13th HA’IL NISSAN INTERNATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY RALLY – January 13-18, 2018
For immediate release
Monday, January 15th, 2018
CAN-AM’S SALEH ABDULLAH AL-SAIF TAKES SURPRISE EARLY LEAD IN HA’IL NISSAN RALLY
· Saudi’s Essa Al-Dossari holds second and leads T1 in new Nissan Navara
· Yasir Saiedan on top in T2; massive delays for Saleh Al-Abdulaali’s Hummer
HA’IL (Saudi Arabia): The Saudi Arabian Can-Am crew of Saleh Abdullah Al-Saif and Abdulsalem Al-Shammeri were the surprise leaders of the Ha’il Nissan International Cross-Country Rally, after the opening 3.87km super special stage at Mashar on Monday afternoon.
They headed the Saudi driver Essa Al-Dossari and his Emirati navigator Ali Hassan Obaid by just 0.7 seconds. Driving his South African-built Nissan Navara through a new ED Racing Team, Al-Dossari carded a time of 3min 15.7sec and that was 4.8 seconds faster than that set by Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri and that enabled the Nissan driver to head the T1 runners at the overnight halt.
Yasir Saeidan, the current FIA World Cup T2 champion, was fifth overall and first in T2 in his diesel-engined Toyota Land Cruiser. Reigning Saudi T2 champion Muneef Al-Salmani was ninth overall in his Nissan Patrol, while former event winner Ibrahim Al-Muhanna rounded off the top 20 in his Nissan.
Saleh Abdullah Al-Abdulaali wheeled out the Hummer that Yazeed Al-Rajhi has used on two occasions to snatch victory, but the young Saudi sustained mechanical problems in the stage and dropped 29 minutes to the day’s winner.
Forty-two crews eventually took the start on the event laid on by the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation (SAMF). They were joined on the entry list by two motorcycles and four quads.
The Ha’il Nissan International Cross-Country Rally is being staged under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Saud Bin Abdul Mohsen Bin Abdul Aziz, Governor of Ha’il, President of the Supreme Commission for Ha’il Development and the Head of the Supreme Commission of the Ha’il Rally.
Tomorrow (Tuesday), the first of three selective sections through the An Nafud desert starts and finishes at Baqa’a and runs for 189.69km.
13th Ha’il Nissan International Cross-Country Rally – positions after SS1:
1. Saleh Abdullah Al-Saif (SAU)/Abdulsalem Al-Shammeri (SAU) Can-Am 3min 15.0sec
2. Essa Al-Dossari (SAU)/Ali Hassan Obaid (ARE) Nissan Patrol 3min 15.7sec
3. Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri (SAU)/Muath Ababtain (SAU) Toyota Land Cruiser 3min 20.5sec
4. Khaleel Abdulrahman Al-Tuwaijri (SAU)/Waleed Al-Tuwaijri (SAU) Can-Am 3min 23.2sec
5. Yasir Saeidan (SAU)/Arif Yousef Mohammed (ARE) Toyota Land Cruiser 3min 24.8sec
6. Bader Al-Tuwaijri (SAU)/Bander Al-Sagri (SAU) Polaris 3min 25.9sec
7. Khalid Ahmed Al-Furaihi (SAU)/Ali Mirza (ARE) Nissan 3min 26.9aec
8. Sami Ibrahim Al-Gafari (SAU)/Ibrahim Al-Muhimed (SAU) Can-Am 3min 27.4sec
9. Muneef Al-Salmani (SAU)/Ali Al-Saiyari (SAU) Nissan Patrol 3min 27.7sec
10. Faris Khalaf Al-Mashna (SAU)/Saud Al-Tamimi (SAU) Nissan Patrol 3min 29.1sec
11. Muteb Saud Al-Qnoon (SAU)/Abdullah Al-Qnoon (SAU) Nissan 3min 29.5sec
12. Ahmed Sulaiman Al-Qashami (SAU)/Omar Al-Lahim (SAU) Nissan 3min 32.2sec
13. Salman Al-Mshaan (SAU)/Nawaf Al-Onazi (ARE) Toyota Land Cruiser 3min 32.4sec
14. Ahmed Al-Shuhail (SAU)/Rasheed Al-Shammeri (SAU) Nissan Patrol 3min 33.4sec
15. Yousef Al-Suweidi (SAU)/Ziad Al-Harbi (SAU) Nissan Patrol 3min 34.4sec
16. Saeed Al-Mouri (SAU)/Hakam Rabie (EGY) Nissan Patrol 3min 34.6sec
17. Khalaf Saleh Al-Jouan (SAU)/Jouan Saleh Al-Jouan (SAU) Toyota Land Cruiser 3min 34.9sec
18. Al-Mashna Al-Shammeri (SAU)/Murdi Mutair Al-Shammeri (SAU) Nissan 3min 36.1sec
19. Muteb Saud Al-Shammeri (SAU)/Tariq Saleh Al-Rammah (SAU) Nissan 3min 36.9sec
20. Ibrahim Al-Muhanna (SAU)/Osama Al-Sanad (SAU) Nissan Patrol 3min 37.2sec
Ends
Follow the results live:
http://www.chronomoto.hu/livetiming/hailrally/