Wheels turn to a renewed role as Kuwait Rally moves forward

The Gulf War may have officially ended in February 1991, but if you look with a keen enough eye, the scars are still visible. In motorsport, the aftermath is visible, too.

Sheikh Khalid bin Faisal Al Qassimi and co-driver Chris Patterson finished Day 1 in second at the Kuwait Rally. Courtesy MCH Photo

KUWAIT CITY // The Gulf War may have officially ended in February 1991, but if you look with a keen enough eye, the scars are still visible in the form of crumbling, ruined buildings, which lurk in the shadows of sprawling new-age shops and cafe complexes.

In motorsport, the aftermath is visible, too. This weekend’s Kuwait Rally marks 40 years since the country’s inaugural race, yet courtesy of two Gulf wars, extended periods of regional unrest and myriad internal disputes, the event’s stop-start existence resulted in it being held just twice between 1990 and 2008.

Once regarded as a trail-blazing race in the Gulf region, the event has dwindled in participation and prestige. Likewise, the country’s role as a forerunner for the future of Gulf motorsport – epitomised by its claim to have hosted one of the region’s first rallies – has been long consigned to the history books, replaced by the likes of Formula One’s Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the MotoGP race in Doha.

Inevitably,with absence comes apathy, leading to a drop in spectator support.

At Thursday’s ceremonial start, two women distributing Red Bull – which must by now be motorsports’ second-most consumed fuel – attracted more attention than the Citroens, Subarus and Mitsubishis that were being paraded in front of assembled dignitaries, including FIA vice president Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah of Qatar.

“The Kuwait Rally is one of the most famous races in the region, and we are delighted it is back on the calendar again,” said Al Attiyah, who was one of only a few international competitors to take part in the first post-war race in 1995. “But we must keep pushing here and in the future see them reach the level of Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.

“The government here is very passionate to move forward, but they need more brains behind the sport to develop it.”

The country’s quest to spearhead the development of motorsports in the Middle East has been derailed, said Mishari Al Sabri, an organising member of the local Kuwait Quarter Mile Automobile and Motorcycle Club.

“[Kuwait] were pioneers for motorsport in the region, but now it is on the decline,” he told The Arab Times. “Other states have taken on our initiatives and surpassed us.”

Such states include the UAE, Oman and Bahrain. All three nations had featured alongside Kuwait in the early 1970s on the calendar of the four-nation Gulf Rally Challenge, which later provided the foundation for the Middle East Rally Championship (Merc).

Yet while each of the three have helped the sport progress, Kuwait has been hamstrung by its conflicts.

“Motorsport in Kuwait was affected very much [by the Gulf War],” said Firas Nimri, a motor racing writer.

“Not just here, but in many other parts of the Gulf, too, because of the lack of stability. And Kuwait was not just any country, but an established country with a huge following that loved rallying and their history.”

In the 31 seasons since the inaugural Middle East Rally Championship in 1984, Kuwait has appeared on the calendar only 15 times.

Mohammed ben Sulayem, the record-breaking 14-time Merc champion, won in Kuwait four times, including before and after the five-year hiatus the race was forced to take because of the Gulf War.

“In terms of the stages, there were no big changes between 1989 and 1995,” Ben Sulayem said. “And the support was still strong, largely because rallying is so deep-rooted in the country. Kuwait had been hosting rally races since the early 1970s and the people were always very passionate and created a memorable atmosphere.”

Nasser Al Attiyah, the 10-time Merc champion who is hunting Ben Sulayem’s record, has also won here four times.

The Qatari started his racing career in Kuwait in 1989 and made a special effort to return this year. He is intent on winning a record fifth title in the country.

“Kuwait is a special race for me as I first started out here in a local rally – which I won,” he said. “I really wanted to be here, so I just have to keep pushing and hopefully get the win. I have spoken to Mohammed and he knows I am going to beat his records.”

For Kuwait, organisers will hope that, should Al Attiyah achieve his goal, it might bring some much-needed attention to the country’s motorsports scene and prove that, unlike the years lost by conflict, the people’s love for rally can be recovered.

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