Saudi Arabia's rally driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and his Portuguese co-driver Filipe Palmeiro on his way to extending lead in Hail Rally Thursday. HAIL — Saudi Arabia's top rally driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and his Portuguese co-driver Filipe Palmeiro extended their overall lead in the 2012 Saudi Arabia Hail Desert Challenge to 16min 20.1sec after a challenging 257.43-km stage through the remote landscapes of the An-Nafud Desert Thursday. “I am really happy with the way the stage went today,” said Al-Rajhi. “The strategy is working well and I managed to pull out a good lead. I am determined to win the event for the third time. After the rally in Sweden recently, I feel more confident in what I am doing and the Hail Rally seems easier than I remember last year. The new stages are not as difficult, but I know there is one more long stage to go Friday.” The Mini All4 Racing driver was shadowed through the stage by Frenchman Thierry Magnaldi and his Spanish co-driver Lucas Cruz Senra in a Bakhashab-run Toyota FJ Cruiser Proto. They held a troublefree second overall on their first appearance in Saudi Arabia. Saudi driver Abdullah Saeed Bin Hamden held third for long periods in a Nissan Patrol with navigator Ali Hassan, but they were overtaken near the end by Mtair and Abdullah Al-Shammeri, who now hold third spot in a Toyota. The UAE driver Yayha Al-Helai and Khaled Al-Kendi started well in their Nissan Patrol and held fourth overall at the end of the stage, but Bin Hamden also slipped behind Safah Al-Saeedi and Ahmed Al-Shaqawi into seventh overall. Dubai-based Briton David Mabbs was forced out when he blew two cylinders in his engine just four kilometers into the stage and there was also misery for Ahmed Al-Qashimi, who was suffering from the effects of dehydration and withdrew from the event. The rally is being organized by the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation (SAMF) under the presidency of Prince Sultan Bin Bandar Al-Faisal and the patronage of Prince Saud Bin Abdul Mohsen Bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of Hail, President of the Supreme Commission for Hail Development and the Head of the Supreme Commission of the Hail Rally. Al-Rajhi finished the stage in just over three hours and 45 minutes, with Magnaldi following 15min 52.5sec behind in second place. Bin Hamden was delayed over the last section and Mtair Al-Shammeri was the third driver through the flying finish, near Jubbah, in his Toyota, the Saudi beating fourth-placed Al-Helai by 14min 25sec. On Friday teams tackle the stage through the An-Nafud. A 25.59-km liaison guides the remaining cars to the start of the 148.71-km test at As-Sufun. A final 51.71-km road section then takes surviving crews back to Hail for the ceremonial finish at 17.45hrs.
