Team BMW X-Raid eyes Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Podium • 2009 saw Chicherit-Thorner win cars category • X-Raid's Leonid Novitskiy upbeat following Dakar performance ABU DHABI March 19 2010: Team X-Raid, winner of last year's Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, has entered this month's 2,000 kilometre cross-country rally, upbeat that it is well placed for a repeat victory. Russia's Leonid Novitskiy will take the driver's seat with German Andreas Schulz at his side. The duo finished 11th overall in their BMW X3 CC at the recent Dakar rally, which has placed them early favourite to defend the BMW X-Raid team's 2009 title clinched by Guerlain Chicherit and Tina Thorner. X-Raid's team manager, Sven Quandt said that the last 12 months have been great for the for this year's title contenders. “Novitskiy and Schulz smack of a winning team. They finished second overall in Morocco and did really well at the Dakar. They finished 11th, and achieved the 11th faster overall time in the 16-day, 9,030 kilometre run, and they are in tip-top condition to take on Abu Dhabi's Western Region's gruelling terrain. “Compared to the Dakar's long straight run, Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is 2,000 kilometres, however the dust, heat and the un-known element that belongs to the desert sands alone is a tough challenge for even the most experienced drivers. I believe that our team has what it takes to emerge winner in tough terrain.” The five-day competitive section of the cross-country motor sport spectacular, organised by the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) with the full backing of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, opens in Abu Dhabi on March 27. The desert section runs from March 28-April 1, 2010 and is open to competitors driving cars and trucks complying with FIA T1, T2 and T4 technical regulations and motorcyclists and quads running under the auspices of the FIM. Once again the event will be the season-opening round of both the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup and the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship. The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge has traditionally attracted a host of partners, and in 2010 these include Nissan, ADNOC, Al Ain Water, Crowne Plaza Yas Island, Explorer, FedEx, Tag Heuer and Thuraya. Further details, including event technical regulations, are available from ATC UAE officials, PO Box 5078, Dubai, UAE, Tel: + 971 4 2961122, Fax: + 971 4 2961133, E-mail: info@atcuae.ae or Tanya@atcuae.ae, Website: www.abudhabidesertchallenge.ae . Entries closed on March 5th - Ends - Picture captions Picture one: BMW's X-Raid team, Russia's Leonid Novitskiy and German co-driver Andreas Schulz are ready to defend the 2009 win clinched by Guerlain Chicherit and Tina Thorner. Picture two: BMW's X-Raid team finished 11th overall in the recent Dakar 2010 event. Media Enquiries: Garima Barotrra +97150 9122543; Anu Bhatnagar +97150 7286803;Susan Furness +97150 6556126 media@strategicsolutionsonline.com media@abudhabidesertchallenge.ae www.abudhabidesertchallenge.ae About Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ACT UAE): Fourteen-times Middle East rally champion and Vice President of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile), Mohammed Ben Sulayem, is the founding President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATC UAE) and Chairman of the organising committee of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. Ben Sulayem was behind that launch of ATC UAE in 1991. The Club now has offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Al Ain. ATC UAE oversees two rounds of car rallies in UAE for the FIA Middle East Rally Championship, as well as the UAE International Rally and the Dubai International Rally. The Club also authorises and supports the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (formally the UAE Desert Challenge) which is one of three rounds of the FIA Cross Country World Cup. The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2010 is scheduled for March 20-27 2010. www.atcuae.ae Anthony Fernandes Press Officer Tel +971 4 2961122 Mobile. +97150 2462257 anthony@atcuae.ae About ADTA: Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) was established in September 2004. It has wide ranging responsibilities for building and developing the emirate's tourism industry. These include; destination marketing; infrastructure and product development and regulation and classification. A key role is to create synergy in the international promotion of Abu Dhabi through close co-ordination with the emirate's hotels, destination management companies, airlines and other public and private sector travel-related organisations. www.adta.ae Saeed H Al Tunaiji Media Relations Section Head Tel: +9712 4181456 stanaiji@adta.ae