Sulayem says stronger World Cup will take Desert Challenge to new level 26.06.2010: ATCUAE President helped drive plan to combine Cross Country Rally World Cup and Baja series Mohammed Ben Sulayem says the creation of a bigger and stronger FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup will help drive the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge to

ATCUAE President helped drive plan to combine Cross Country Rally World Cup and Baja series

Mohammed Ben Sulayem says the creation of a bigger and stronger FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup will help drive the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge to another level.

Starting next year, the Cross Country Rally World Cup and the International Cup for Cross-Country Bajas will be amalgamated into a single World Cup series in a move to boost top level international cross country rallying.

Desert Challenge founder Sulayem was a key member of the FIA planning team which brought the proposal to the table and he attended the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) meeting which rubber stamped it in Geneva on Wednesday.

“It was a logical move which will be good for cross country rallying overall,” said Sulayem, President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE and the first Arab elected to the WMSC. He is also the FIA’s Vice President for Sport.

“It creates a much stronger World Cup series. We can also look forward to welcoming some of the Baja teams to the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge for the first time, and this will take the event to another level in terms of the strength of the international entry and the exposure it will enjoy.”

Launched by Sulayem in 1991 and taking place next year from April 1-7, the Desert Challenge, sponsored by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, is seen as the leading event in the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup. This year’s series also features rounds, in Tunisia, Portugal and Egypt.
World Cup 2

In the International Cup for Cross Country Bajas, the much shorter individual rounds are staged over one or two days, with a maximum length of 1200 km.

To score points in the revamped World Cup series from next year, teams must compete in at least one Baja and at least one Cross Country event.

While the scale of points awarded in both types of events will be the same – 25pts for a win down to 1pt for 10th place - in order to ensure fairness, points scored in Cross Country rallies will be doubled.

Russian driver Leonid Novitsky, who won the Desert Challenge in March, leads the 2010 World Cup for Cross Country Rallies with just the Pharaohs Rally remaining in October.

At the half way point in this year’s Bajas series, with events to follow in Spain, Hungary and Portugal, another Russian, Bogdan Novitsky, leads by a single point from Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi.



About the ATCUAE

The ATCUAE (www.atcuae.ae) is the officially nominated representative in the Emirates of the FIA, motor sport’s world governing body, and its motor cycling and classic car counterparts, the FIM and FIVA.

On their behalf it oversees the complete range of motor sport activities in the UAE, including more than 140 events per year in rallying, karting, drag racing, hill climbs, moto cross and other motor bike events. The Club also has overall responsibility for circuit racing events, including the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix.

In the area of mobility it provides a growing range of services for motoring tourists and travellers, supports road safety, car safety and “green” vehicle initiatives, and runs a UAE-wide road assistance operation.

It is also the only FIA authorised organistaion in the UAE to issue International Driving Permits, as well as Carnet de Passage en Douane (Trip Tickets) and International Certificates which simplify customs formalities for motoring tourists and travellers.

Its Patron is H.H.Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.


- Tony Lewis, Total Communications Dubai -  also photo