DUBAI // The two-time UAE champion Mohammed Al Balooshi leads seven Emirati riders in vying to win the Arab Motocross Championship 2012.
More than 40 riders from nine countries across the Middle East will compete at the two-day event, which begins today at the DMX Motocross track in Jebel Ali.
The UAE riders have a distinct advantage over their counterparts this year, having already raced on the 1,600m DMX track three times this season.
Al Balooshi said that the tricky circuit suits him perfectly.
"I have ridden the DMX track many times since it opened in 2003 so I know it very well, even though it changes every season," he said.
"The turf wears out very quickly, making it an incredibly fun and demanding course to ride. The key is for riders to be mentally and physically fit and they need to approach the course with a big heart.
"From the get go, we will have to push hard right up to the chequered flag."
Other Emiratis set to compete include Ali Al Kubaisi, Sultan Al Balooshi and Saeed Al Shenqiti in the MX1 category, while Saif Al Kumiti, Anwar Khusaif, and Mubarek Al Ali will ride in the MX2 category.
Racing begins at 9am today, with seven hours of practice sessions across all three classes, followed by scrutineering at 4pm.
The motocross action begins in earnest tomorrow with a final practice session at 10am followed by two races for each category in the afternoon.
The Arab Motocross Championship 2012 is the first competitive racing series of the Arab Motorcycle Federation (AMF) following an overhaul in August this year at its headquarters in Riyadh.
Since being restructured, the AMF has been working toward developing a full calendar of motorcycle racing events in the Middle East that run to the international standards laid down by the International Motorcycling Federation, the sport's world governing body.
* Agency
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