From 20:33 on Friday, August 30, the first cars will fire up for the 42nd Rally of Lebanon, organised by the Automobile et Touring Club du Liban (ATCL) over three days under the patronage of President Michel Aoun. The opening super special will be held at the club’s headquarters in Kaslik for the first time in 28 years, the last having been held on the club’s grounds in 1991.
The rally, round three of the 2019 Middle East Rally Championship, now covers 645.24km including 215.94km over 11 special stages. Its headline is the expected duel between Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah, 14-time Middle East champion who has never won the Rally of Lebanon, in a Volkswagen Polo GTI, and Roger Feghali, a record 14-time winner of his home event, in a Skoda Fabia R5. Fierce battles are also expected for Group N and two-wheel-drive honours in both the Lebanese and Middle East championships.
Friday’s entertainment starts at 19:10 with a demonstration by former Lebanese rally and speed champion Nabil Karam in a Lancia Delta Integrale HF alongside German driver Edith Weiss, a former Rally of Lebanon competitor, plus Cross Car shows and a demonstration by Nabil Kambaz in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8.
Entry list
- Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (Qatar) / Mathieu Baumel (France), Volkswagen Polo GTI
- Roger Feghali / Joseph Matar, Skoda Fabia R5
- Patrick Njeim / Thierry Rouhana, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9
- Rodrigue Rahi / Georges Nader, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
- Meshari Al-Thefiri (Kuwait) / Nasser Al-Kuwari (Qatar), Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
- Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah (Qatar) / Salim Jalilati, Ford Fiesta R5
- Henry Massaad / Roger Ghosn, Citroën DS3
- Jad Aawar / Viken Kendeljian, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9
- Nadim Halabi / Carlos Hanna, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9
- Rony Kanaan / Sami Awad, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
- Tarek Younes / Nader Hamzeh, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9
- Tony Abi Gebrayel / Georges Daibes, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
- Ahmad Khaled / Dany Kairouz, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8
- Albert Hayek / Chadi Beyrouthy, Renault Clio
- Bassel Abou Hamdan / Firas Elias, Citroën DS3
- Abdullah Al-Rawahi (Oman) / Ata Al-Hmoud (Jordan), Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9
- Saeed Al-Mouri / Omar Al-Rifai (Saudi Arabia), Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
- Raafat Al Mohtar / Rony Abou Abdo, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9
- Chadi Fakih / Samer Sfeir, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9
- Henri Kaai / Moussa Djirian (Jordan), Skoda Fabia 1.6
- Alex Feghali / Mickey Assaf, Peugeot 208
- Christopher Njeim / Karim Abou Elias, Suzuki Swift 1.6
- Nassib Nassar / Rony Maroun, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
- David Mezher / Chadi Nasr, Renault Clio
- Joe Kazzi / Omar Mazkour, Renault Clio RS
- Emile Khoueiry / Mazen Raad, Renault Clio
- Elie Ghanem / Joe Ghaleb, Peugeot 206
Saturday’s stages
After Friday’s 2.52km super special at the ATCL, cars head to parc fermé at the Fouad Chehab Sports Complex in Jounieh. Saturday’s action starts at 07:00 with Habboub – Bentael (21.30km), Ain Aaya – Deir Billa (21.40km) and Sourat – Dahr Abi Yaghi (26.12km), followed by service in Jounieh from 11:41 and a repeat loop from 12:24, before cars enter parc fermé from 17:45.