The Rally of Lebanon will be back this year in its 29th edition on 30 June and 1,2 July. The Rally is characterized this year by a special Event: Red Bull Head to Head, as the first Special Stage which will take place in the Camille Chamoun Sports City parking lot in Beirut. This challenge will add to the excitement of the Rally. It will be the most exciting action packed stage of the 29th Rally of Lebanon, being the opening stage. In this dual race challenge, two cars will race off together at the same time, each one will go through the same circuit and the one that crosses the finish line first will win the challenge. The drivers will be racing simultaneously Head to Head, and at one point both cars intersect on a superposed road adding great excitement.
This Event, organized by ATCL club, will witness the participation of many Lebanese, Arab and foreign drivers, such as the Middle East champion Nasser El Attiah from Qatar, Suheil Ben Khalifa Al Maktoom from UAE, and Red Bull driver, Lebanese Abdo Feghali who is expecting to take the first place on his home land, after the Rally of Lebanon was cancelled last year.
History
1952 witnessed the organizing of the first Rally in Lebanon under the name of Rally of Lebanon and Syria. Three years later, ATCL club organized the “Tournament of Lebanon” Rally for 647 km long. The same rally was held four years later. In 1968, the Rally of the Mountain was being held on 1100 km, it became a yearly gathering for big drivers such as Italian Sandro Monari winner of the FIA cup in 1977, the Rally of the Mountain remained the best motor sport event in Lebanon and the Middle East until 1992.
The 13th Rally of the Mountain witnessed a big leap becoming a stage of the Middle East championship, and since 1993 it was known under the name of Rally of Lebanon, with the two French drivers Jean Ranioty and Alain Orey participating in it, and the great Tommy Makinnen performing in the first Special Stage. In 1995, European champion, French Cézar Baroni participated in the Rally. And in 1998, the former world champion Peter Solberg took second place, and so the Arab and international participation went on with Mohammad Ben Suleyyem from UAE, Saudi Abdallah Ba Khashab, Qatari Said El Hajeri and Nasser El Attiah, French Ives Loupet and Italian Pierro Liatti, in addition to the local drivers like Red Bull driver Abdo Feghali known by his fans as DADO, Roger Feghali, Jean Pierre Nassrallah, Billy Karam, Samir Ghanem, Baguerra, Doumet Bou Doumet…
And this year, Rally of Lebanon will become one of the best rallies to be held in the Middle East, and the only one having the Red Bull Head to Head competition, which requires a high level of concentration and is expected to attract thousands motor sport lovers and a lot of great media coverage.
