The Saudi Arabian Automobile and Motorcycle Federation has announced the names of the participants in the 19th Hail Toyota International Rally, which is the first round of the 2023 FIA Baja Cross Country World Cup season and the first round of the FIA World Cup. The Baha Middle East Cup and the first round of the Saudi Arabian Desert Rally Toyota Championship, and the first round of the International Motorcycle Rally Federation Baja Cross Country Championship.
The rally will feature (160) entrants and helpers on cars and motorcycles, with (65) entrants, of which (30) vehicles are in the local category dedicated to the Kingdom Toyota Desert Rally Championship and (28) entrants participate in the motorcycle category, including (5) in the ATV category and (4) motorcycles participating in the local category.
The most notable participants are rally title holder, Toyota Desert Rally Kingdom Championship holder, Baja Cross Country Rally World Cup Champion Yazid Al Raji, Qatari Dakar Rally Champion Nasser Al Attiyah, European Champion and former World Champion. Polish champion Kristof Holovic; and Saudi Arabian champion Yasser bin Saidan’s participation force for the rally.
The standard T2 category will feature Ibrahim Al Muhanna, winner of the 2014 Hail Rally title, Ahmed Al Shaqawi, winner of the T2 World Cup title in 2018, as well as well-known rally stars in the Kingdom. Khaled Al-Farihi and Muhammad Al-Tuwaijri are on the list of participants.
In the T3 desert light car category, in addition to Kuwaiti Mashary Al-Dhafiri, Argentine world football champion Fernando Alarit, Hail Rally star and Baha champion Jordan Saleh Al-Saif, world champion Denmark Akil and Mashael Al-Obaidan, and Kuwaiti Mashary Al-Dafiri. Category T4. The Brazilians Cristiano Batista and Saeed Al-Mouri are participating, while Maha Al-Hamli is returning. To participate in the Hail Rally after winning first place in the T4 category at the Jeddah Rally last year, while motorcycles (11) of different nationalities participate, most notably Emirate Muhammad al-Balushi, Jordanian Muhammad Abu Aisha, Kuwaiti Abdullah al- Shatti, Saudis Mishal al-Gunaim, Anas al-Rakhani, Abdul Halim al-Mughira, Kuwaiti Sara Ali Kharib and Indian Sara Kashiab.
Quads include Hani Al-Numsi, Abdulaziz Al-Atwi, Sultan Al-Masoud and Haytham Al-Tuwaijri, as well as Abu Dhabi Desert Rally Champion Abdulaziz Al-Ahli. Al-Kashami, Mubarak Al-Zubaidi and a number of rally stars from the Arab countries.
The organization of this rally is under the direct control of the International Federation of Automobiles and Motorcycles (FIA) under the auspices of His Highness the Governor of the Gradsky Region, the Chairman of the Development Department of the Gradsky Region, the Chairman of the Supreme Organizing Committee of the Gradsky Region. Rally, and His Highness is his deputy.