JEDDAH: The FIA, motor sport’s governing body has confirmed that the 2009.
Hail event, set in the north-central region from Jan. 26-29, will not count for FIA Baja championship points because of the restriction on female competitors taking part in a motor sport event in Saudi Arabia. This means that competitors taking part in the FIA Baja series will have to wait until the Northern Forest Rally in Russia to kick-start their points-scoring campaign at the end of February. “This decision by the FIA is regrettable, but totally out of our hands,” Mishaal Al-Sudairy, chairman of the Riyadh-based organizing committee, told Arab News in a communication yesterday.
“However, we will continue to advance and improve our event which crosses some of the most challenging terrain in the world, with a view to re-entering the FIA series in 2010. We have good support from local drivers, and several teams from other GCC countries have expressed their desire to compete in Hail,” he added.
Meanwhile, a host of Saudi Arabian drivers have entered the Hail Saudi Baja. Drivers from not only the Kingdom but also from the other GCC countries will dominate the entry this year. The event is being organized by the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation with the support of Hail Gov. Prince Saud bin Abdul Mohsen ibn Abdul Aziz, who is also president of the Supreme Commission for Hail Development and head of the Supreme Commission of the Hail Rally.
