2016 KUWAIT INTERNATIONAL RALLY, March 24-26, 2016
FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), round 2
For immediate release
Tuesday, March 22nd, 2016
GERMANY’S EDITH WEISS EAGER FOR SUCCESS AGAINST THE MEN IN KUWAIT RALLY
· Competitors complete two-day recce of Kuwaiti special stages on Wednesday
FINTAS: (Kuwait): Rallying in the Middle East may involve sweat, dust and stamina to deal with the punishing heat and rigours of racing across desert terrain at high speeds, but it is not just the domain of male drivers.
Edith Weiss is a case in point and, when the German lady takes the start of the Kuwait International Rally – round two of the 2016 FIA Middle East Rally Championship – on Thursday afternoon, she will be competing on an equal footing with the finest male drivers in the Middle East and running on a Qatari competition licence.
Female golfers compete from different tees and hit balls shorter distances than their male counterparts, female tennis players cannot cope with the power of a man’s service game and the speed and power of a man would be too much for a woman in a football or rugby match.
There are no such handicaps or advantages given to women in world motor sport, however, and Weiss and new German navigator Anne Stein will line their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX up at the start of the three-day event expecting no favours from their illustrious male rivals.
Women have broken through the ranks in motor sport across the world before: French lady Michèle Mouton was one of the most talented stars of her generation in the Group B era of world rallying and Norwegian Marit Stromoy became the first woman in history to win a round of the UIM F1 H20 World Championship for powerboats in the UAE last December.
Weiss is not expecting to win the Kuwait International Rally being hosted by the Basil Salem Al-Sabah Motor Racing Club (BMRC) this weekend by any means, but she is hoping to finish inside the top 10 and reach the top five in the competitive NR4 class.
“This will be my third attempt at the Kuwait Rally,” enthused Weiss. “Last year, Kuwait was one of the best events in terms of preparation and organisation and I really enjoyed it. I finished second in the Group N section and eighth overall. The event has very nice, fast stages and they are smoother than some of the other rounds of the championship, so there is less risk of a flat tyre or damage to the car. I say a special thanks to Sheikh Athbi Nayef Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah for his efforts to bring the event back to the championship.
“My year started badly. My car got stuck on the Saudi border before the Qatar Rally and arrived in Doha just a few hours late for me to start. It was very annoying. I lost important points for the championship. Now is the time for me to get the points back, here in Kuwait!”
The southern deserts of Kuwait have been affected by changeable weather conditions in recent days and strong winds and light rain was prevalent in some areas on Monday. But the forecast for the weekend is for more stable and warmer weather and there appears to be no risk of rain on the special stages.
Competitors complete their two-day reconnaissance of the desert special stages on Wednesday (tomorrow) and then all eyes will be focused on the pre-event press conference, the ceremonial start and the opening special stage at 15.30hrs, 16.30hrs and 18.00hrs, respectively, at the Sirbb circuit, near Kuwait City, on Thursday afternoon.
The event is being held under the chairmanship of Sheikh Athbi Nayef Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in conjunction with the General Authority for Sport. The meat of the action takes place on Friday and Saturday in the desert to the south of Kuwait City.
Ends
For further information:
English: Neil Perkins, NDP Publicity Services, international media officer, 2016 Kuwait International Rally, Kuwait mobile: +965 941 38049, UK mobile: +44 7831 123153, E-mail: ndppublicity@googlemail.com, Twitter: @LordPerkins
www.ndp-publicity.com (press releases).
www.rallykuwait.com
Twitter: @KuwaitRally
Follow the rally live:
http://timing.sporttraxx.com/races/kuwait-2016/#results