MOTOR SPORTS NEWS

Latest News

  • Nürburgring: World’s most challenging track opens 2021 WTCR season following calendar changes
  • #ONETRUCKFAMILY Esports Challenge Kick-Starts in Hungary
  • SPARCO triumphs at the Dakar rally 2021 with Peterhansel
  • Registrations open for new 2021 FIA RX2e Championship
  • Simply accelerating fast in a straight line is not enough for BMW
  • Home
  • News
  • Dakar
    • DAKAR 2016
    • Dakar 2015
  • Cross-Country Rally
  • Notice Board
  • Rally
  • Motorbike
  • Touring Cars
  • Circuit Racing
  • Events
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Pinterest
    • RSS Feed
    • Linked
    • Youtube

Introducing 2017 Gulf (Off-Road) Challenge

May 25, 2017


Tweet

GROUND-BREAKING NEW GULF CHALLENGE OFFERS GOLDEN FUTURE FOR OFF-ROAD MOTORSPORT IN GULF REGION

  • Mohammed Ben Sulayem brings clubs together to forge new alliance
  • Six regional federations join forces to co-support all-new championship
  • 2017 rallies in Oman, UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar

DUBAI (UAE): Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the United Arab Emirates, has announced details of the new 2017 Gulf Challenge, initially a five-round off-road rally series that promises a golden future for rallying in the Gulf region.

The announcement was made at a press conference, held at the headquarters of the ATCUAE in Dubai, today (Thursday).

A brief outline of the Gulf Challenge were released in Dubai last October, but further details and the first ever calendar of events have now been finalised. Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Bakhashab will promote the new series in conjunction with the federations of the various GCC countries involved in the project.

“The Gulf Challenge is our first step of investment in our promising GCC talent in the field of motor sport,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of ATCUAE and Emirates Motor Sports Federation (EMSF). “The new championship will enable us to develop those talents and sustain motor sport in the Gulf region.

“The GCC countries have a proven track record in motor sport and they possess qualified infrastructure to organise and create world class events. We have the Formula One, the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies and the FIM Cross-Country Rally World Championship.

“The Gulf Challenge will be an important regional addition. It will allow us to invest in many factors, including the fact that competitors will gather in the region to participate in several events in close proximity to reduce costs. This will attract participants from all around the world. All those concerned in motor sport, including media, sponsors and manufacturers, will be present in the region, so it will be a great opportunity to develop many aspects of motor sport.”

With the recent decline in numbers attending certain events in regional motor sport, there was a need for a fresh approach to secure a bright future for rallying in one of the most popular areas for the sport.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Qatar have seen growth in cross-country type events in recent years and the national federations of each of those countries have joined forces with like-minded clubs in Bahrain and Oman to create the new series.

The Gulf Challenge was the brainchild of Ben Sulayem, who has the full backing and support of H.R.H. Prince Sultan Bin Bandar Al-Faisal, President of the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation, QMMF President Abdulrahman Al-Mannai, Oman Automobile Association President Jamal Altai, Bahrain Motor Federation President Sheikh Abdullah bin Essa Al-Khalifa and Sheikh Ali Al-Fawaz Al-Sabah, Chairman of the Board of Basel Al-Sabah Motor Sports Club.

Following on from the success of the UAE Baja Championship, which is now in its third year and regularly attracts around 100 entries, the Gulf Challenge has been devised to be open for various car, motorcycle and quad classes. Separate championships will be run for each discipline.

With the exception of the introduction of Formula One and MotoGP races to the region, this is the largest motor sporting development in the Gulf since the creation of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship in 1984. The Gulf Challenge has been devised with costs in mind for younger competitors, but it will still provide a superb feeder system for regional competitors wanting to tackle FIA events, both internationally and in the region.

Abdullah Bakhashab is relishing this new addition to the regional motor sporting calendar. “I take this opportunity to thank Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who has worked so hard to get all the federations together to make this new dream come true,” said Bakhashab. “I am really honoured and thankful to the presidents of the Gulf ASNs for their trust in me and for appointing me as the promoter and head of the Steering Committee for this challenge. I will dedicate time, effort and my office resources to make it a success.

“We, in the Steering Committee, met a few times and worked to finalise the calendar and the regulations, so that it will suit our region and cars that are both homologated by the FIA and also for those that are not homologated by the creation of two new groups (T1L and T2L).

“I hope that we will have a successful first year and hope that this challenge will attract sponsors next year and we will have Bahrain on board soon.”

Cars running in the FIA T1, T2 and T3 categories will be eligible and two local categories will be developed for T1L (modified cars) and T2L (standard cars that are not FIA homologated but comply with T2 regulations). There will also be a couple of Buggy categories (B1 and B2).

Motorcycles will compete for the overall championship and there will be classes for 450, Over 450, Masters, Marathon and Quads.

A committee will be headed by Bakhashab along with one representative from each of the GCC countries, although each round will be hosted and managed by its own federation. Time keeping, marketing and the collective management of each event will be handled by the six founding authorities and local technical and medical officers will be appointed.

The championship prize giving will be determined by a draw each year to select the host venue.

2017 Gulf Challenge – provisional calendar

Oman                                    September 7/8

UAE                                        October 5/6

Kuwait                                  October 26/27

Saudi Arabia                      November 9/10

Qatar                                     December 7/8

*Bahrain will enter in Year 2 or 3


  • tweet
Related articles
  • Nürburgring: World’s most challenging track opens 2021 WTCR season following calendar changes
    Nürburgring: World’s most...

    Jan 23, 2021 Comments Off on Nürburgring: World’s most challenging track opens 2021 WTCR season following calendar changes

  • #ONETRUCKFAMILY Esports Challenge Kick-Starts in Hungary
    #ONETRUCKFAMILY Esports Challenge...

    Jan 23, 2021 Comments Off on #ONETRUCKFAMILY Esports Challenge Kick-Starts in Hungary

  • SPARCO triumphs at the Dakar rally 2021 with Peterhansel
    SPARCO triumphs at the Dakar rally 2021...

    Jan 23, 2021 Comments Off on SPARCO triumphs at the Dakar rally 2021 with Peterhansel

  • Registrations open for new 2021 FIA RX2e Championship
    Registrations open for new 2021 FIA...

    Jan 23, 2021 Comments Off on Registrations open for new 2021 FIA RX2e Championship

More in this category
  • Nürburgring: World’s most challenging track opens 2021 WTCR season following calendar changes
    Nürburgring: World’s most...

    Comments Off on Nürburgring: World’s most challenging track opens 2021 WTCR season following calendar changes

  • #ONETRUCKFAMILY Esports Challenge Kick-Starts in Hungary
    #ONETRUCKFAMILY Esports Challenge...

    Comments Off on #ONETRUCKFAMILY Esports Challenge Kick-Starts in Hungary

  • Registrations open for new 2021 FIA RX2e Championship
    Registrations open for new 2021 FIA...

    Comments Off on Registrations open for new 2021 FIA RX2e Championship

  • Simply accelerating fast in a straight line is not enough for BMW
    Simply accelerating fast in a straight...

    Comments Off on Simply accelerating fast in a straight line is not enough for BMW


Fleet Car Magazine

Notice Board

  • Lola Cars, Lola Technical Centre and Wind Tunnel Facility offered for sale
    Lola Cars, Lola Technical Centre and Wind Tunnel Facility...

    Jan 15, 2021

    TweetThe Lola Cars Brand, Trademarks, Extensive Technical...
  • Follow in the footsteps of Grand Prix legends and drive a Jordan F1 race car
    Follow in the footsteps of Grand Prix legends and drive a...

    Jan 09, 2021

    Tweet  Once driven by motor sport legend Takuma Sato...
  • WIN 1 of 3 ETRC TEAM T SPORT BERNAU PRIZE PACKS!
    WIN 1 of 3 ETRC TEAM T SPORT BERNAU PRIZE PACKS!

    Jan 02, 2021

    TweetIn association with T Sport Bernau and team sponsors...
  • FIA RX2e Championship Manual available for prospective competitors
    FIA RX2e Championship Manual available for prospective...

    Dec 29, 2020

    Tweet The official Championship Manual for the FIA RX2e...
  • ERC stars support FIA Volunteers & Officials Weekend on Rally Islas Canarias
    ERC stars support FIA Volunteers & Officials Weekend...

    Nov 28, 2020

    Tweet*FIA ERC season decider among events celebrating...

Categories

  • Africa Eco-Race
  • BRC
  • Circuit Racing
  • Cross-Country Rally
  • Dakar
  • Dakar 2015
  • DAKAR 2016
  • DAKAR 2017
  • DAKAR 2019 PERU
  • DAKAR RALLY 2018
  • EV Motorsport
  • Events
  • EverGreeens: Irish Abroad
  • Extreme E
  • Forestry Rally
  • Formula 1
  • Hillclimb
  • IndyCar Series
  • Interview
  • Middle East Rally Championship
  • Morocco Rally
  • Motorbike
  • News
  • Notice Board
  • Rally
  • RallyX
  • Related products
  • Review
  • Sportscars
  • Touring Cars
  • Tribute
  • Truck Racing
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • WRC
Tweets by @IrMotSportNews

Recent Posts

Cross-Country Champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah & WRC star Kris Meeke to compete in Qatar International Rally 2021

Cross-Country Champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah & WRC star Kris...

Jan 21, 2021

Tweet Defending FIA Middle East rally champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and WRC star Kris Meeke are the top seeds on an international 18-car entry with competitors from nine nations (subject to FIA...
Read More
FIA ETRC condemns the racist and sexist comments made during Dakar Rally 2021

FIA ETRC condemns the racist and sexist comments...

Jan 21, 2021

Akio Toyoda praises Toyota Gazoo Racing & Hino Sugawara Team on Dakar Rally 2021

Akio Toyoda praises Toyota Gazoo Racing &...

Jan 17, 2021

Honda 1-2 on 2021 Dakar Rally as Kevin Benavides wins & Ricky Brabec 2nd in the world’s toughest race

Honda 1-2 on 2021 Dakar Rally as Kevin Benavides...

Jan 16, 2021

5th place overall for Bahrain Raid Xtreme ‘Hunter’ driver, Nani Roma

5th place overall for Bahrain Raid Xtreme...

Jan 16, 2021

Copyright 2016 / All rights reserved