Saudi driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi secured a comfortable victory in the first edition of the Tabaq-Neyom Rally, the second round of the Saudi Toyota Rally Championship, marking the beginning of his campaign to defend his title. The rally took place in the northwestern part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Yazeed started with a Toyota "Hilux Overdrive" to compete in the second special stage of 136 kilometers, leading the provisional overall ranking after Friday's stage by 19:28 minutes ahead of his closest competitor, which he expanded upon finishing the last special stage, winning with a margin of 34:43 minutes. Yazeed did not participate in the first round in Ha'il due to an injury sustained during a skiing trip, so this result keeps him close to the title contenders, with two rounds remaining in Qassim and Jeddah later this year.
Yazeed stated, "Everything went well. It’s a great rally with technical characteristics and navigation tasks. We’re definitely happy to come to this rally in a region that was part of the Dakar Rally route; it’s now part of the Saudi Toyota Rally Championship. We won the stages, and now I look forward to participating in the Baja Italy and Spain rallies."
Emirati rider Mohammed Al-Blooshi won the title in the motorcycle category, finishing 30:11 minutes ahead of his brother Sultan and Saudi rider Mishal Al-Ghanim. The three competed together in the last kilometers of Friday's stage, but Mohammed managed to advance during the final difficult stage by choosing his path well to win the category title. Mishal dropped to fourth after suffering a crash on his Beta "430 RR" motorcycle but continued in the rally. New Zealand rider Philip Wilson finished second in today's stage and moved to third in the overall ranking, marking his first podium finish. Sultan stayed with Mishal after his incident, and they proceeded together with sportsmanship until the end of the stage. Saudi rider Abdul Halim Al-Mugheera completed the top five.
Mohammed Al-Blooshi said, "It was a great day; we pushed from the start. Our goal was to advance with navigation; winning was a foregone conclusion, and I’m really happy with the result." Mishal commented, "Our start was good; I caught up with Sultan in the first 20 kilometers and advanced in the ranking. Then, at kilometer 40, I crossed a valley and thought I was on the wrong path and realized I had to correct my course. While trying to get back on the right path on a flat section, I took my eyes off the roadbook for a few seconds and crashed into a massive rock at 120 kilometers per hour. I flew through the air and rolled on the ground, thinking I would withdraw, but I stayed on the ground for a while trying to regain my sense of direction. It took me about 15 or 20 minutes to decide whether I needed to evacuate or not. I realized I could get up and finish the rally. The motorcycle was damaged with the roadbook, and Sultan and I worked as a team and proceeded together to the end of the stage."
Saudi driver Saleh Al-Saif managed to surpass Dania Aqeel in the final morning to finish the rally in second place overall and win the "T3" category for lightweight desert vehicles in his Can-Am "Maverick X3." Dania finished the rally in fourth overall and second in the "T3" category, while Saudi driver Khaled Al-Fraihy managed to pass her in the final sections of the stage. Saleh indicated, "We followed a plan to attain second place. We got lost at the beginning of the stage but managed to compensate for the time we lost and caught up with Dania before the finish line, but we were surprised when Khaled Al-Fraihy passed us. It's a great achievement to be runner-up in a lightweight desert vehicle."
For her part, Dania revealed, "I had a great time; it was really enjoyable. I felt a bit disappointed when I saw we lost second overall, but I still enjoyed driving. We learned a lot, and honestly, it was a lot of fun. Our performance was good in the 'T3' category, but it’s nice to compete for the overall ranking. Competing against 'T1' vehicles is very difficult when the route is straight and fast. We usually don't see the 'T1' category as a competition. It was a beautiful surprise on the first day, and we drove well in the final stage."
Khaled Al-Fraihy said, "It was a great experience in this rally. It was a bit tough because of an engine problem, but we managed to finish third and first in our category." Emirati driver Khaled Al-Jafla finished the rally in fifth overall and third in the "T3" category, while Saudi driver Abdul Aziz Al-Yayish, the overall leader of the Saudi Toyota Rally Championship, recorded the second-fastest time in the final stage and finished sixth overall. Khaled Al-Jafla remarked, "The stages were fantastic. It felt like preparation for the Dakar Rally, with the same landscape and atmosphere, and it’s good to come here to gain experience in the Saudi terrain."
Abdul Aziz confirmed, "The rally is very fast; it feels like a rally in the World Rally Championship. We don’t feel like we are in Baja, even though we are driving big four-wheel-drive vehicles at high speeds. Today, there were many small sand dunes with hard surfaces. Our car is one of the best among the participating vehicles, and we took a significant hit. We still lead the overall championship with a good margin." Saudi driver Maha Al-Hamli finished the rally in eighth overall and first in the "T4" category for lightweight commercial desert vehicles. Maha said after the rally, "The stages were very beautiful. We won the 'T4' category; it feels great to win."
Hani Al-Nomsi drove carefully in the final kilometers to ensure his victory in the "Quads" motorcycle category on his Yamaha "Raptor," noting that his compatriot Haitham Al-Tuwaijri recorded the fastest times in Saturday's stage. Tabaq native Abdul Aziz Al-Atwi finished the rally in third place, with a significant gap behind them after receiving several time penalties on the first day of the rally. Abdul Aziz Al-Atwi remarked, "The rally was very fast. I lost my roadbook because I drove too fast, at 90 kilometers per hour; so I drove without it. This is my first participation since I suffered an injury in the Jeddah Rally last year."
The rally was held in cooperation with the Ministry of Sports and in partnership with the official partner Abdul Latif Jameel Motors and the strategic partner Saudi Investment Bank.
