Oman Rally Sohar International 2021 starts with a ceremonial start at Al-Qurum from 6pm on Thursday.
Organised by the Oman Automobile Association, the 12-stage event is the final round of the 2021 FIA Middle East Rally Championship and has drawn 12 crews in the international section plus 11 more contesting rounds two and three of the Oman Rally Championship.
Minor route changes mean crews now face 214.38 competitive kilometres in a 685.97km route.
The route
Friday features two runs through three gravel stages, starting with the 22.04km Al-Khoud stage at 09.33hrs. First runs through Misfah and Saal follow before a lunchtime service, and all three are repeated in the afternoon.
Saturday morning brings Abyad (13.09km), Qalqal (17.17km) and Nakhal (19.26km) before another regroup and service. They are repeated in the afternoon ahead of the prize-giving and podium at Al-Qurum from 16.52hrs.
National contenders
Seventeen-time regional champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah is the clear favourite in the FIA event, but there are many contenders in the Oman Rally Championship running behind.
The national entry includes four Mitsubishi Lancers, two Toyota Yaris, a Kia Rio, two Can-Ams and two Yamahas. Hamid Al-Qasmi heads the list, seeded 20th in his Mitsubishi, and faces Haitham Al-Soomar, Hamood Al-Touqi and Ghaith Al-Qasmi in the N4 group.
The Toyotas of Waheeb Al-Kharusi and Yaqdhan Al-Rashdi run in Group A, while Musab Al-Soomar’s Kia is the only RC3 entry.
With the FIA T3 and T4 classes growing in popularity in cross-country events worldwide, four such vehicles are entered. Rally veteran Nizar Al-Shanfari drives his Can-Am alongside Khalid Al-Shanfari’s similar car, plus two Yamaha YXZs for Lebanon’s Alan Nawfel and local driver Mohammed Al-Shanfari.