle of Abdullah Al Herais and Abdulhaleem Al Zayed. The local duo finished fifth overall in last year’s Desert Challenge and they return in another Nissan Patrol, while Ali Al Shawi finished sixth will also wheel out a Nissan.
A further pair of UAE-built Nissan Patrols will be driven by Ahmed Bin Soughat and Abdulbaari Bin Soughat. Ahmed has tackled numerous off-road events in the region and knows that reading the line of the challenging sand dunes in the Rub Al Khali, the Empty Quarter, holds the key to success.
Other confirmed UAE entries opting to compete with Nissan Patrols are Nabil Al Shamsi and Matar Al Mansouri.
National, Sadiq Fadhel, best known in FIA Middle East Rally Championship circles, said that he has found the attraction of competing in the region’s premier off-road event too much to resist. He has entered with a Toyota Land Cruiser.
Another Dubai-based driver who is said to have the pace to compete for honours is businessman Raed Baker who will be co-driven by Nabil Ahmadi. Both say they are focussed on crossing the ceremonial podium finish line at the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) on Friday, March 27.
"It is great to see UAE drivers out in force in support of our premier off-road event," said Sulayem. “This year could well be the one in which a UAE driver climbs to the top of the podium for the first time.”
The Desert Challenge gives drivers five days of gruelling competition across some of the world’s most spectacular desert terrain.
ADTA’s Deputy Director General Tourism Operations Ahmed Hussein said: “It would be great if a UAE driver wins this year – and I am confident the entire community will get behind their efforts and will be supporting them all the way. The increasing interest by UAE drivers highlights the home-grown ability that we have nurtured in motor sport in the Emirates.”
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2009 has the backing of key market players, including the event’s title sponsor, ADTA, Nissan, ADNOC, Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi, etisalat, Explorer, Hertz, Lambda Electronics, Oasis Water Company, TAG Heuer, and the Rally HQ host, ADIMSC.
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