“Having the chance to recce the roads like this is a great opportunity and the experience of making a set of pace notes will help our preparations before we rally there for real in 2008. It’s always good to try a fresh event for the first time and I’m very much looking forward to getting out to Jordan and seeing the event for myself", said Solberg.
The Subaru pair is not going to compete in the rally itself (scheduled for May 9-10), but to gather as much data and to familiarize themselves with the spectacular location. The 18 special stages of this year's Rally Jordan are based in the north and west of the country, on gravel roads around the biblical Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley regions, as well as in a higher altitude mountainous area in Rumman forest. The 13-kilometres Special Stage 7 of the rally, also known as the Dead Sea stage, is run over the lowest land point on the face of the Earth at 400 metres below sea level.
Rally Jordan is part of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship and the winner in the last two years is Subaru-backed reigning Production WRC champion Nasser Al-Attiyah from Qatar. This year’s rally runs over two days and will be a rehearsal for the country’s WRC debut. The entry book closes on April 23 and organizers expect a strong entry list.
Next season's Rally Jordan, which has been given a March 28-30 date on the 2008 schedule, will expand to three days of competition.
Prince Feisal Al-Hussein, the man who lobbied at the FIA to support his country's bid for a place in the WRC, pointed out that during the rally week alone, 20 million USD could be poured into the local economy by the thousands of team members, media and fans that follow every WRC round. "This doesn't take into consideration the longer term benefits from Jordan being showcased to a television audience of 800 million people in 196 countries", His Royal Highness added. Jordan will become the first Arab country to host a WRC event.
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