Bin Humaidan and Yousuf get into top gear

Dubai: The combination of Abdullah Bin Humaidan and Arif Yousuf topped the Prologue stage to earn the right to start from pole position at the four-day Ras Al Khaimah Rally that started in the Awafi region yesterday.

Bin Humaidan and Yousuf took their Nissan Patrol on the opening spectators' stage in a time of two minutes, 58 seconds to finish ahead of Glen Reid and the experienced Raed Baker.

Pre-rally favourite Shaikh Suhail Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum and Wael Marjan failed to start the rally as their Land Rover experienced unexpected mechanical problems, while Nabil Al Shamsi failed to complete the course in his Nissan Patrol.

"We start the main rally with a very good feeling even though the prologue was not suitable for 4x4 cars," Yousuf, co-driver for Bin Humaidan told Gulf News.

"The hairpins were slippery, but we are happy with the position we are in. We are keeping our hopes high for a good showing today, but most of this will depend on how we start the rally tomorrow," Yousuf stated.