Dubai: Emirati driver Ahmad Al Fahim launches his bid to repeat last season’s double success in the Emirates Desert Championship when the season restarts in Al Qudra on Friday.

Al Fahim won the overall cars and buggies class last year and is now in the running as part of a record 104 drivers and riders entered for the new campaign.

Mohammad Bin Sulayem, president of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, heralded the record entry list.

“The fact that we’ve attracted more than 100 competitors for the first time at the start of the second season shows that this is a series that is going from strength to strength,” he said. “We have a great deal of quality and experience on show, and we’re looking forward to a very competitive season.”