JEDDAH, 1 May 2007 — Saudi rally driver Ahmed Al-Sabban signaled his intention to compete in local and international championships this year with his recent participation in the first round of Castrol Rally Cross Championship at the Jeddah Raceway.
With support from Fast Auto Technic and Castrol Oil, Al-Sabban was the first competitor in the first round of the championship, which was limited to professional cars category in the ‘N’ group. Al-Sabban won this race last year which was one more to his cap as an accomplished rally driver.
“My participation in Castrol Rally Cross signified a good opportunity for me to return to the Middle East Championship for Rallies,” Al-Sabban told a the media on Sunday. He rivaled strongly last season and achieved positive results before he stepped down due to personal circumstances forced him to skip some rounds of the championship.
Al-Sabban, who started his professional career in car racing early, gained lots of experience in rally races after competing with professional rally drivers in the earlier rounds of Middle East Championship for Rallies. He is back again to challenge the champions of the Middle East in the remaining rounds of the 2007 season.
“This championship was the best opportunity to prepare for the Middle East Championship, where the competition will be very strong with a number of veteran drivers,” Al-Sabban said. “I want to assure everyone that I am the first participant to win this championship and ready for the Middle East Championship.”
About the expansion of motor sport in the area, he said: “Some years ago, we rally drivers were dreaming to have a car race or local championship. Now, after the completion of Jeddah Raceway and more investors willing to invest in this stunning sport, we can say that the dream has become a reality and we can confirm that motor sport in the Kingdom is on the right track.”
Castrol Rally Cross Championship involves three rounds, each round consisting of qualifying and official stages. The official stage is divided into two groups, (N) group and (S) group, and the competition is being held for the first time in the Kingdom on the basis of points. The driver who collects most points in each group claims the title of the group.
