Mitsubishi Motors Qatar Baja 2005
FIA International Cup for Cross-Country Bajas, round 6
For immediate release
Monday, June 6th, 2005
QATAR MOTOR AND MOTORCYCLE FEDERATION
ANNOUNCES NEW-LOOK INTERNATIONAL BAJA
Demanding Baja takes its place in new FIA calendar;
Generous assistances packages for European teams
DOHA (Qatar): The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) officially announced the Mitsubishi Motors Qatar Baja 2005, today (Monday). The event ran as an official candidate event for inclusion in the FIA International Cup for Cross-Country Bajas last November and was included in the FIA calendar for the first time this year. The 2005 event will be based in Doha and takes place on November 23rd-26th.
The QMMF is keen to attract a maximum number of international competitors to follow on the successes of the inaugural Moto GP last year and the highly-acclaimed round of the World Super Bikes Championship and the Qatar International Rally, a round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship.
FIA cross-country cars complying with both the T1 or T2 regulations will be eligible, in addition to motorcycles and quad bikes.
~We are delighted to announce this year’s Mitsubishi Motors Qatar Baja,~ enthused Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah, President of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation. ~Last year’s event was an instant success and we hope to build upon that with an improved and expanded Baja in 2005. We hope to welcome as many overseas teams to Doha as possible and look forward to welcoming competitors also taking part in this year’s FIA International Cup for Cross-Country Bajas.~
According to new Race Director Mohammed Naeem, proceedings for the three-day event will begin with scrutineering on Thursday, November 24th, along the picturesque Corniche in Doha. The first leg of the all-desert event will begin the same afternoon with a three-kilometre Prologue stage in the West Bay Lagoon area. The service park will be situated on the Corniche.
On Thursday evening there will be a ceremonial start at the same location in the presence of a number of local and international VIPs and dignitaries. This will include live television interviews with drivers, riders and senior officials, with a firework display, folk dances and a cultural show to accompany the proceedings.
The second leg of the event will take place on Friday, November 25th, with teams heading out towards the Sealine area, south of Doha, to tackle a two-lap, 600 kms selective section across varied desert terrain in the south of the State of Qatar. There will be an overnight parc ferme and bivouac at the Sealine Beach Resort, where teams will be able to sample traditional arabic cuisine and local music.
The third and final leg takes place on Saturday, November, 26th with a shorter 200 kms selective section. The podium finish and prizegiving will take place on the Doha Corniche on Saturday afternoon and festivities will close with an evening gala dinner for teams, officials and volunteers at the Ramada Hotel in Doha.
The Qatar Baja Cube ran on one occasion in 1993 and was won by Sheikh Ahmed Bin Ali Al-Thani in his Land Rover 100, with the Italian amateur rider Marmaroli winning the motorcycle category. Last year’s FIA candidate event was won by Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah in a ProTruck, with Dubai-based German Tim Trenker winning the motorcycle section.
Generous assistance packages
The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation is offering generous assistance packages to attract overseas and regional entrants to take part in the sixth and final round of the FIA International Cup for Cross-Country Bajas. Fifty per cent of entry fees will be refunded upon starting the event and the QMMF is offering four nights’ free accommodation in a twin-bedded room for each competing car and a single room for quad and motorcycle entrants, on a room-only basis between November 23rd and November 27th.
European competitors will be offered free transportation of rally vehicles, bikes and quads and the QMMF will reimburse a maximum of two air tickets to car crews and one air ticket for motorcycle and quad crews taking part. Air ticket refunds will be $700 per European competitor, ?500 for Middle East entrants and $250 for competitors from GCC countries. Visa assistance will be supplied upon application and entries will officially close on Wednesday, November 9th.
For regulations, entry forms and further information about the event contact the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF), PO Box 8708, Doha, Qatar, Tel: + 974 4379752, Fax: + 974 4379761, E-mail: mohd.naeem@qmmf.com and info@qmmf.com.
Ends
For further media information:
Neil Perkins, Mitsubishi Motors Qatar Baja 2005 Press Officer, NDP Publicity Services, NCH Building, Upper Bar, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 7EH, United Kingdom.
Tel: + (44) 1952 825078, Fax: + (44) 1952 825001, Mobile: + 44 7831 123153
E-mail: NDPPublicity@compuserve.com
www.ndp-publicity.com (press releases)