Rallying for the Arabs

He's one of the few Arab rally drivers around and the only one who genuinely rallies for his countrymen. Nashwa Abdel-Tawab portrays a staunch Arab supporter on wheels
As Omani Hamed Al-Wahaibi sits behind the wheel of his Subaru Impreza, you realise instantly he is that rare breed of sports figure loyal to country and region. His helmet is a virtual Arab League, emblazoned with stickers of the 22 Arab flags. And his car is the only Arab racing vehicle devoid of foreign ads. "I refused the Marlboro advertisement because I am driving for the Arab world and I should represent this with Arab ads because it will be ridiculous to do otherwise," said the 33-year-old.
Al-Wahaibi is a proud Arab youth competing in the World Rally arena, not only in his country's name, but for all Arabs. He's called the "All Arab Driver" who decided to take on a European sport. In 1999 he was rated one of the world's top 10 rally drivers by Motoring News, the leading rally sports publication in Britain. In its 1999 review, it said Al-Wahaibi "has shown that he can adapt to almost any conditions and keep his cool under pressure against experienced opponents."
Tomorrow the Omani ace will drive in the three-day Finland Rally, the ninth round of the 2001 World Rally Championship which will be flagged-off from the town of Jyvaskyla with 165 starters competing in the spiritual home of the sport.
"Though this is not a part of my FIA (Fédération Internationale d'Automobile) Team's Cup agenda, I decided to take part to learn more about the rally before going for the world title," said Al-Wahaibi. "Because I'm still on the leading square, I will use this opportunity to gain maximum exposure and experience which will help me out in the future FIA Cup rounds this season."
Al-Wahaibi's next Team's Cup event will be at San Remo in October. "This rally will help me in honing my skills on the Subaru Impreza World Rally Car (WRC), especially while competing with experienced Finnish drivers." This kind of car is for Group A races and is popular for its fast-paced and bumpy stages. "My aim is to complete the event without any glitches," Al-Wahaibi added.
The Finnish stages are the fastest in the world championship and are a stern test of skill and nerves for the drivers. Al-Wahaibi took part in the Finland rally twice, in 1999 and 2000, on a group N car. The Omani sensation was unable to finish the rally on both occasions due to technical problems, something which has given him an extra incentive to participate in this year's event. His fresh attempt is quite different, since he will be behind the wheel of the more powerful group 'A' Subaru Impreza WRC for the first time.
Al-Wahaibi began his rally career in 1996 soon after graduating with a degree in business administration from the US. He tested his driving abilities in the Kuwait rally in a Peugeot 205. However, his real start was in the Middle East Championship in 1997 when, in only his first year of competing in rallying, he won the Middle East Rally title for drivers of Group N cars, underlining a talent few can claim naturally. In the same year, Al-Wahaibi contested Britain's round of the FIA World Rally Championship and, in only his sixth event, finished eighth in Group N and a fine 26th overall in a rally in which 163 crews started.
With a taste of success at the highest echelon of the sport, Al-Wahaibi mounted a more significant assault on the World Rally Championship in 1998. Competing in a Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, he claimed points in five of the six rounds of the World Cup for Drivers of Production Cars he contested and finished the season fifth overall amid heated competition.
In 1999 Al-Wahaibi joined Ralliart Germany and took Group N category wins in three world rally championship events. The Safari Rally has a legendary reputation and the Omani powered his Lancer Evolution to victory after a fine display of tactical driving. This, coupled with a debut victory on asphalt in Spain and another win in Greece, set Al-Wahaibi up for a major assault on the 1999 title. Three retirements later in the season hampered his charge, but he still finished an impressive second in the World Cup after only contesting 26 events in his career.
With the support of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Al-Wahaibi joined the Subaru All Stars Team in 2000. With this and assistance from the Oman Trading Establishment -- the Subaru importer in the Sultanate of Oman -- came a state-of-the-art Subaru Impreza World Rally Car and the opportunity to pit himself against the registered manufacturer's drivers. In 2000, Al-Wahaibi registered a resounding Teams' Cup victory in New Zealand. The terrible weather conditions in Corsica did nothing to hinder the Omani and a second category victory was added to the list before he rounded off the season with another fine drive in Great Britain, where he also finished an impressive 15th overall. Both victories were in the Subaru Impreza World Rally Car.
This year, his first full season with the World Rally Car, Al-Wahaibi is again contesting the FIA Teams' Cup within the World Rally Championship with the sole objective of taking outright honours in the Subaru Impreza with the All Star Team. Mechanical failures have, however, hindered his challenge and from four events to date, the Omani has only finished in Portugal, where second in the Teams' Cup proved to be a well-earned result in treacherously wet and muddy conditions. Between his World Championship outings, Al-Wahaibi also contested the Rally Terre D'Auvergne in France where he finished first overall in the Subaru Impreza World Rally Car. Given the stiff competition from much more experienced French counterparts, Al-Wahaibi's victory was all the more remarkable, becoming the first Arab driver to mount a French podium.
For the future, Al-Wahaibi's goal is to contest all 14 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship in association with a factory supported team.
In the Middle East, he is already a household name, a sportsman with international status and undoubted natural ability behind the wheel. And despite disappointing mechanical retirements this season, Al-Wahaibi has demonstrated real driving ability, often outpacing many of the registered manufacturers' drivers, to earn himself a world-class reputation. With support from his homeland, there is little doubt that the amiable Omani will continue to play a leading role in the FIA World Rally Championship. With the support of all the Arabs, Al-Wahaibi could prove even better
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