KUWAIT CITY, Feb 20: Round four of the Kuwait National Rally 2013 has been scheduled for Saturday, 23rd February, 2013 in front of the Seashell Hotel in the Julai’a circuit in the Ahmadi governorate under the patronage of Ahmadi governor Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah with 18 drivers and co-drivers confirmed to participate. The two-round 91-kilometer rally will officially kick off after a stewards meeting Friday in the lobby of Safir International Hotel in Fintas after scrutineering of the vehicles at the Car Wash base in AlRai, which involves thorough technical checks by mechanical experts on all participating vehicles in the rally on the pit.  The rally will be in two stages with one being run in the Bneider circuit and the other in AlZour.

Speaking to the Arab Times, a member of the rally organizing committee and Clerk of the Course (COC) for the rally, Mishari Al-Sabti said after three successful rounds, motorsport enthusiasts are assured they’re going to be witnessing a more action-packed round-4 rally in the sands of the Julai’a circuit in the south of Kuwait. He said four of the 18 vehicles set to participate in the race are S2000 models of Ford and Mini-Cooper. On Saturday, Feb 23, 8:00 am-8:30 am, the cars are put under Parc Ferme in circuit after which the rally starts officially at 9:30 am in front of the Seashell hotel in Juai’a. Provisional results for the rally will be announced at 3:30 pm the same day followed by final results and awards ceremony for winners on the podium.

The rally is being organized by the Kuwait Quarter Mile Automobile and Motorcycle club under the chairmanship of Sheikh Athbi Nayef Al-Sabah who also steers the rally organizing committee. Sheikh Athbi Al-Naif Al-Sabah, thanked all the relevant state authorities especially the Interior Ministry for supporting the event with fire-safety personnel and equipment, emergency medical evacuation ambulances, security personnel to ensure a smooth running of the event. Al-Sabti laid out the entire program of all the events leading up to the rally including the rally proper slated for Feb 23. He urged all motorsport enthusiasts to attend the event in their numbers since there would be no fee charged.

According to the program, publication of the final list of rally participants as approved by the organizers will be done at 9:00 pm local time, Thursday, Feb 21 with the opening of the media accreditation center at 10:00 pm same day.  On the same day at the venue they’d be media safety briefing to all accredited media personnel covering the event as well as media badge distribution that shuts the door on all further media application submissions. Parc fermé, literally meaning “closed park” in French or reconnaissance of the rally circuit will follow later Friday evening to ensure the racing circuit area is secured before and post-race. According to FIA Formula One regulations, the area must be sufficiently large and secure so as to prevent unauthorized access to the cars, while allowing technical checks to take place. 

Essentially, cars in this area must not be touched by anyone without express permission of the FIA stewards. The post-race podium ceremony immediately follows after the race ends and results are collated.
Of the 18 participants, eleven come from Kuwait while seven will be coming from other GCC countries. Among the foreign participants in the race are three from Saudi Arabia, two from Qatar, one from Lebanon and one from Jordan. Kuwait’s Mishal AlNejadi who lost five minutes in the third round due to a rear-axle malfunction is driving a Mini Cooper S2000 and currently leads the pack with 48 points followed by Mufeed Mubarak at 33 and Masoud Saleh 25 points. Mohammed Harqan of Qatar leads the 4X4 category with 43 points followed by Saudi Arabia’s Ibrahim AlMuhanna at 40 and Kuwait’s Salem Athafeeri at 30.

Sheikh Ali Fawaz AlSabah, chairman of the Kuwait Quarter Mile Club expressed his happiness at teams joining the race from outside Kuwait, adding that “with the technical and administrative crews so active added to the high levels of preparations and logistical arrangements, the Kuwait championship round 4, rally in light of all the interests, both locally and abroad is going to be a resounding success. He also wished all participants success. He also thanked Dr Sheikh Ibrahim Duaij Al-Sabah Ahmadi Governor for his extraordinary contribution for the betterment of motor sport in Kuwait, noting that cooperation governmental bodies from emergency medical ambulances and other contingency arrangements from the Kuwait Municipality, has had a tremendous impact on the speed of completion of preparations. He added “This is what we sought during the preparation period and it was all achieved in light of concerted efforts by all relevant authorities concerned.”

By Iddris Seidu - Arab Times Staff