Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah leads a strong entry for the 26th Kuwait International Rally, round three of the 2022 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), which was published on Monday.
The three-day event (March 17th-19th) is organised by the Kuwait International Motorsport Club (KIMC) with the Kuwait International Automobile Club (KIAC), under the patronage of His Excellency Ali Husain Ali Al-Mousa, Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Youth Affairs.
Al-Attiyah partners regular French co-driver Mathieu Baumel in an Autotek Volkswagen Polo GTI, aiming to stretch his MERC lead and win the Kuwait International Rally for an eighth time. Competitors from eight nations will contest the first Kuwait Rally since 2018.
The Qatari faces a strong challenge from seven Rally2 entries and eight more MERC2 crews over 10 special stages in the deserts of southern Kuwait.
Rally2 contenders
Fellow Qataris Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and Khaled Al-Suwaidi drive two Škoda Fabias, while 1993 series runner-up Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya brings out his trusty Ford Fiesta.
Kuwait’s Meshari Al-Thefiri, the defending showroom champion, dominated MERC2 at the recent Qatar International Rally and now moves up to an RC2 car for his home event. He drives a Škoda Fabia R2 evo for the first time, again with Qatar’s Nasser Al-Kuwari.
Oman’s Abdullah Al-Rawahi, second in the standings behind Al-Attiyah, runs a similar car with Jordan’s Ata Al-Hmoud reading the notes.
MERC2
Jordanians Ihab Al-Shorafa and Issa Abu Jamous set the early pace in this year’s MERC2 category and will meet again in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IXs. Opposition comes from Oman’s Zakariya Al-Aamri, Jordanians Shadi Shaban and Khalid Juma, and Kuwait’s Jassim Al-Muqahwi, Mohammed Al-Thefiri and Yousef Al-Dhafeeri.
Kuwait’s Emad Bukhamseen is the new organising committee chairman, with members Issa Hamzeh, Mohammed Bukhamseen, Garbis Karzelian, Clerk of the Course Hamad Marafie, Hamad Al-Saif, Meshari Al-Sabti and Fuad Abu Arja.
Kuwait Motor Town will host rally headquarters, the service park and the start and finish podiums.