April 14, 2016 – Lebanese rally driver Henry Massaad enjoyed a flying start to the 2016 Lebanese Rally Championship after finishing the opening round, the 32nd Spring Rally, second in the RC3/front-wheel drive category.
Armed with a Renault Clio R3T and supported by Bassoul Heneine, Henry Massaad and co-driver Ramy Menhem had a flawless and trouble-free race to second place in the highly competitive category.
The 32nd Spring Rally featured eight special stages that covered 92.73 kilometers of a 328.49-kilometer total distance. The special stages visited three locations: a 15.42-km route in Nahr Ibrahim, a 14.63-km route in Monsef and a 1.29-kilometer super special stage in Casino du Liban. The first two stages were visited three times, whilst the super special in Casino du Liban was done twice.
With fellow RC3 competitor and 12-times Lebanese Rally Champion Roger Feghali out of reach in the same category, Henry targeted second place from the outset, and he put in a stellar drive aboard the Renault Clio R3T, improving stage after stage as the car performed reliably, with no issues reported whatsoever throughout the event.
Henry completed the first loop of the rally 21 seconds ahead of his closest rival, and after five special stages and at the end of the second loop, Henry had extended the gap to a massive 50 seconds. His highly impressive driving, coupled with Ramy Menhem’s experience and the Renault’s first-class performance and reliability, helped Henry reach the finish line 1 minute 35 seconds clear of his class rivals, meaning he was unchallenged for the position following eight special stages.
“It was a great rally, we had a great time. The first loop was particularly difficult because of lack of grip, but it got better and better in the second and third loops.” said Henry at the finish line.
“We knew that Roger Feghali was in a class of his own, and so my aim was to beat my other rivals in the category. I was comfortable, the gap to my competitors was very big and I maintained my position all through the rally.”
“It’s a fantastic start to the season. I would like to thank my sponsors Bassoul Heneine, Mic, Motul, Progetti and Straight Line for their continuous support and I hope we can do even better in future rounds.”
Henry and Ramy’s next challenge is the 5th Jezzine Rally, the second round of the 2016 Lebanese Rally Championship, which is scheduled for Sunday, June 12.
