Talented UAE driver Sheikh Khalid Al Qasimi, and his Norther Ireland co-driver Michael Orr, must be relishing the prospects for the season after securing the lead in the 2004 FIA Middle East Rally Championship.

After three rounds in the seven-race series Sheikh Khalid leads a competitive field with 24 points following his third place finish in the Jordan International Rally, which concluded in Amman late on Saturday.

Jordan's Amjad Farrah made history when he became the first Jordanian driver to win the event.
Sheikh Khalid had made his title intentions clear when he won the Bahrain International Rally in March at the wheel of the Power Horse World Rally Team Subaru Impreza WRX Sti.

Saturday's result moved Sheikh Khalid ahead of Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah in the championship standings and the Power Horse driver will now take a three-point lead into the all-tarmac fifth round of the series in Lebanon in July.

But he needed every bit of his survival instincts to stay in the race.

"We hit a rock on the first stage of the day, damaged a wheel strut and got a flat tyre," Sheikh Khalid recounted.

"It was difficult to get to the service. I am just glad that we made it and were able to finish the rally in a good points-scoring position. Now we have a three-point lead in the championship and it's all to play for."

Cypriot Andreas Tsoul-oftas, fresh from his 11th position on the World Rally Championships round in Cyprus last week , stayed in contention for the Middle East title with a second place overall in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 7.

He also moves one point ahead of Al Attiyah in the points standings on 21.

Sheikh Khalid and his co-driver Orr demonstrated their skills in testing conditions. Sheikh Khalid, who won the Jordan International Rally last season, has always stressed that winning the title was his prime focus.

"I made a conscious decision at the start not to worry about the opposition and just to concentrate on my strategy," he said earlier in Amman.

"The championship is more important to me than setting a few fastest stage times and taking risks with the car."

This he demonstrated when overcoming the fast rocky desert stages to the south of Amman that took out Qatar's defending champion Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah on Friday.

"I hit the same ditch as Nasser. We hit it flat in fifth when we should have been in third gear.

"I thought that it was finished. But the engine was okay and we reached service," said Sheikh Khalid.

Next on his agenda is the WRC Acropolis Rally in the Greece, from June 4-6.