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Saudi's Yazeed Al Rajhi eyes Ha’il Desert Challenge hat-trick

Mar 20, 2012  0

French Dakar veteran Thierry Magnaldi will try to stop Al Rajhi from winning a third title in Saudi Arabia this week at the wheel of the Bakhashab Toyota (pictured).

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Yazeed Al Rajhi will be eyeing the top step on the podium for the third time when the Saudi Arabia Ha’il Desert Challenge gets underway on Tuesday.
The star Saudi driver has confirmed that he will be driving a Mini All4 Racing, built by the German X-raid team at this year’s Challenge, which runs until March 23.
Al Rajhi is taking part in select rounds of this year’s FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) with co-driver Michael Orr, but the Ulsterman will be replaced by the experienced Portuguese off-road navigator Filipe Palmeiro for the event - a demanding three-day, FIA-sanctioned cross-country rally that passes through the remote An Nafud desert in the north-central region of Saudi Arabia.
Al Rajhi will be hoping to follow up the two wins he earned in Saudi Arabia in 2009 and 2010 at the wheel of a Nissan Navarra and a Mitsubishi Racing Lancer.
The provisional entry list also includes French Dakar veteran and leading cross-country driver Thierry Magnaldi. A former bike rider, Magnaldi switched to racing cars on events like the notorious Dakar Rally in South America and has joined Abdullah Bakhashab’s Toyota Team Saudi Arabia for his first attempt at the Kingdom’s premier off-road event.
The Frenchman finished 15th in the 2012 Dakar Rally at the wheel of a Dessoude Buggy and plans to take part in the Silk Way Rally in that vehicle later this year. But Bakhashab’s invitation was an excellent opportunity for Magnaldi to stay in training and he will drive a Toyota FJ Cruiser Proto for the 1995 FIA Middle East rally champion’s team.
Magnaldi’s co-driver will be Spain’s Lucas Cruz Senra, the former winner of the Dakar Rally with Carlos Sainz and navigator for Nasser Al Attiyah in last November’s Sealine Qatar Baja. Magnaldi tested the car in Saudi Arabia recently and was impressed. “Abdullah called me some time ago to take part in the Baja,” Magnaldi said. “Of course I accepted because it is a marvellous occasion for me to race and acquire more experience, discover a new event and a new team.
“I was pleased with the car and its performance. Lucas and I ran for 200km in two days around the Jeddah region over a 6km course where the terrain was varied and offered some dunes, dusty tracks and some rocky sections. I am used to two-wheel drive, but now I feel seduced by the 4x4 too.”
Clerk of the course Elie Semaan confirmed that no stone has been left unturned to ensure the safety of competitors. “We have five helicopters, two of which are fully dedicated to medical evacuation and have onboard resuscitation equipment, a paramedic and a doctor, as per the FIA requirement,” said Semaan.
Administration and scrutineering will take place at the Maghwat Conference Centre on the outskirts of Ha’il. Teams will then tackle a timed super special stage on Wednesday and two days of action through the An Nafud desert on Thursday and Friday.
 Positions after super special stage (unofficial @ 16.20hrs):

1. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (KSA)/Filipe Palmeiro (PRT) Mini All4 Racing                       9m 53.9s

2. Thierry Magnaldi (FRA)/Lucas Cruz Senra (ESP) Toyota FJ Cruiser Proto      10m 21.5s

3. Hamed Bin Eid Al-Thani (QAT)/Arif Yousef Mohammed (UAE) Nissan         10m 41.8s

4. Abdullah Saeed Bin Hamdan (UAE)/Ali Hassan (UAE) Nissan Patrol             10m 44.9s

5. Yayha Al-Helai (UAE)/Khaled Al-Kendi (UAE) Nissan Patrol                         10m 46.2s

6. Ahmed Al-Suwaidi (KSA)/ Fayez Al-Suwaidi (KSA) Nissan                           10m 50.1s

7. Mtair Al-Shammeri (KSA)/Abdullah Al-Shammeri (KSA) Toyota                    10m 50.2s

8. David Mabbs (GBR)/Xavier Caminada (FRA) Toyota FJ Cruiser                    10m 51.5s

9. Khaled Saleh Al-Shammeri (KSA)/Ahmed Saeed Al-Shammeri (KSA) Mitsubishi  10m 51.5s

10. Safah Al-Saeedi (KSA)/Mishaal Al-Saeedi (KSA) Nissan                                     10m 52.5s

11. Farhan Al-Ghaleb Al-Shammeri (KSA)/Abdullah Al-Tawaiaan (KSA) Nissan    10m 55.8s

12. Ahmed Al-Qashimi (KSA)/Abdel Halim Bin Zayed (UAE) Nissan                      11m 00.6s

13. Metab Saud Al-Shammeri (KSA)/Qnoun Abdullah (KSA) Toyota                   11m 00.8s

14. Salah Abdul Aal (KSA)/Michael Orr (GBR) Nissan                                       11m 02.3s

15. Ahmed Al-Shaqawi (KSA)/Nooh Buhumaid (UAE) Nissan                            11m 03.2s, etc