Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros (AAB), Toyota’s exclusive dealer in Qatar, and Overdrive Racing, a Belgium-based international racing logistics and vehicle modification company, announced that Toyota was the single-largest entry brand in the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup.


Qatar’s esteemed rally driver Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah made a sensational return to Overdrive Racing while driving a Toyota Hilux for the Belgian team in the just-concluded Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and in the ongoing Sealine Cross-Country Rally, which will conclude on April 22, for rounds two and three of the 2016 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup.
Al-Attiyah drove for the team in 2012 and won the Sealine Cross-Country Rally in an Overdrive Toyota, one season after taking the first of his two Dakar Rally titles. He will be bidding for a fourth victory in five years in the Sealine event and a third successive win with French navigator Matthieu Baumel.
“Everyone at Overdrive is delighted to welcome Nasser back for two of the most demanding rallies in the FIA World Cup calendar,” said Overdrive Racing’s team director Jean-Marc Fortin. “We have many happy memories of working with him in the past and look forward to supporting him, as he and Matthieu  will try to win the first two desert rounds of this year’s FIA World Cup.”
“The Sealine event lacks the difficult, soft dunes and the very high temperatures that we experienced at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, but the event in Qatar is equally as challenging in terms of the navigation and the varied terrain our drivers will cross and it is sure to be hot in April. We are delighted to have Nasser al-Attiyah back in harness in one of our cars and I am sure that he will be looking for the outright win or a podium at least.”
AAB chief operating officer RK Murugan, in a press conference, said, “We at Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros, Co are happy to support the Overdrive Racing Team for their entire logistics requirement in Qatar. We take this opportunity to wish the team members all the best and we are sure that the Overdrive Racing Team will come out as the winners as last year.”
The drivers will be racing 3.5-5 hours and crossing around 500 km a day over gravelled roads and sand dunes, reaching speeds of around 185kmph. This is like driving at 300kmph on smooth asphalt.
Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros Co W L L Toyota was established in 1958 as part of Qatar’s infrastructure development. In 1964, Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros. was awarded the Toyota dealership.  As one of the forerunners of successful businesses in Qatar, the company has established a name for itself with sound business practices and ethics.

Related Story