Soomar wins second round of Sprint Rally

Haitham Soomar, on Mitsubishi Evo 7, clinched the title of the second round of the Sprint Rally, which was held in the Al Jafnain and Al Mesfah area, after a fierce competition with Zakariya al Aufi, on Mitsubishi Evo 9, and Saif al Harthy, a Can-Am .

Champion Haitham Soomar and his renowned navigator Taha Soomar finished the race in 49 minutes and 18 seconds, just 20 seconds ahead of racer Zakaria al Aufi and his navigator Ammar al Balushi. Saif al Harthy came in third place, just 33 seconds behind.

The rally, which was organised by the Oman Automobile Association (OAA), included two stages that were repeated three times.

Nine competitors participated in the official start. Hafidh al Numani participated in the rally on a Can-Am bike finished the race in fourth place behind Saif al Harthy meanwhile Salem al Touqi and his navigator Issa al Wardi took fifth place in a Mitsubishi Evo 7, while renowned racer Zakariya al Amri took sixth place in a Can-Am. Musab Soomar and his navigator Nasr al Qasmi finished seventh on Kia Rio.

The rally, which was organised by the Oman Automobile Association (OAA), included two stages.

Luck was not on the side of veteran rally driver Faisal al Rashidi and his navigator Yaqdhan al Rashidi this time, who were withdraw from the race after their Subaru Impreza suffered technical malfunctions during the race. Racer Bashar al Qasmi and his navigator Bassam al Qasmi also left the race in his Yaris due to technical Issues.

The competition was fierce between the leading trio of Soomar, Al Aufi and Al Harthy during the first and second stages in Al Jafnain and Al Mesfah, and Haitham Soomar was able to win by a small margin over the rest.

As the competition intensified in the final stages of the rally, each driver tried to put a foot in the door for the round title, but a happy ending smiled on competitor Haitham Soomar and his navigator Taha Soomar, who recorded the fastest time and won the round title, just a short distance ahead of driver Zakariya al Aufi and his co-driver Ammar al Balushi, followed by competitor Saif al Harthy.

The Royal Oman Amateur Radio Society coordinated the rally's stages through communications and reported any emergencies, and the Fazaa team provided safety support and ensured clear paths.

At the conclusion of the Sprint Rally and its second round, Anwar bin Ali al Zadjali, adviser to the Oman Automobile Association, crowned the race winners and top finishers.