ِAugust 2, 2015 – Lebanese rally driver Nicolas Amiouni, winner of the 37th Rally of Lebanon, has confirmed that he is ready to partake in the 2015 edition of Rally of Lebanon on September 4-6.
Amiouni, who missed the Lebanese Rally Championship this year due to lack of funding and support, does not want to miss this event in which he triumphed last year for the first time in his career alongside co-driver Chady Beyrouthy in a Motortune Racing Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. Amiouni is returning behind the wheel of the same car, but this time alongside co-driver Elie Mousallem, due to Beyrouthy’s inability to travel from Dubai.
“I will take part in Rally of Lebanon with co-driver Elie Mousallem as Chadi Beyrourthy cannot travel from Dubai and I wanted to get back in the car with Elie, with whom I haven’t raced since 2010.” said Amiouni.
Regarding the car that he’ll be driving, Amiouni said: “I will drive a Mitsubishi Evolution X because we don’t have the budget for a better car, and of course, beating RRC cars won’t be easy, which is why we’re aiming to clinch the Group N class victory and to score the highest position possible in the overall standings.”
Amiouni, who’s contesting Rally Finland this weekend through the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy, confirmed to the Rally of Lebanon media committee that he doesn’t have any plans for the future as he’s competing in this year’s Rally of Lebanon with little support, and if he doesn’t get enough sponsorship, he won’t be present next year. Amiouni doesn’t want to compete out of his own pocket, especially after failing to attract sponsors following his Rally of Lebanon victory last year.
Despite missing the local championship, Amiouni and co-driver Joseph Matar are active on an international level, with the pair competing in the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy for the second year in a row, managing a ninth-place finish in the first round in Portugal and a seventh-place finish in the second round in Poland.
Amiouni, who’s 8th in the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy with 8 points, hopes he can put his international experience to good use in Rally of Lebanon and wants to put the pedal to the metal in order to secure the best result possible in a rally that helped him etch his name on a list that is full of champions and prominent drivers from the Middle East and Arab world.
Registration for the 38th Rally of Lebanon closes on August 21, with drivers and co-drivers to be announced at a later date. The rally will consist of 13 special stages that cover 244.01 kilometers of the 794.63-kilometer total distance.