JEDDAH, 26 April 2005 — The Kingdom’s first motor sport club is expected to become a reality sooner than expected with Saudi rally champion Abdullah Bakhashab, who has taken the initiative, awaiting official approval.
“Once we get the green signal, we’ll establish the club within 18 months to two years,” Bakhashab told a press conference, which he called to announce the details of the upcoming Bison Saudi Star Autocross race, here on Sunday night.
“I’ve investors ready for the motor sport club project,” he said, adding that a total investment of SR30 million to SR50 million would be sufficient for the project.
“We’re not planning the club as a project of international level, but just enough to attract Saudi youths from the streets and deserts where they try all their driving skills putting their own and others’ lives at risk,” Bakhashab said.
Bakhashab’s second autocross race will be held at the Ice Land racetrack on Prince Sultan Street from Thursday through Friday.
The event will see a nonstop endurance battle among the teams, more so because of the new system of awarding points to the participating groups.
“With the new rules, we aim to make the race more enthusiastic to the participants and exciting to the spectators,” he said.
Bison (Abuljadayel Beverages Inc.) is the main sponsor of the event. Its other sponsors include Abdul Latif Jameel Co. Ltd. (Toyota Camry), Mobil 1, V-KOOL, IN 10 SO and Al Bilad newspaper.
The event will be staged in three rounds. After the first round next weekend the second round follows in June coinciding with the Jeddah Summer Festival, and the third and final rounds are set for November.
Abdullah Abuljadayel, general manager of Abuljadayel Beverages Inc., said he had no doubt that with Bakhashab as the organizer, the upcoming autocross race would be as successful as the first one.
ALJ’s Marketing Manager Essam Nauwar said all drivers would use Toyota vehicles depending on their class and engine capacity. The drivers who qualify according to the championship rules at the end of the first day will participate on the second day using Toyota Camry cars.
“We decided to be an active partner in this event with the purpose of promoting motor sport and supporting our marketing plans through the autocross event,” Nauwar added.
Many drivers from the first autocross will take part in the second event, among them, ‘Saudi Star 2004’ champion Sultan Bahghdadi, Prince Khalid ibn Sultan, Fadi Hamad and Mansour Al-Qahtani of Dammam.
Bakhashab announced that the autocross race would be the first of many motor sport events his company is planning for 2005.
