Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi says new event will take championship to another level
The launch of the Abu Dhabi Baja next month provides a fresh boost for desert rallying in the UAE, creating a flagship event for the new national series attracting drivers and riders from across the Middle East.
Supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the event forms the fifth round of the 2019 UAE Baja Championship which is organised by the Emirates Motorsport Club (EMC) and is currently half way through its debut season.
Taking place in the Liwa desert on 15-16 November over a route cutting into the dramatic dunes of the Rub Al Khali, the Abu Dhabi Baja joins a championship which has emerged from a series of candidate events run last year by the EMC.
The championship has consistently attracted upwards of 50 car, buggy, bike and quad competitors over this year’s first four rounds. The offer of prize money in all categories in Abu Dhabi is expected to help build a much bigger entry list from across the region.
“We’re very pleased and encouraged by the response to the championship so far in its season,” said Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi, Founder and President of the EMC. “We want the Abu Dhabi Baja to take it to another level, securing the future of rallying which is where UAE motor sport originated.”
“We’re grateful to the Abu Dhabi Sports Council for their support and look forward to welcoming competitors from the Gulf countries and beyond.”
Based at a desert bivouac at Moreeb Hill, the Abu Dhabi Baja will feature two special stages adding up to 250km in a route totalling 280km in length including liaisons.
Documentation and scrutineering takes place on Friday 15 November between 7-10am. The first special stage gets underway at 11am, with stage two starting at 8am the following day and the event concluding with prize giving at 4pm.
The arrival of the Abu Dhabi Baja adds to the championship’s status as a series uniting the Emirates, with the first four rounds already hosted by Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Dubai,
and another to follow in Fujairah on 13 December.
The pre-event favourite for overall cars victory in Abu Dhabi will be top Emirati driver Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi who leads the T1 category after winning three of the first four rounds.
A tense battle continues in the bikes 450 class where just two points separate the top three, Mohammed Jafar, 2018 FIM Bajas World Cup champion Mohammed Al Balooshi and Dave McBride.
The championship format also includes T2, Group S and UTV auto classes as well as Motos 250 and quad categories, all of which are expected to be keenly contested in the inaugural Abu Dhabi Baja.