AMMAN, JORDAN – Jordan Motorsport has announced details of the Jordan Rally, round three of the 2023 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), on May 18–20.
One of the region’s most famous and challenging events, and three times a round of the FIA World Rally Championship, the rally again features 12 stages and 205.22 competitive kilometres in a 588.88km route.
After the press conference and ceremonial start on Thursday, May 18, the action moves to the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley. Friday’s three stages, run morning and afternoon north of the Dead Sea, start as in 2022 with the 9.71km Yakrut stage (first car 09:27) on winding trails beside the Amman–Dead Sea road. The mammoth 40.79km Jordan River stage (first car 10:49) runs close to the West Bank and has produced plenty of drama in bad weather, and the loop ends with an 11.34km stage. All three are repeated from 13:21, 14:43 and 15:46 after a Dead Sea regroup and service.
Saturday opens with the first of two passes through Bahath (12.69km) from 10:22, followed by two more stages north and east of the Dead Sea hotel area, before service and a repeat loop from 13:37.
Championship picture
Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah leads the championship by 20 points, with Kuwait’s Meshari Al-Thefiri and Qatari veteran Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya tied second on 34. Al-Thefiri leads FIA MERC2 by 15 points from fellow Kuwaiti Yousef Al-Dhafiri, with Jordan’s Shadi Shaban third. Entries close on Tuesday, May 2.