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Skydive set course for 1,000 corners

Rashid Al Ketbi and Khalid Al Kendi, Skydive Dubai Rally Team aces, are on the Mediterranean island of Corsica for this weekend’s 55th Giru di Corsica-Tour de Corse, the fourth round of the 2012 Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

The duo are tackling an ambitious programme of European IRC events this season in a Skoda Fabia S2000, with each event offering its own unique challenges.

The island of Corsica is one of the most notorious in the rally calendar and the special stages take place on tarmac, are twisty and demanding and often feature stomach-churning altitude and hairpin bends. In rallying circles, the event is often referred to as the ‘Rally of the 1,000 Corners’.

“It’s going to be a totally new challenge for us and one we are both looking forward to,” admitted Al Ketbi, the winner of last year’s MERC Jordan Rally, who is seeded at number 25 this weekend.

“We have heard how challenging the stages are in Corsica and will not be taking any risks, although we want to put ourselves into a position to score IRC points.”

The Intercontinental Rally Challenge had already visited the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean, the island of Gran Canaria and the twisty, demanding lanes of the Circuit of Ireland, before action resumes on the notorious mountaineous island of Corsica in the Mediterranean.

Al Ketbi and Al Kendi have endured mixed fortunes on their first events. They were forced out in the Azores with a broken wheel and continued the following day without being able to score IRC points.

But the Emirati duo then finished an excellent 10^th overall in Gran Canaria with their Skoda Fabia S2000 and now hold equal 16^th in the championship standings, alongside Portugal’s Sergio Silva and Great Britain’s Garry Jennings.

Rivals to the Skydive Dubai Team this weekend include defending IRC champion and series leader Andreas Mikkelsen, his Finnish rival Juho Hanninen, Czech driver Jan Kopecky and the talented young German Sepp Wiegand.

Spaniard Dani Sordo also graces the 48-car entry list in a Mini Countryman alongside former WRC factory driver Francois Delecour, a former winner of the Tour de Corse.

The event starts in Ajaccio in the south-west of the island at 13.00hrs on Thursday afternoon. There are 14 special stages, totalling 318.23km, with three taking place on Thursday afternoon, a further five on Friday and six on Saturday.

The event finishes in the northern town of Bastia at 19.40hrs on Saturday evening.

Four special stages will be broadcast live by the Eurosport satellite television network.