QASSIM RALLY TOYOTA 2024
Saudi Toyota Championship, round 3 – October 23rd-26th, 2024
For immediate release
Monday, October 21st, 2024
SAMF ANNOUNCES IMPRESSIVE ENTRY FOR THIS WEEKEND’S QASSIM RALLY TOYOTA
BURAYDAH (SAUDI ARABIA): The Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) has released the official entry lists for this weekend’s Qassim Rally Toyota, round three of the 2024 Saudi Toyota Championship.
Thirty-nine cars, 18 motorcycles and six quads are present on the two lists for the three-day Buraydah-based event. The car category is further broken down into 16 vehicles competing in the Ultimate category, seven in both the Challenger and SSV sections and nine in the Stock category for series production cross-country machines.
Qassim Rally Toyota is being organised by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF), in conjunction with the Ministry of Sport and in partnership with Jameel Motorsports as an official partner and Saudi Investment Bank as a strategic partner. The organising team is headed by SAMF President H.R.H. Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal.
Defending champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi and his German navigator Timo Gottschalk head the flagship Ultimate section in their Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux, where competition is likely from team-mates Dania Akeel and Stéphane Duplé and the Eastern European duo of Miroslav Zapletal and Marek Sykora in a Ford F-150.
The remainder of the Ultimate section is made up of Saudi drivers in a fleet of Nissans and Toyotas with the likes of Abdulaziz Al-Yaeesh, Khaled Al-Shammeri and Mubarak Al-Alzbidy chasing honours.
Saleh Al-Saif heads the Challenger section but faces fierce competition from the likes of Dark Horse team-mate Maha Al-Hameli, Germany’s Annett Quandt in an X-Raid Yamaha and Hamza Bakhashab and Hamad Al-Harbi in a pair of Can-Ams.
The Dark Horse team, Shegawi Racing and R-X Sport dominate the SSV entry with Ahmed and Abdullah Al-Shegawi, Moaaz Al-Hariri, Esraa Aldkheil, Orwan Ammar, Mona Kurdi and Kuwaiti Salem Al-Dhafeeri chasing success.
Nissans dominate the Stock entry with Jafar Al-Qahtani, Majed Al-Thunayyan and Sufian Al-Omer heading the list.
Two-time motorcycle winner Mohammed Al-Balooshi heads the two-wheel contingent on his KTM, where his main rivals include Kuwait’s Abdullah Al-Shatti and fellow Emiratis Hamdan Al Ali and his brother Sultan Al-Balooshi. Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera, Ahmed Al-Jaber and Mishal Al-Ghuneim head the local challenge.
A quintet of Yamaha riders and a CF Moto will challenge for quad honours with Haitham Al-Tuwaijri heading the list, ahead of Hani Al-Noumesi, Abdulaziz Al-Shayban, Abdulaziz Al-Atawi, Abdulrahman Al-Abdulattif and Hussam Al-Khowiter.
The event is based out of the Mövenpick Qassim in Buraydah and gets underway with a ceremonial start in the nearby National Park from 14.00hrs on Thursday.
Ends
SPORTITY APP – Code QASSIM24AUTO and QASSIM24MOTO
For further information: Saudi Toyota Championship (saudi-championship.com)