Rally Qassim Toyota 2023 set for Thursday start

BURAYDAH: Rally Qassim Toyota 2023 is set to get underway at Al-Qassim National Park, Osseilan, in Buraydah on Thursday afternoon.

The third round of the Saudi Toyota Championship has been organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation in conjunction with the Ministry of Sport, with Abdul Latif Jameel Motors Toyota as official partner, and The Saudi Investment Bank as strategic sponsor.

The organizing committee is headed by SAMF Chairman Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal.

Forty-three cars, 27 motorcycles, and six quads will take part in the three-day event with the main contenders chasing points in the various categories of the 2023 Saudi Toyota Championship.

Abdulaziz Al-Yaeesh currently holds a seven-point cushion over Saleh Al-Saif in the overall Drivers’ Championship, with Yazeed Al-Rajhi – the outright winner of the Tabuk-NEOM Rally – in third, and Al-Mashna Al-Ramali and Dania Akeel rounding off the top five.

Omar Al-Lahim heads Radi Al-Shammeri by 21 points in the Co-drivers’ Championship.

Al-Yaeesh has also guided his Nissan to the top of the T1 title standings and reaches the start of Rally Qassim Toyota 2023 with a 20-point cushion over Al-Ramali, with Metab Al-Qnoun in third, and newly crowned FIA Middle East Baja Cup winner Khaled Al-Feraihi and Owaid Al-Rameli rounding off the top five.

Khaled Al-Hamzani has built up a lead of eight points in the T2 section for series production cross-country vehicles. Jafar Al-Qahtani and Haylan Al-Subaie currently occupy the other two podium positions.

Al-Saif’s strong start to the season has seen the dark horse Can-Am Maverick X3 driver move into a 17-point lead over Akeel in the T3 category for lightweight prototype machines. Hamad