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The fourth day of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge tomorrow (Wednesday, April 6) sees competitors take on arguably the rally’s toughest leg, comprising 350 kilometres the most demanding desert terrain. Named after Nissan, whose flagship Patrol SUV is the race’s official car, the stage is likely to make or break a large number of Desert Challenge campaigns.
Leg 4 sets off at 8:00am from the edge of the E45 road, approximately 24 kilometres north of Mezaira’a. From there, riders and drivers head west across over 98km of barren desert towards the first checkpoint, 36km up the E15 Ghiyathi Road. They then complete a loop that takes them further west, before heading down towards the second checkpoint and refuelling station. This 10:00am stop, which is located in the same place on the Ghiyathi Road, makes an ideal base for spectators, as it is the only viewpoint of the whole rally through which racers pass twice in one day.
Once refuelled, competitors embark upon another loop, heading west and then south towards the third checkpoint, before passing under the Ghiyathi Road 26 kilometres up at approximately 10:40am. From this Ghiyathi Road viewpoint, the racers head south, crossing the Liwa Road 9km east of the Ghiyathi roundabout at around 11:20am, before enduring one last leg through the massive dunes of the Empty Quarter south of the Liwa Oasis, towards the finishing point at Tharwaniyah.
Nissan is a long-term supporter of the rally and the Patrol, dubbed “The Hero of All Terrain”, is perfectly suited to the ground that competitors will tackle on Leg 4. It enjoys the reputation of being one of the toughest SUVs on the market, with the car proving particularly popular amongst Middle East racers - six Patrols started this year’s Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, five of which are piloted by competitors from the GCC. Nissan is also providing several Patrols to act as off-road transport for the organisers.
“Nissan has been a partner of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge for the past eight years,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Vice-president of the FIA and president of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE). “The Patrol is built for this terrain, making for a very strong partnership.”
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is one of the world’s top cross-country rallies and continually attracts some of the most famous rally drivers and riders from across the globe. It continues until April 7, and this year a landmark partnership with Eurosport TV will see daily global broadcasts of all the action.
The event is organised by the ATCUAE under the title sponsorship of ADTA, and is held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region. It is backed by a high-profile line-up of sponsors and supporters that includes Al Gharbia, ADNOC, Rotana - Yas Island, Al Ain Water, TAG Heuer, Explorer and Nissan – the all-terrain Nissan Patrol, dubbed ‘The Hero of All Terrain’, is the official vehicle of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.
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