Yasir Seaidan won both remaining desert sections of a weather-shortened Sharqiyah International Baja Toyota on Saturday to complete a start-to-finish victory by 13min 38sec. It was the Saudi driver’s first FIA event win.
With Friday’s itinerary cancelled because of sand storm conditions, crews tackled two timed stages on the final day. Seaidan and Russian co-driver Alexey Kuzmich were never troubled in their Mini John Cooper Works Rally after early pace-setter and pre-event favourite Yazeed Al-Rajhi crashed his Toyota Hilux 82km into the first stage. He and co-driver Michael Orr were taken to hospital for checks, both complaining of back pain.
Finally we finish this rally. It was not an easy rally. We had a lot of situations. The first leg was cancelled so we had to do all the rally in one day. It was difficult but we made a strategy to finish without any problems because we have another round in two weeks. I am so happy to win. The car was okay and we finished without any problems.
Yasir Seaidan
A revised route
To make sure at least 350 competitive kilometres were run, so the event qualified for full FIA championship points under the FIA Baja sporting regulations, officials replaced Saturday’s planned stage with Friday’s cancelled 217.50km section, followed by a repeat of the first 138.50km to the second passage control once the bikes and national cars had completed their single pass.
The weather was ideal and visibility normal on Saturday morning. Helicopters flew as usual to meet all safety requirements, and the route amendments and road book were approved by the FIA and FIM representatives before the restart.
The FIA field
Saleh Al-Saif led the 11 FIA cars away early, with Seaidan 10th on the road and Al-Rajhi eighth. Al-Saif dominated the FIA T4 category in his Can-Am Maverick X3 and finished third overall, with Czech veteran Miroslav Zapletal passing him for second in his Ford F-150.
A navigational error cost Erik van Loon valuable time, and the Dutchman finished fourth in the second Belgian-built Toyota Hilux. Saeed Al-Mouri stopped at the scene of Al-Rajhi’s accident to help, and officials later reimbursed his lost time. A strong run to the finish lifted him to fifth and second in T4, but a later five-minute penalty dropped him to sixth.
Kuwait’s Meshari Al-Thefiri and France’s Claude Fournier were fifth and seventh, second and fourth in T4. Saudi driver Dania Akeel completed her first event in eighth overall with French navigator Laurent Lichtleuchter in the SHERO Rally Team by Duust Can-Am, winning the FIA T3 category.
UAE-based Thomas Bell ran strongly for much of the stage in his Can-Am but was stopped near the finish after getting stuck in a muddy section close to the coast. Khaled Al-Feraihi retired after crashing his Nissan Navara.
National Rally, bikes and quads
Saleh Al-Abdelali led the National Rally from the start of the morning stage in his Hummer H3 and won by 41min 55sec from Khalaf Saleh Al-Shammeri’s Nissan Patrol. Mashael Al-Obaidan, partnered by Emirati Ali Mirza, won the National T3 section in her fifth-placed Can-Am Maverick.
New Zealand’s Philip Wilson won the motorcycle category by just over an hour on his KTM 450 Rally from Abdulhalem Al-Mogheera, with Ahmed Sulaiman Al-Nasser third.
Top seed Mishaal Al-Ghuneim was among several riders to fall and was taken to hospital with leg fractures. Badr Abalkiel and Qatar’s Jamal Al-Mansouri suffered shoulder injuries, and Qatari Mohammed Al-Kaabi sustained a minor head injury.
The quad race was overshadowed by tragedy: Riyadh Al-Shammeri passed away after an accident early in the stage. Abdulmajeed Al-Khulaifi injured his hand, and victory went to Hani Al-Noumesi (Yamaha Raptor 700 R) in very sombre circumstances.
The event ran under the supervision of H.R.H. Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, SAMF President and Chairman of the Organising Committee, with partner Abdul Latif Jameel Toyota, diamond sponsors MBC Group and Al-Arabiya outdoor advertising, and logistical support from Modon. Toyota was the official car.
Results – FIA
- 1. Yasir Seaidan (SAU)/Alexey Kuzmich (RAF) Mini John Cooper Works Rally 4hr 05min 27sec
- 2. Miroslav Zapletal (CZE)/Marek Sykora (SVK) Ford F-150 Evo 4hr 19min 05sec
- 3. Saleh Al-Saif (SAU)/Oriol Vidal (ESP) Can-Am Maverick (T4) 4hr 27min 37sec
- 4. Erik van Loon (NLD)/Sébastien Delaunay (FRA) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 4hr 40min 37sec
- 5. Meshari Al-Thefiri (KWT)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) 4hr 59min 58sec
- 6. Saeed Al-Mouri (SAU)/Sergio Lafuente (URU) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) 5hr 02min 37sec
- 7. Claude Fournier (FRA)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) 5hr 06min 47sec
- 8. Dania Akeel (SAU)/Laurent Lichtleuchter (FRA) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 6hr 49min 44sec
Results – National Rally
- 1. Saleh Al-Abdulali (SAU)/Mohammed Al-Neim (SAU) Hummer H3 2hr 37min 39sec
- 2. Khalaf Saleh Al-Shammeri (SAU)/Khalid Al-Bakr (SAU) Nissan Patrol 3hr 19min 44sec
- 3. Majed Al-Shammeri (SAU)/Abdulaziz Al-Rimali (SAU) Nissan Patrol 3hr 22min 39sec
Results – Bikes
- 1. Philip Wilson (NZL) KTM 450 Rally 3hr 56min 39sec
- 2. Abdulhalem Al-Mogeera (SAU) KTM EXC 450 4hr 55min 30sec
- 3. Ahmed Sulaiman Al-Nasser (SAU) KTM 450 4hr 57min 31sec
Results – Quads
- 1. Hani Al-Noumesi (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700 R 7hr 32min 20sec
- 2. Abdulsalem Al-Hamam (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700 R 7hr 32min 24sec
- 3. Ahmed Al-Harbi (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700 R 8hr 51min 32sec