Emirati Mansour bin Jabr will take part in this weekend’s 37th Dubai International Rally in a specially painted car to show his strong support and empathy for Emirati soldiers who have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict in Yemen.
Competition
Bin Jabr is one of 17 drivers entered in the Group N category for the three-day finale to the FIA Middle East Rally Championship. He will drive a Tok Sport-prepared Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. Emirati Arif Yousef Mohammed is his co-driver.
Warm-up
Bin Jaber took part in a local rally in Sharjah recently in a Subaru Impreza as a warm-up for this event and was lying third overall before mechanical problems intervened on the last stage. The Dubai rally will be the first for this new partnership, who are planning a full programme of Middle East events together in 2016.
History
A former member of the Abu Dhabi Junior Team, Bin Jabr drove a Ford Fiesta in six rallies, in 2007 and 2008. Yousef’s last event was a fifth overall in Baja, Kuwait, with the Saudi driver Ahmed Shegawi, with whom he will tackle the Daka Rally in the T4 category in January. He has also co-driven for the likes of Qatar’s Mubarak Al Hajri and Sheikh Hamed bin Eid Al Thani in the past.
Targets
“My time as a member of the Abu Dhabi Junior Team was successful and very enjoyable,” said Bin Jabr. “I took part in local and regional rallies and a round of the WRC. For the Dubai Rally, we wanted a car with top-end speed and I have chosen the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. The goal in Dubai is to deliver a strong performance and go for the victory in the Group N category. I am confident I can do that.
Tribute
“This rally is very important to me. I am also taking part in this rally to remember the UAE troops who have lost their lives in the conflict in Yemen and the colour scheme of our car has been changed to army print camouflage to reflect this. This is something I feel very strongly about.”
Rivals
Main competition in the Group N category will come from the recently crowned champion Salah bin Eidan of Kuwait, the Lebanese veteran driver Michel Saleh, and Kuwait’s Meshari Al Thafiri.
Event information
Based at the Dubai Men’s College for a sixth year, the rally begins with a ceremonial start, tomorrow, at 7.30pm. The competitive action will take place on Friday and Saturday over 12 timed special stages in the remote deserts areas to the south of Dubai and Sharjah.
