Jordan Motorsport to host 4th round of regional rally on May 29

AMMAN — Jordan Motorsport is scheduled to host the fourth round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas between May 29 and 31. 

The event will also count towards the new Junior and Master Championships for Drivers.

The Jordan Rally will be fought out over 12 gravel special stages and 196.30 kilometres (km) in a two-day route of 533.72km, according to a statement for The Jordan Times. 

After the ceremonial start and pre-event press conference on May 29, Friday’s action features two passes through the Tal Hilali (32.00km), Karameh (10.50km) and Baptism (11.34km) stages. 

Saturday’s action consists of two runs through the Panorama (17.12km), Suwayma (11.19km) and Wadi Nar (16.00km) specials in the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea areas before the ceremonial finish at the lowest place on earth later in the afternoon. 

Nasser Saleh Attiyah will be aiming for a record-breaking 17th victory at one of the Qatari’s favourite rallies in the world, although he is “sure” to face competition from the likes of joint 2023 regional champion Abdullah Rawahi and the defending champion Abdulaziz Kuwari. 

 Attiyah has won 11 of the last 12 rounds of the MERC in Jordan, with Rawahi (2023) the only driver able to stop that remarkable winning streak by the 19-time FIA Middle East champion, according to the statement.

 After three rounds of this year’s championship, Attiyah has built up a comfortable lead over Saudi Arabian driver Rakan Rashed, with Rawahi holding third place. 

Oman’s Zakariya Aamri and Abdullah Zubair are the early pace setters in the MERC2 category, Qatari Rashid Mohannadi tops the standings in MERC4 and fellow countryman Nasser Khalifa Atya holds the early advantage in the new FIA Master MERC Championship for Drivers.