Middle East Rally Championship
Encyclopedia
The Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) is one of the official annual rally championships run by the FIA.
The 2011 Events are as follows:
18 drivers have won one round of the MERC:
Charalambous Thimotheou (CY), Amjad Farrah (HKJ), Andreas Peratikos (CY), Chris Thomas (CY), Samir Ghanem (RL), Abdullah Al-Qassimi (UAE), Abbas Al-Motaiwi (QA), Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah (QA), Hamed Bin Eid Al-Thani (QA), Maurice 'Bagheera' Senaoui (RL), Tony Georgiou (RL), Alex Fiorio
(I), Piero Liatti
(I), Russell Brookes (GB), Alain Oreille (F), Nizar Shanfari (OM), Nicos Thomas (CY), Rashed El-Ketbi (UAE).
The 2011 Events are as follows:
| Event | Date | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Qatar | 3 - 5 Feb 2011 | Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah is a Qatari rally driver and sport shooter. He participates in the Production World Rally Championship , which he won in 2006, and the Dakar Rally, which he won in 2011... |
| Kuwait | 10 - 12 Mar 2011 | Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah is a Qatari rally driver and sport shooter. He participates in the Production World Rally Championship , which he won in 2006, and the Dakar Rally, which he won in 2011... |
| Jordan | 14 -16 Apr 2011 | Rashed El-Ketbi |
| Cyprus Cyprus Rally The Cyprus Rally is a rallying competition held yearly in Cyprus since 1970. The event is run by the Cyprus Automobile Association and is based in the city of Limassol . It is run on the winding roads of the nearby mountains of Troödos. It was part of the FIA's World Rally Championship from 2000... |
1 - 3 July 2011 | Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah is a Qatari rally driver and sport shooter. He participates in the Production World Rally Championship , which he won in 2006, and the Dakar Rally, which he won in 2011... |
| Lebanon | 16 - 18 Sep 2011 | Roger Feghali Roger Feghali Roger Feghali is a Lebanese Rally driver born in 1973 in Wadi Chahrour - Lebanon, he is 9 times Lebanese Rally champion and the record holder of wins in Rally of Lebanon .Roger runs his own team for rally car preparation : MOTORTUNE... |
| Syria | 6 - 8 Oct 2011 | Cancelled |
| Dubai | 1 - 3 Dec 2011 | |
2010 season
The 2010 Events and winners:| Event | Date | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Qatar | 21 Jan - 23 Jan 2010 | Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah is a Qatari rally driver and sport shooter. He participates in the Production World Rally Championship , which he won in 2006, and the Dakar Rally, which he won in 2011... |
| Kuwait | 5 Mar - 8 Mar 2010 | Khalid Al Qassimi |
| Jordan | 1 Apr - 3 Apr 2010 | Yazeed Al-Rajhi |
| KSA | 20 Apr - 22 Apr 2010 | Yazeed Al-Rajhi |
| Lebanon | 17 Sep - 19 Sep 2010 | Roger Feghali Roger Feghali Roger Feghali is a Lebanese Rally driver born in 1973 in Wadi Chahrour - Lebanon, he is 9 times Lebanese Rally champion and the record holder of wins in Rally of Lebanon .Roger runs his own team for rally car preparation : MOTORTUNE... |
| Syria | 7 Oct - 9 Oct 2010 | Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah is a Qatari rally driver and sport shooter. He participates in the Production World Rally Championship , which he won in 2006, and the Dakar Rally, which he won in 2011... |
| Cyprus Cyprus Rally The Cyprus Rally is a rallying competition held yearly in Cyprus since 1970. The event is run by the Cyprus Automobile Association and is based in the city of Limassol . It is run on the winding roads of the nearby mountains of Troödos. It was part of the FIA's World Rally Championship from 2000... |
5 Nov - 7 Nov 2010 | Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah is a Qatari rally driver and sport shooter. He participates in the Production World Rally Championship , which he won in 2006, and the Dakar Rally, which he won in 2011... |
| Dubai | 2 Dec - 4 Dec 2010 | Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah is a Qatari rally driver and sport shooter. He participates in the Production World Rally Championship , which he won in 2006, and the Dakar Rally, which he won in 2011... |
Past champions
| Year | Driver | Car |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 |  Misfer Al-Marri |
Subaru Impreza WRX STI |
| 2009 | Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah is a Qatari rally driver and sport shooter. He participates in the Production World Rally Championship , which he won in 2006, and the Dakar Rally, which he won in 2011... |
Subaru Impreza WRX STI/Mitsubishi Evo10 |
| 2008 | Nasser Al-Attiyah |
Subaru Impreza WRX STI |
| 2007 | Nasser Al-Attiyah |
Subaru Impreza WRX STI |
| 2006 | Nasser Al-Attiyah |
Subaru Impreza WRX STI |
| 2005 | Nasser Al-Attiyah |
Subaru Impreza WRX STI |
| 2004 |  Khalid Al-Qassimi |
Subaru Impreza WRX STI |
| 2003 | Nasser Al-Attiyah |
Subaru Impreza WRC |
| 2002 | Mohammed bin Sulayem |
Ford Focus WRC |
| 2001 | Mohammed Bin Sulayem |
Ford Focus WRC |
| 2000 | Mohammed Bin Sulayem |
Ford Focus WRC |
| 1999 | Mohammed Bin Sulayem |
Ford Focus WRC |
| 1998 | Mohammed Bin Sulayem |
Ford Escort WRC |
| 1997 | Mohammed Bin Sulayem |
Ford Escort RS Cosworth |
| 1996 | Mohammed Bin Sulayem |
Ford Escort RS Cosworth |
| 1995 |  Abdullah Bakhashab |
Ford Escort RS Cosworth |
| 1994 | Mohammed Bin Sulayem |
Ford Escort RS Cosworth |
| 1993 | Hamed Al-Thani |
Toyota Celica GT-Four |
| 1992 | Mamdouh Khayat |
Lancia Delta HF Integrale |
| 1991 | Mohammed Bin Sulayem |
Toyota Celica GT-Four |
| 1990 | Mohammed Bin Sulayem |
Toyota Celica GT-Four |
| 1989 | Mohammed Bin Sulayem |
Toyota Celica GT-Four |
| 1988 | Mohammed Bin Sulayem |
Toyota Celica CTC |
| 1987 | Mohammed Bin Sulayem |
Toyota Celica CTC |
| 1986 | Mohammed Bin Sulayem |
Toyota Celica CTC |
| 1985 | Saeed Al-Hajri |
Porsche 911 SC RS |
| 1984 | Saeed Al-Hajri |
Porsche 911 SC RS |
Previous rally winners
168 Rallies (after Lebanon Rally 2011), following are the winners stats:| Driver | Wins |
|---|---|
| Mohammed bin Sulayem |
60 |
| Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah Nasser Al-Attiyah Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah is a Qatari rally driver and sport shooter. He participates in the Production World Rally Championship , which he won in 2006, and the Dakar Rally, which he won in 2011... |
41 |
| Saeed Al-Hajri |
11 |
 Roger FeghaliRoger Feghali Roger Feghali is a Lebanese Rally driver born in 1973 in Wadi Chahrour - Lebanon, he is 9 times Lebanese Rally champion and the record holder of wins in Rally of Lebanon .Roger runs his own team for rally car preparation : MOTORTUNE... |
9 |
| Khalid Al Qassimi |
7 |
 Andreas Tsouloftas |
4 |
| Abdullah Bakhashab |
3 |
 Björn WaldegårdBjörn Waldegård Björn Waldegård from Rimbo is a former Swedish rally driver, and the winner of the inaugural World Rally Championship for drivers in 1979... |
3 |
| Jean-Pierre Nasrallah |
3 |
| Yazeed Al-Rajhi |
3 |
| Suhail bin Maktoum |
2 |
| Khalifa Al-Mutaiwi |
2 |
| Michel Saleh |
2 |
18 drivers have won one round of the MERC:
Charalambous Thimotheou (CY), Amjad Farrah (HKJ), Andreas Peratikos (CY), Chris Thomas (CY), Samir Ghanem (RL), Abdullah Al-Qassimi (UAE), Abbas Al-Motaiwi (QA), Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah (QA), Hamed Bin Eid Al-Thani (QA), Maurice 'Bagheera' Senaoui (RL), Tony Georgiou (RL), Alex Fiorio
Alex Fiorio
Alessandro "Alex" Fiorio is an Italian rally driver. He debuted in the World Rally Championship in 1986. Driving the dominant Lancia Delta Integrale for the Lancia "B-team" Jolly Club, he finished third in the drivers' world championship in 1988 and second in 1989...
(I), Piero Liatti
Piero Liatti
Piero Liatti is an Italian rally driver. His speciality was driving on Tarmac rallies like Monte Carlo, Catalunya, Corsica and the San Remo Rally.-Biography:...
(I), Russell Brookes (GB), Alain Oreille (F), Nizar Shanfari (OM), Nicos Thomas (CY), Rashed El-Ketbi (UAE).