The Oman Automobile Association (OAA) has announced an impressive line-up of international and national entries for the Oman International Rally, round one of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), on January 26th-28th.
Fifteen international crews and 10 national teams are on the entry list, with competitors from nine countries, headed by motor sport’s men of the moment, Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and Andorra-based co-driver Mathieu Baumel.
On Sunday the pair sealed Al-Attiyah’s fifth Dakar Rally win and Baumel’s fourth. The Qatari now swaps his all-conquering Toyota Hilux for an Autotek Motorsport Volkswagen Polo GTi to begin another defence of his regional title.
Al-Attiyah has seven wins in the Sultanate and is the clear favourite over the 13 gravel stages next week.
Rally2 contenders
Four Rally2 cars are entered. Local hopes rest with the Oman Rally Team’s Abdullah Al-Rawahi and Jordanian co-driver Ata Al-Hmoud in their Škoda Fabia; Al-Rawahi finished fourth in last year’s championship.
Qatar’s Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya, runner-up in the regional series back in 1993, again partners Giovanni Bernacchini in a Ford Fiesta R5. His Italian co-driver has just competed in the Dakar Classic in Saudi Arabia.
Petr Kačirek completes the Rally2 entry in his Duck Racing Škoda Fabia. The Czech was second to Al-Attiyah in Oman last year with Václav Kopáček, who is replaced this time by Petra Řiháková, his partner on numerous Czech events.
MERC2
Kuwait’s Meshari Al-Thefiri, a multiple former MERC2 champion, drives a Mitsubishi Evo X against 10 other Group NR4 cars in MERC2.
Defending champion Issa Abu Jamous returns in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX to face fellow Jordanians Ihab Al-Shorafa, Shadi Shaban, Sheikh Bader Al-Fayez and Shaker Jweihan, Kuwait’s Mohammed Al-Zafiri and Yousef Al-Dhefiri, Lebanon’s Ahmad Khaled and Oman’s Abdullah Al-Zubair and Zakariya Al-Aamri.
National event
Local drivers dominate the Oman national event, with Haitham Al-Zadjali and Ghaith Al-Qasmi in Mitsubishis and Faisal Al-Rashdi and Jarah Al-Touqi in Subaru Imprezas.
UTVs are increasingly popular across FIA disciplines, and three crews have entered Yamaha YXZs: Oman’s Mohammed Al-Mazrui and Mutasim Al-Balushi and Lebanon’s Alain Nawfal. Abdullah Al-Toqi, Musab Soomar and Salim Al-Toqi complete the national entries.
Abdullah Al-Toqi will be partnered by a well-known Austrian co-driver from the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). Ilka Minor has helped drivers of the calibre of Manfred Stohl and Henning Solberg to eight podiums and 25 stage wins in the WRC since her debut with Achim Mörtl.
The 2023 Oman International Rally begins with a ceremonial start and a timed super special stage on Thursday, January 26th.