It was already rumored, but now it is the official news: the Italian Baja’s entry of Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah has been confirmed; he will drive a Mini All4 Racing of the X-Raid official Team, a sport structure belonging to Bmw.
He was almost an unknown participant when he won the Italian Baja in 2008 with a Bmw X3, with a gap of just 33’’ ahead on Boris Gadasin who fought an incredible duel with his G-Force Proto along the gravel roads which characterized the territory and through the Tagliamento and Cosa riverbeds.
But he already got the title of World champion as for Rally Production (2006); he demonstrated to be a versatile driver on all terrain tracks, an eclectic sportsman because of his great ability in wing shooting (skeet specialty) which led him to take part in three Olympic Games (Atlanta 1996, Sidney 2000, Athens 2004). While seizing the first step of the podium at the Dream Village in Cordenons, together with her Swedish navigator Tina Thörner, he widely smiled to everybody and went away in a hurry, as he was supposed to go back to his many duties.
Our Pordenone fans learned to know him in that occasion. Al-Attiyah represented Qatar at the Olympic Games in Peking (2008) and obtained the bronze medal in London (2012), the third one got by his Country in the whole Olympic games history, and probably he will face once more the clay-pigeon shooting game in Rio in 2016. In the meanwhile he twice infallibly shot the Dakar, getting victory in 2011 with a Volkswagen car and in January 2015 with his Mini, while in 2014 he also gained the Wrc2 title, new denomination for production vehicles specialty in the Rally World Cup.
Considering the driver and the car potentiality, this could be the premise of a favorite driver at the Italian Baja during all race’s days, from June 25th to June 28th. The “Zar” Gadasin and many other challengers are anyway ready to fight a really “explosive” duel.
Carlo Ragogna Italian Baja Press Office
