August 16, 2016 – After skipping the first three rounds of the Lebanese Rally Championship this year, Elie Nehme is returning to the heart of the action in next month’s 39th Rally of Lebanon, the driver has confirmed.
Nehme will sit behind the wheel of the Renault Clio R3 that he had driven in the past two seasons and will be co-piloted by his cousin Chadi Beyrouthy, who won Rally of Lebanon back in 2014 alongside Nicolas Amiouni.
Speaking to Biser3a.com, Elie said: “I’m very excited to have Chadi Beyrouthy next to me in Rally of Lebanon. He’s family and he’s a great asset to the team as he’s got great experience and skills, evidenced by his Rally of Lebanon victory in 2014. I would also like to thank Louay Sakr, my previous co-driver, who had been with from the start and who helped get to where I am today.”
Nehme has enjoyed plentiful success in Rally of Lebanon, with an RC5 class victory onboard the Suzuki Swift Sport in 2013, followed by two second place finishes in the RC3 category in 2014 and 2015.
Despite the lack of running, which puts him at a disadvantage compared to his class rivals, Elie wants to emulate his previous successes, saying: “The aim for the 39th Rally of Lebanon is to finish in the top 10 and be on the podium in our category.”
“It’s a realistic target considering we’ve done it during the past 3 seasons; missing the first three rounds this year did not help us, so we’re gonna try our best to get back into the game as quickly as possible.”
The 39th Rally of Lebanon, the 4th and final round of the 2016 Lebanese Rally Championship and the 4th round of the Middle East Rally Championship, is scheduled to take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, between the 2nd and the 4th of September.
