Round 3 – 2015 UAE Rally Championship

Motoring ME gets sandy with the UAE’s top rally racers

By Noel Ebdon

2015 UAE Rally Championship

If you need further proof there is some great local motorsport going on in the UAE, look no further than the desert that sits just a few minutes in any direction from your home.

Last Saturday 3rd October saw Round 3 of the 2015 UAE Rally Championship take place, with a host of local and regional drivers braving the extreme end of summer heat.

2015 UAE Rally Championship

The rally was a race of attrition, as car after car succumbed to the desert temperatures. Out of the 17 starters, just 11 cars finished, proving how tough off-road racing is on the cars and competitors.

Safety car rolls in UAE Rally Championship
Round 3 of the UAE Rally Championship last weekend, and here’s in car footage from the SAFETY car which rolled part way into the race. The car was damaged, but the safety crew escaped unhurt – if a little confused! Read the full report by Noel Ebdon http://motoringme.com/round-3-2015-uae-rally-championship/
Posted by Motoring Middle East on Saturday, 10 October 2015

 

Even the safety car was unlucky, rolling part way into the race. The car was damaged, but the safety crew escaped unhurt from the crash.

2015 UAE Rally Championship

Breakdowns included broken transmissions, fuel pumps, punctures, broken axles and a whole host of other technical issues.

The Group N race was eventually won by Sheikh Abdulla Al Qassimi, ahead of Michael Saleh and Sheikh Mohammed Al Qassimi. The T1 class was won by Desert Challenge veteran Ali Al Shawi, followed by Ian Barker and Salem Al Zaffiri.

2015 UAE Rally Championship

Some of the competitors have had to rush to get their cars fixed, as they were back at this weekend’s opening round of the Emirates Desert Championship in Al Lisali.

2015 UAE Rally Championship

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