The Tabuk Toyota Rally 2024, round two of the Saudi Toyota Championship, will officially start from King Khalid City in Tabuk at 13.30hrs on Thursday afternoon.

The Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) has laid on a challenging three-day desert route for an impressive line-up of car entrants, motorcycles and quads with approximately 419 kilometres to be timed against the clock.

Yazeed Al-Rajhi arrives in the north-western city, situated close to the border with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, with an eight-point overall lead in the Drivers’ Championship, courtesy of his and Timo Gottshalk’s victory at round one in Ha’il.

Dark Horse OT3 driver Saleh Al-Saif is his nearest rival with Dania Akeel holding third place after making the switch from the Challenger category to driving an Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux alongside Al-Rajhi in the Ultimate P section. Al-Saif’s co-driver Nasser Al-Kuwari trails Gottschalk by eight points in the Co-drivers’ Championship.

With Pal Lonyai and Ahmed Al-Kuwari not competing in Tabuk, the door is open for German female driver Annett Quandt to climb the leader board. She currently holds sixth in the overall standings and switches from a Yamaha YXZ to drive a Can-Am Maverick X3 on this occasion. Her closest challengers in the overall Drivers’ Championship are Hamad Al-Harbi, Abdulaziz Al-Yaeesh and Maha Al-Hameli.

Al-Rajhi has had it all his own way so far in the Ultimate P category, while Al-Yaeesh arrives in Tabuk with a six-point cushion over Faris Al-Moshna in the Ultimate class. Khaled and Ahmed Al-Shammeri currently hold third and fourth places.

Al-Saif leads the absent Lonyai by seven points in Challenger, with Quandt, Al-Harbi and Al-Hameli looking to snatch the initiative from the OT3 driver on round two of the series. Hamza Bakhashab and Abdullah Al-Haydan are also registered in the category this weekend