JEDDAH: Bakhashab Brothers Holding Co. has announced the launch of its Isuzu Rally Team that will participate in the upcoming rally competitions.
The company has provided the team with a two diesel 4x4 Isuzu D-Max driven by the 2008 Hail Baja Rally Champion Majed Al-Ghamdi with his Italian co-driver Nicola Arena, in addition to Abdullah Al-Dosari, who participated in the Middle East Cup Championship with his co-driver Ali Al-Saiari.
The two Isuzu drivers are supported by a technical team under the supervision of the Italian expert of GT Company, Ofreud Tony Qoidn, and Team Manager Abdulrahman Elhiraki, who directed the team in the Hail Baja Rally Championship 2009 assisted by three Saudi mechanics. The team will participate in Hail Baja Rally 2010 as well as the National Championship that will be organized by the Saudi Federation later this year.
Giving details at a press conference on Tuesday night, Yasunari Tajima, vice president, Bakhashab Brothers Holding Co., said: “Our vision of the rally world racing changed a lot after the International Automobile Federation’s (FIA) decision to stage the international Hail Baja Rally. “This action has awakened our feelings and encouraged us to be ready to participate in this rally with a team of well known Saudi champions,” he added. “It is our aim not only to participate but also to compete and win,” he said, adding that Isuzu thus started toward establishing a rally team depending on well-known Saudi rally drivers including Majed Al-Ghamdi, Abdullah Al-Dosari and Ali Alsaiari,
It was a great surprise for motosport amateurs to see Isuzu as one of the international Hail Baja Rally 2009 within group T2 through the whole new Isuzu D-Max. This car has also a great history participating in the international Baja rallies driven by Italian and Portuguese teams achieving impressive results in the Paris Dakar Rally with a 200-horse power diesel engine developed.
Abdulrahman Elhiraki, Isuzu rally team director, said: “A well equipped Isuzu D-Max car is ready under the supervision of the Italian expert Tony Quido to participate in group T2. This is in addition to another car in the company’s workshop in Jeddah with its modified gearbox, tires and suspension system. Despite lack of time, we checked it out only in the show stage of Hail Rally 2009 driven by Al-Ghamdi,” he added.
