September 2, 2015 – Much like in the Group N category, another interesting battle awaits us in the front-wheel drive class of the Lebanese Rally Championship at the 38th Rally of Lebanon.
Despite having one victory each, front-wheel drive class competitors Henry Massaad, Robert Aaraj and Bassel Abou Hamdan aren’t very close in terms of points, as the former leads the FWD standings with 223 points after three rounds, while Robert is 46 points down on Henry (177 pts) and Bassel’s 82 points behind (141 pts). Rony Kanaan is also in the mix, with 174 points in his pocket.
Henry has been the most consistent this season, regularly scoring points in the Lebanese Rally Championship; he finished second to Bassel in the Spring Rally, won in Jezzine and finished second to Robert in the Cedars’ Rally.
Robert, on the other hand, retired from the Spring Rally after making a mistake, finished behind Henry in Jezzine and won at the Cedars’ Rally; he also won all three rounds of the Lebanese Hill Climb Championship and was quicker than Henry throughout the Hill Climb season. However, his Hill Climb victories didn’t make up for his Spring Rally retirement, which cost him vital points.
Bassel might have one victory, but his absence from the Cedars’ Rally and from two rounds of the Lebanese Hill Climb Championship has put him in a very difficult position to win the title, and he’s also behind Rony Kanaan, who’s right behind Robert in terms of points, thanks to his third place finishes in the Spring Rally and Cedars’ Rally, in addition to a fourth place finish in Jezzine.
Mathematically, any of them can secure the FWD title at the 38th Rally of Lebanon with a total of 180 points up for grabs, but realistically, it looks like Henry’s to lose; he’s comfortably ahead of Robert, and he can afford to finish a couple of positions behind him, whereas Robert needs to push hard, and thus take more risks.
In terms of pace, Henry, Robert and Bassel have been close, with no clear advantage for someone in particular. Henry and Robert were neck and neck at the Cedars’ Rally, while the former was faster in Jezzine. Rony, meanwhile, hasn’t been on par with the aforementioned trio, but he’s been very consistent and he can definitely cause a stir.
The battle for front-wheel drive glory is without a doubt going to be an exciting one, and as we always say: anything can happen. Will Henry take it easy, nurse his car, and secure the title? Or will Robert and Bassel, who will most probably opt for a more aggressive approach, force him to react and push hard?
Bassel has got nothing to lose and he will be pushing for a victory, as he already stated, and it’s a similar case with Tony Helou, so the pair of Citroen drivers might spring a surprise.
Let’s not forget other front-wheel drive contestants, such as Walid Chlink and Elie Nehme, who are more than prepared to take points away from the championship contenders.
It’s a long rally and the 2014 edition’s unpredictability proved just how tough it is; we can’t wait to see how the action will unfold in a few days’ time.