HAIL SAUDI BAJA 2007
2007 FIA International Cup for Bajas, official candidate event
For immediate release
Friday, December 22nd, 2006
HAIL SAUDI BAJA SET TO KICK-START
2007 MIDDLE EAST RALLY CALENDAR
New Hail city centre location for Saudi Baja starting ceremony;
Revised ?super special? stage planned for Saudi?s premier motorsport event
HAIL (Saudi Arabia): The Hail Saudi Baja will kick-start a new season of FIA Middle East rallying, following the cancellation of the UAE International Rally, round one of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship and its replacement by an event for classic cars.
Organised by the Saudi Motor Sports Committee (SMSC), the Hail Saudi Baja has been upgraded to an official candidate event for the 2008 FIA International Cup for Bajas and will run on February 8th-11th, under the patronage of the Governor of Hail, HRH Prince Saud bin Abdul Mohsen Bin Abdul Aziz, and with the full support of Hail Development Authority.
According to Walid Mihyar, Vice-Chairman and Clerk of the Course of the organising committee, the most important motorsport event in Saudi Arabian history will also benefit from a new start venue in the middle of Hail city and a revised ?super special? stage.
?We have decided to locate the start ceremony in the middle of Hail city at Prince Sultan Entertainment,? said Mihyar. ?Along with the rally headquarters at Maghwat village, this will upgrade the infrastructure of the event. We have also switched the location of the ?super special? stage and this will now take place next to the Prince Sultan Entertainment, so that the event is compact and readily accessible for spectators, competitors and officials.?
Mishaal Fahad Al-Sudairy, Chairman of the Organising Committee, is also confident that the event will attract massive crowds in February. ?Obviously the bulk of the competition will take place in the deserts around Hail, but the new format means that we will have a refuelling point during leg two within easy reach of thousands of spectators,? said Al-Sudairy.
?Motorsport is becoming very popular in Saudi Arabia and we had an estimated 50,000 spectators and 20,000 spectator cars in Hail City for the Baja last time. Now that the event has been upgraded to an official candidate event by the FIA, we are expecting many, many more this time.?
The Hail Saudi Baja is keen to attract overseas competitors and is offering generous concessions to foreign teams. Each crew will be offered free accommodation in Hail, two free return air tickets, 200 litres of fuel and $1000 USD towards the transportation of vehicles. Al-Sudairy is confident that the 2007 Hail Saudi Baja will attract around 40 competing cars before entries officially close on Tuesday, January 23rd, 2007.
The three-day format of the 2007 Hail Saudi Baja means that the new ?super special? stage gets underway on February 9th and this is followed by two days of off-road competition.
For entry information and details about the 2007 Hail Saudi Baja, contact either Walid Mihyar (E-mail: wmihyar@hotmail.com) or Mishaal Fahad Al-Sudairy (E-mail: msudairy@msudairy.com) at the Saudi Motor Sport Committee, PO Box 87881, Riyadh 11652, Saudi Arabia, Tel: + 9661 477 1034 and Fax: + 9661 477 1050. www.Saudimotorsport.com
Ends
For further media information:
Neil Perkins, 2007 Hail Saudi Baja International Press Officer, NDP Publicity Services, NCH Building, Upper Bar, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 7EH, United Kingdom, Mobile: + 44 7831 123153, E-mail: ndppublicity@compuserve.com. www.ndp-publicity.com (press releases).
www.saudimotorsport.com