Fegahli ready for the challenge
By Roufan Nahhas
AMMAN - Al Hussein Rumman Hill Climb kicks off on Friday with the participation of 30 drivers representing Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan.
The event, held under the patronage of HRH Prince Feisal, chairman of the Executive Motor Sports Council, and organised by Jordan Motorsport, will witness serious attempts from drivers to break the record and to unseat reigning champion, Abdo Fegahli, of Lebanon.
Last year, Abdo, nicknamed Dado, was crowned champion of Al Hussein Rumman Hill Climb after clocking 1m50.24s in his Mitsubishi Motortune Prototype, leaving Jordan’s Ayman Najjar in second place, with 1m51.51s in a Mitsubishi Evo GT, and Naser Abu Toha in third spot, with 1m56.43s in a Mitsubishi Evo 5.
“The hill with all its curves and twists has a special taste and that’s what makes it very challenging,” Abdo told The Jordan Times.
“It will be hard to break my own record, but I will try my best to adopt the same strategy I did last year and hopefully I will be able to register a better time,” he added.
In 2007, Roger Fegahli broke all previous Al Hussein International Rumman Hill Climb records in a Mitsubishi Motortune Proto, clocking 1m48.76s and breaking the 1m49.71s registered by Amir Najjar in 2005.
“We have a very challenging hill climb in Lebanon and we are used to narrow and twisty roads but still winning here in Jordan is very hard. It will not be an easy ride for me,” Abdo said.
Abdo will lead a wave of professional hill drivers in addition to some new faces.
The Kingdom’s Husam Salem will be driving a Toyota Corolla and is ready for the challenge.
“I will try to repeat what I did back in 2007 in which I won the third place; I know the competition is not easy but still I want to make a difference at the hill,” he said.
In 2007, Salem clocked 1m54.20s in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6.
“The hill can be a little tricky but I am depending on my Toyota Corolla to have a better time,” he added.
Jordan’s Speed Test driver Barkiv Shadian will try his luck in a new VW Scirocco.
“I have been training hard for this event in the new Scirocco and so far it did well in the first runs. It will be hard to compete against the Lebanese drivers, but we have a good chance,” he said.
Out of 30 drivers taking part in the event 20 are from Jordan.
Veteran rally driver Lebanese Michel Saleh will also be a tough competitor in the event in addition to Jordan’s Emad Juma and Salim Tuaima.
The hill climb course is exactly three kilometres in length with an average rise of 8.5 per cent. There are a total of 24 bends and corners including four hairpin bends. The course is situated two kilometres north of Rumman.
This year, the Rumman Hill Climb is not part of the Middle East Hill Championship because of a change in regulations, which requests several modifications to be done to the cars.
Record
Abdo Fegahli (RL) 2008
Roger Fegahli (RL) 2007
Hisham Najjar (HKJ) 2006
Amir Najjar (HKJ) 2005
Amjad Farrah (HKJ) 2004
Amjad Farrah (HKJ) 2003
Amjad Farrah (HKJ) 2002
Nabil Karam (RL) 2001
Nabil Karam (RL) 2000
Nabil Karam (RL) 1999
Nabil Karam (RL) 1998
Jaber Al Khalifeh (BH) 1997
King Hussein (HKJ) 1996
Jean Pierre Nasrallah (RL) 1995
Bashar Bustami (HKJ) 1994
Nabil Karam (RL) 1993
Adel Matni (RL) 1992
Mohammed Al Saleh (HKJ) 1990
King Hussein (HKJ) 1989
King Hussein (HKJ) 1988
Amr Bilbisi (HKJ) 1987
King Hussein (HKJ) 1967
King Hussein (HKJ) 1966
Shawki Saidi (RL) 1965
King Hussein (HKJ) 1956
King Hussein (HKJ) 1955
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