The Middle East’s top rally drivers have arrived in Kuwait and are completing their final preparations for this weekend’s 26th Kuwait International Rally, round three of the 2022 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC).
On Wednesday, crews will spend a full day on reconnaissance of the five special stages, each run twice, that they will face on Friday and Saturday.
Several teams also plan pre-event testing, although Autotek Motorsport was waiting for spare parts to be released from customs before rebuilding Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah’s championship-leading Volkswagen Polo GTI.
Friday’s route
The action starts at 10.00hrs on Friday with the first run through a 16.38km special south of Kuwait City. That is followed by the first of two passes over the 19.69km gravel stage (10.38hrs) named in memory of the late Kuwaiti rally driver Saleh bin Eidan. The loop’s third stage, named in memory of Gazi Al-Thafiri, covers 19.18km from 11.26hrs.
After service at Kuwait Motor Town, the three stages are repeated at 14.01hrs, 14.39hrs and 15.27hrs.
Saturday’s route
Saturday features two stages run twice: the 17.85km Al-Zour stage from 11.05hrs, then a 17.20km test (11.58hrs) named in memory of Qatar’s Sheikh Hamed bin Eid Al-Thani, the 1993 regional champion who died suddenly in October 2020. Both stages are repeated at 14.23hrs and 15.16hrs.
Organisation
Kuwait Motor Town hosts rally headquarters and the service park, as well as pre- and post-event scrutineering, the pre-event press conference and Thursday’s ceremonial start.
The rally is organised by the Kuwait International Motorsport Club (KIMC) together with the Kuwait International Automobile Club (KIAC), under the patronage of His Excellency Ali Husain Ali Al-Mousa, Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Youth Affairs.
Kuwait’s Emad Bukhamseen is the new chairman of the organising committee, joined by board members Issa Hamzeh, Mohammed Bukhamseen, Garbis Karzelian, Clerk of the Course Hamad Marafie, Hamad Al-Saif, Meshari Al-Sabti and Fuad Abu Arja.