JEDDAH, 7 January 2005 — The final round in the Kingdom Autocross Championship will be held Jan. 27 and 28 at the Durrat Al Arus race course here.
This was announced by organizer former Saudi rally ace Abdullah Bakhashab who added the Jeddah round will determine the fastest driver in the Kingdom. The almost year-long event began with the first round in Jeddah last March and the second round took place in Al Khobar last month.
In the first round, about 70 amateur drivers pitted skills against one another. The main aim in organizing the event was to assess and develop driving talents and skills.
The event hopes to discover new generation of future rally drivers. The 70 drivers were divided into two groups each of 35 drivers and each group members competed among themselves on separate days. The drivers and their cars were categorized into 7 classes depending on the capacity and the power of engine, car size and year of manufacture.
Bakhashab expressed his happiness for the success of the first round of the Kingdom’s first official autocross championship. He thanked sponsors, participants, spectators and all those who contributed to make this event a grand success. The event was sponsored by Citroen cars, Bison, Kudu, Seiko, Mobil oil, Madinah news paper and V-cool.
Fadi Hamada won the Jeddah star title and Khalid Al Sha’ir was adjudged fastest Saudi driver in Jeddah. The second round in Al Khobar attracted 47 car racing enthusiasts. Mansour Al Khtani, from the Western Region, ruled the two — day competition by winning the Citroen Challenge Cup. Bakhashab, organizer of the event and prince Abdulaziz Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdullah, vice secretary — general of the Supreme Tourism Commission presented the prizes during the awards ceremony. The event was organized within the framework of Supreme Tourism Commission’s efforts to promote local tourism and sponsored by Citroen motors.
The Jeddah and Al Khobar winners will participate during the third and final round at at Durrat Al Arus where they are expected to give no quarters in the battle for driving supremacy.
