2009 Syrian International Rally
FIA Middle East Rally Championship, round 3
For immediate release
Sunday, May 24th, 2009
SYRIAN DRIVERS SET TO CHALLENGE
FOR OUTRIGHT VICTORY IN HOME RALLY
Six-strong Syrian Rally Team entered in MERC counting round
Syrian Automobile Club finalises route for country’s premier rally
SEDNAYA (Syria): Syrian drivers have their best chance of winning a round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship for the first time, when the three-day Syrian International Rally gets underway in Damascus on Thursday, June 11th.
In the absence of Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and the UAE’s Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi – who are tackling the Acropolis Rally in Greece – a six-strong Syrian Rally Team dominates the impressive entry list for the third round of the regional series, which again takes place over a compact all-desert route to the north and west of the Syrian capital.
Mohamed and Ahmed Hamsho are joined in the host nation’s team by Haitham Al-Yousefi, Ameer Arna’out, Mirar Al-Homsi and Bashar Abu Khoura.
The Syrian team drivers are still finalising co-drivers and cars for the event, where they are likely to face the likes of Qatar’s Misfer Al-Marri, Lebanon’s Michel Saleh and Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi at the front of the field.
The Syrian Auromobile Club have so far received confirmed driver entries from Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain, with additional co-drivers heading to the event from Great Britain and France.
“We have now completed the revisions to the new route for the event,” enthused clerk of the course Hani Shaban. “There will be 14 special stages in the area around Deir Attiya, Marah and Beida. The route is more compact this year. We have removed some of the long road sections and improved the route format.”
The event will again get underway in the centre of downtown Damascus on Thursday, June 11th, with the desert special stage action taking place on Friday, June 12th and Saturday, June 13th.
This year’s rally will run under the patronage of the Syrian Ministry of Tourism and has support from the Sheraton Ma’aret Sednaya, Orient TV, Europcar and Nissan.
Regulations and further information are available from the Syrian Automobile Club, PO Box 36256, Damascus, Syria, Tel: 963 11 2323706, Fax: + 963 11 2312785, Website: www.syrianrally.com.
Ends
For further media information:
Lutfi Estwani, Chief Press Officer, Tel: + 963 11 232 3706, Fax: + 963 11 231 2785, Mobile: + 963 93234445
or
Neil Perkins, NDP Publicity Services, International Press Officer, 2009 Syrian International Rally, Tel/Fax: + (44) 1952 825001, UK Mobile: + 44 7831 123153, E-mail: ndppublicity@googlemail.com
www.ndp-publicity.com (press releases)
www.syrianrally.com
www.merc-fia.com