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Jounieh, Lebanon: The three members of Team Abu Dhabi's Junior Rally Team had endured mixed fortunes and gained priceless experience when their first international asphalt rally challenge came to an end in Lebanon on Sunday.
Youngsters Majid Al-Shamsi, Mansour Al-Suwaidi and Khalil Shaikh took part in the 31st Rally of Lebanon, the fourth round of this year's FIA Middle East Rally Championship, and gained vital competitive mileage as they bid to progress to the highest level in the world of international rallying.
Majid Al Shamsi and his Australian co-driver Dale Moscatt held a comfortable lead over Mansour Al Suwaidi and Ulster co-driver Allan Harryman at the end of the first day's eight special stages.
Bad luck
But Al Suwaidi's luck ran short at the end of the day as he over-revved the Fiesta's on the eighth Maifouk stage and the unit sustained internal damage. The team had no option but to withdraw a disappointed Al Suwaidi from the event.
The third M-Sport-prepared Ford Fiesta of Khalil Shaikh and Irish co-driver Killian Duffy was forced to miss several timed specials on Saturday due to windscreen damage but the duo restarted on Sunday morning under SupeRally conditions.
Four stages were scheduled for yesterday to the east of Beirut. Al Shamsi misjudged a corner in the 11th Deir Al Qamar stage and rolled his Fiesta.
The Abu Dhabi driver managed to get back on his wheels again, completed the 12th stage. Al Shamsi duly slipped from 19th overall to 20th with the five-minute on-stage delay, while Khalil Shaikh headed into the final four specials in 25th position.
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