TABUK, SAUDI ARABIA – Saudi trio Yazeed Al-Rajhi, Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera and Abdulaziz Al-Shayban set the fastest car, motorcycle and quad times on the seven-kilometre Prologue that opened the Tabuk Toyota Rally 2024 on Thursday afternoon.
Round two of the Saudi Toyota Championship, organised by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF), drew 47 starters: 29 cars, 12 motorcycles and six quads. They were flagged away from the ceremonial start at King Khalid City in Tabuk by HRH Prince Khaled bin Saud bin Abdullah Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Deputy Governor of Tabuk province, and SAMF President HRH Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal.
Cars
Championship leader Al-Rajhi and German co-driver Timo Gottschalk set 5min 50sec in their Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux, fastest overall and in Ultimate P, comfortably ahead of team-mates Dania Akeel and Stéphane Duplé for a Toyota 1-2.
Moaaz Hariri and Kirill Shubin were third and top of the SSV class, ahead of Abdullah Al-Shegawi. Hamad Al-Harbi (Can-Am Maverick) was fourth and led Challenger from Dark Horse OT3 driver and series leader Saleh Al-Saif, with Maha Al-Hameli third in class. Abdulaziz Al-Yaeesh was the quickest Nissan in 10th, while Ahmed Al-Shammeri and Faris Al-Moshna dropped to the back with technical issues. Mohammed Al-Asiri was fastest in Stock.
Bikes and quads
MX Ride Dubai’s Mohammed Al-Balooshi (Husqvarna) finished behind Al-Mogheera in the unofficial bike results, with Saudi Ahmed Al-Jaber and Kuwait’s Abdullah Al-Shatti tied for third. Emirati Kove rider Ibrahim Bugla lost more than six minutes. Yamaha rider Al-Shayban topped the quads in 7min 51sec ahead of Hani Al-Noumesi and Abdulaziz Al-Atawi; Abdulrahman Al-Abdullatif failed to finish.
On Friday, crews tackle a 245km selective section starting in the Zaita desert on the Hisma Plateau and finishing 95km from the service park. The first bike starts at 08:15 and the leading car at 09:40.