Jordan Rally Ceremonial Start took place adjacent to the King Hussein Ben Talal Convention Centre at the Dead Sea on Thursday April 24 and began with traditional Arabic entertainment in temperatures that were still in the high thirties Centigrade, despite the late afternoon timing of the start.
Numerous dignitaries, including HRH Prince Feisal Al-Hussein, Chairman of Jordan Motorsport, and Galeb Majadle, the Israeli Minister of Sport, were in attendance, in addition to senior FIA officials and leading rally organizers from around the world.
Cars left the podium in reverse starting order, with Jordan-based Iraqi national Kameran Beshadry the first to create history by crossing the start line of the Arab world's first WRC rally since Morocco in 1976 and the first in the modern era. But Beshadry and Jordanian co-driver Yousef Al-Asmar were forced to cross the start line on foot without their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII, which is being repaired after an incident on the morning's shakedown.
The last car to leave the start was that of defending FIA WorldRally Champion, current championship leader and top seed SebastienLoeb in his Citroen C4 WRC.
One major change from the original entry list was the appearance of Scot Barry Clark and co-driver Jose Diaz at the helm of the Munchi's World Rally Team Ford Focus RS (car 10) to replace Luis-Perez Companc, who has been forced to return to Argentina for an important business commitment.
Source:Xinhua
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