Home driver Roger Feghali will be the local favourite to win his second successive title at the 28th running of the Marlboro Rally of Lebanon in Beirut later this month.

Preparations are on in full swing for the rally and expectations are high on Feghali to repeat his success in this event in 2003 in a Subaru Impreza WRC. He has also won the top honours in 2000 in Lancia Delta HF Integral.

But a whole load of drivers, including defending Middle East champion Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah of Qatar and current leader Sheikh Khalid Al Qasimi of the UAE, are sure to pitch in hard for the top honours.

The 2004 Middle East Rally Championship's opening round was clinched by Al Attiyah in Abu Dhabi, with Sheikh Khalid winning the second round in Bahrain.

In the third round, Al Attiyah took his second win of the season, only to withdraw from the fray in Jordan last month in the fourth stage. Omani driver Hamad Al Wahaibi led till 200 metres from the end, till he came to a halt, thus handing out a convincing win to home lad Amjad Faraj.

Faraj's win caused immense joy to the Jordanians who were thrilled to see a Jordanian win the event for the first time in the rally's 23-year history.

After four rounds, the Middle East Rally Championship is led by Sheikh Khalid with 24 points, followed by Cypriot Andreas Tsouloftas with 21 and former MERC champion Al Attiyah as third with 20 points.