Nine-time Rally of Lebanon winner Roger Feghali is putting the final touches to his preparations for the 35th Rally of Lebanon, round three of the 2012 Middle East Rally Championship, held on 7 and 8 September.
After winning the Spring, Summer and Cedars rallies of the 2012 Lebanese Rally Championship, Feghali will again drive the Ford Fiesta RRC. He already took the car to victory in round three of the Jordan Rally Championship on gravel, then on asphalt at the 21st Rally of the Cedars, the 10th win of his career on that event.
He now wants to repeat that number at the Rally of Lebanon, which he has won nine times, eight of them in a row since 2003. The event was not held in 2005.
Experienced co-driver Joseph Matar will again sit alongside him.
We tested the Ford Fiesta on asphalt for the first time at the Rally of the Cedars, and we are still developing it as new parts, suspension and tyres arrive. We will give it our best, and if that comes with the title it will crown our efforts.
Roger Feghali
Fourth on the all-time MERC winners list
With 9 wins, all scored in Lebanon, Feghali ranks fourth among the most successful drivers in the regional championship, behind Mohammed Ben Sulayem (60), Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (42) and Saeed Al Hajri (11).
He says the Rally of Lebanon gets harder every year and that the presence of Arab drivers adds excitement. Recent editions were a close fight between him, Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and his brother Abdo Feghali. Without the Arab drivers, he expects the battle to come down to the two brothers.
Motortune line-up
Feghali also runs the Motortune team, which enters Nicolas Amiouni (Evo 10 R4) and Nicolas Georgiou, the Group N leader in the Middle East championship, in an Evo 9. They are joined by Chafic Boulos (Evo 10) and Jordan’s Alaa Rasheed with co-driver Ata Al Hmoud in a Ford Fiesta RRC.