Dubai: Thani Al Falasi and Yacoub Mohammad powered their Land Rover to a powerful finish to open 2008 with a win in the UAQ Rally on Saturday.
On a day that witnessed at least four cars succumb to engine problems, Al Falasi and Yacoub were always in control during the six stages covering the 133-km event in a time of one hour 26 minutes and 57 seconds.
The event was organised by the Emirates Motor Sports Federation under the patronage of UAQ Crown Prince Shaikh Saud Bin Rashid Al Mualla. EMSF chairman Shaikh Marwan Bin Rashid Al Mualla gave away the trophies to the winners in the presence of vice-chairman Hamad Al Mazrouei, business development director Roshanara Sait, organising committee chairman Tariq Al Warshaw and Emirates Motorplex general manager Obaid Al Ghawi.
Defending UAE national champion and winner of the UAQ Rally last year, Shaikh Hamad Bin Eid Al Thani, teamed up with new co-driver Adel Farouz to finish in second with a time of 1:27.22, while Abdullah Al Huraiz and Abdulhalim Zayed finished in third place with 1:34.41.
"This was always going to be tough due to the rain last week. And then we always had the pressure of Shaikh Hamad breathing down our tail," conceded Al Falasi's co-driver Yaqoub Mohammad.
Slight disadvantage
Shaikh Hamad began the second day with a slight disadvantage after conceding a six-second lead after Friday's spectator stage.
After conceding a 15-second lead in the first stage of the day, it looked like Shaikh Hamad's Nissan Patrol would claw back some of the lost time when he beat Al Falasi to post a good 21 seconds in the second stage of the day.
However, Al Falasi was able to make good ground thereafter, conceding just one stage by a mere nine seconds before finishing the last stage four seconds ahead.
Earlier, after the first two stages yesterday, Shaikh Hamad and Al Falasi entered the service area tied at 30:07 minutes with four more stages still left to complete the rally.
"Our car stopped in the middle of a stage and that is when we lost the initiative," Shaikh Hamad said.
