JEDDAH: The first round of Toyota Saudi Star Autocross 2009 will be held for two days at Jeddah Raceway from today.
Giving details of the event, its organizer Abdullah Bakhashab told the media yesterday that the event would feature a strong mix of amateur and experienced contenders with their driving skills.
“They will drive ordinary cars of their own and then compete with the Toyota Camry, the official car of the championship, to determine the Saudi Star for this round,” he said, adding that the competition is sponsored by Toyota and supported by Mobil 1.
A group of special engineers has designed the track, which has made the contest all the more challenging with a slew of curves and hairpin turns. The circuit length exceeds 1,300 meters and is punctuated with turnings and obstacles. A special digital timing system is being used.
The 35 amateur drivers selected for the round will be divided into seven groups and each group members will compete among themselves.
The drivers, with their cars, will categorize into 7 classes depending on the capacity and the power of engine, car size and year of manufacture.
The classes will be: Super stock (SS) for ultra high performance sport cars, A Stock (AS) for high performance sport cars, PA — sport cars and GT’s, C Stock (CS) for small size compact cars, D Stock (DS) for intermediate size sedans 6, F Stock (FS) for sedans and coupes, and BS for medium size coupes.
“Our aim is to help Saudi youth attest their driving talents and skills in the right places and specialized areas away from endangering people and their own lives by racing cars in the city streets and high ways” he added.
The round, which will continue tomorrow, will see a distinctive challenge between experienced drivers and those who compete for the first time to determine the Kingdom’s champion, Bakhashab added.
