Dubai: Mohammad Al Balooshi is looking for a strong finish to this season’s FIM Cross Country Rally World Championship at round five of the six-stage series at the Atacama Rally in Chile, from August 30 to September 5.
The 35-year-old Emirati is currently fourth in the championship with 41 points, 29 points short of series leader Marc Coma of Spain.
He didn’t compete in the last round of the series in Italy and likely won’t compete in the final round of the series up next in Morocco from October 3-9. But he finished sixth, tenth and third respectively at the opening three rallies of the season in the UAE, Qatar and Egypt. And will now aim to finish the year strongly in order to set up well for 2016.
“My overall standing of fourth is beyond expectation,” he told Gulf News. “One day I would like to win this championship, but at the moment I would be happy to finish inside the top five.
“It’s unrealistic to finish higher than that at the moment because there are only two rounds left,” added Al Balooshi, who is up against opponents in bigger teams and stronger bike set-ups.
Not only is he the only Arab in this format but he is also the highest ranked privateer, which means he builds and maintains the bike himself.
“I know what I have and I know what I can do with what I have, but that said I’m not going there for a joyride, I’m going there to give it my all.
“Results are secondary,” he added. “The main thing is I finish the rally knowing I have nothing left to give.”
Next year, however, he hinted at being in a much better position over his rivals than he has been over the last two years of competing in this series.
“I can’t announce anything yet, but next year good things will happen and I’ll be a lot stronger,” he said.
Chile is making its debut in the series meaning the riders will be united in their unfamiliarity with the conditions and terrain.
“It’s a long country with a varying climate so there will be a lot of obstacles to overcome, but we will take it stage-by-stage and hope for a top outcome that adds to my overall standing.”
As the only Arab or Emirati in this format, Al Balooshi said he wanted to inspire more locals to get into the sport.
“We have the numbers, Emiratis love dirt biking and you can see them in the desert at the weekends,” he said. “So the talent is there, we just need to put the news out there that they can go further. I feel a lot of responsibility being the only Arab and the sole flag bearer of the UAE.”
Linking up with the right academy and management firm, he said, was one way of turning your hobby into a career.
“Hooking up with an academy and management company will help you with elements of the sport you maybe hadn’t previously considered, such as presenting your case in front of sponsors. In all, it’s about professionalising your approach,” he added.
