The final results of the Kuwait International Rally Championships can be found here.
Several cars did not make it thru the Rally... running out of fuel, technical problems and unfortunately also accidents.
One of the most likable drivers, A Sheik from Oman (Sheik Hammad Althani), had a terrible accident on 'my' stage in which his car flipped over several time and his Co-Driver (Arif Yousuf, UAE) received injuries to his neck and shoulder. As far as I know, both had to be carried to the Hospital for treatment. I don't think he will ever read this blog, but I would like to wish both of them the best for their recovery! The Kuwait times mentioned the accident today with a two line quote without giving any details or names.
Another car flipped causing the total destruction of the car but thanks to the safety gear both passengers got away with no or minor injuries.
"My" team and I had lots of fun helping at the event and taking care of timing, safety and other things for 2 stages of the Rally (Salmi and Mettla).
One rather funny fact of the Rally is that the 0 (zero) car got stuck on the stage in Mettla in a rather bad position. Now the 0 car is the last car of the organizers that is checking the stage for safety and the race is not supposed to start until it reaches the finish and reports that everything is clear. The stage was cleared despite the fact that the 0 car didn't make it all the way to the finish. 4 Rally cars where already on the stage and 1 of them already finished it and just 30 seconds before I was about to start a Kuwaiti team, the stage was closed to get the 0 car out of the way. It took them over 30 minutes to get it out of the deep, soft sand close to the finish. That gave us plenty of opportunity to chat with drivers and co-drivers. We took plenty of pictures with them and in return gave them water and cigarettes (I hope FIA doesn't read this... :P ... No one is supposed to smoke during the rally, specially not close to the cars!). One of the Kuwaiti drivers (I think it was Meshal Alnejadi, a super friendly and like able guy) told me I am his good-luck-charm since i started him on another stage the other day were he drove an amazing time and he asked me if I couldn't start him on ALL the remaining stages...
A British driver (David Scialom) even found the time to invite me to the after party 30 seconds before I started him.
All in all it was a great experience and worth waking up at 4 am in the morning to prepare the stages for 5 days. I got a decent tan, a lot of great memories, met great people and can proudly say that me and 'my' team made this Rally happen despite some organisational problems!
In a few weeks the local Kuwait Rally Championships will be held and I am looking forward to assist again... maybe at a different position this time! :)
P.S. I will post pictures and maybe some videos soon! Just need to collect the good ones first! :)
The organizer, Kuwait Racing Club, put up all information on their website.
Everything you might want to know you will find there incl.:
- Maps
- Time Tables
- Regulations
- Live GPS tracking of the cars
- Results
- ...
Click here to see all the info's.
See you there!
Today was the first time the drivers and co-drivers were allowed on the first 2 stages of the Kuwait International Rally 2009 in Salmi and Atraf. Each driver was allowed twice on the stage to scout the terrain and to complete their road book (telling them where the can drive how fast and what turn will come next). We were expecting 15-20 cars but 33 showed up. Even the event organizers where surprised by the amount of drivers taking their chances today.
This was the first time for me to be part of an oficial Rally and it was great!
We met very very early at the Kuwait Shooting Club and then left to the Salmi stage. Without getting too technical (and too proud), I am on a position called SSS (Start Super Special) and my job is basically to start the cars! :) You know, counting down form 5 and giving them the "go"!
Tday we didn't do that since it was not a race but a inspection of the stage... maximum speed for the drivers is set to 60km/h.
I met a german fellow (which whom I practiced my german again) who provided GPS tracking systems for each car. With this system Race HQ can see if they used a short cut and the respective speed at any given time and place on the stage. He's been doing this since 6 years in Europe, Middle East and Africa... another dream Job! :)
All drivers and co-drivers seemed really nice and I was surprised by the high number of Brits taking part... (mostly as co-drivers).
At noon we closed all stages and went back...
Tomorrow we'll have the same, just on differnet stages. :)
Thursday is the start at the Kuwait Towers!! Try to be there!!! Bet you I will be nice!
Friday and Saturday is the actual race... I put a time table earlier (here) but I will try to give you some more info on where exactly to go and where you see best!
First of all sorry for being absent for a while and not coming back to all questions asked from my previous entry.
These pictures were taken yesterday afternoon in front of the Kuwait Shooting Club on 6th Ring Road just before the Doha Spur exit. As you can see, some of the bigger teams have already arrived and started preparing their cars. All of them are super friendly and didn't mind me taking pictures at all.
The Qatari Team (picture on the very top and middle) came with a total of 5 cars with mostly young talented drivers. The Abu Dhabi Team showed up with 3 cars (picture at the bottom).
If you pass there today, you will see much more teams with their cars, all busy setting the cars to the stages they will find in this Rally. Go pass by, say hello and wish them luck! :)
Got a car and want to participate?
Always wanted to look behind the scenes and assist?
Wanted to wave blue/yellow/checkerd flags??
The organisation team for the Kuwait International Rally Championship 2009 is still looking for volunteers and if you and your car qualifies also for teams to participate!
You can go here and contact Aliaa Hassan or here.
You can also fax a short CV with some notes what you would like to do to 2461 3402
See you there!
After Zain and Viva, Wataniya now followed!!
I just received a message from them stating that all incoming call (local and international) are without charges for the called person!
Here is what it says:
"Dear Customer,
Wataniya is proud to accompany you into Kuwait's new telecommunication era in which all your incoming National and International calls are free!"
I LIKE !!!! :)
... tomorrow from 9am onwards! Let's try this intercessory prayer thingy that ktdp was talking about!
Going for an interview that could make my worklife in Kuwait interesting and fun again!
I can't stand my current Job any longer... I feel like puking on my bosses desk every day!
I never worked for someone with such low moral and dignity! He is the Kuwaiti that all expats like to discribe if we want to portrait a bad picture of Kuwait...
I am sooooo looking forward to turn in my resignation!! And especially the reasons that I will put in there! :)
The U.S. Presidential elections 2008 are very close now with Obama in favour to win against McCain. Never the less, a surprise candidate just entered the race 2 days before elections! Due to the short notice, millions of ballots are now outdated and would need to be reprinted and redistributed. With only 2 days to elections, this is an impossible task to do, even for FedEx / UPS / DHL and all daily newspapers working hand in hand. The solution, the first ever Internet voting, was approved yesterday night at 3:15 am by congress.
And something else came as a surprise for U.S. citizens when they opened the newspaper today to read about the new election method and the new candidate.
For the first time ever, all human mankind can participate in the U.S. Presidential elections! This announcement came after several international groups claimed that the election process was unfair and rigged.
The new candidate has no funding, no expensive campaign, no media coverage and no known supporters so far but he comes with a simple plan to win:
"Vote for me and I'll make this world a better place!" are his simple words in this complicated time. "I don't care if you are white, black, yellow, brown, red, khaki or purple... there is good and bad among all of us!" is what he had to say about the rising racism among the US citizens.
With theses simple but important messages he deserves all the support we can provide him!
So please come and vote! The online voting for the U.S. Presidential elections 2008 can be found right here (see the poll on the right side? It's linked to the U.S. ballot system...) !!
UPDATE:
Go and vote for real!!
There is a website collecting votes from all over the planet! Here is the link: http://www.iftheworldcouldvote.com/
I know I am a little late ... but better late then never! :)
I am sooooo sorry for not writing something earlier ... but I couldn't / didn't feel like / or what ever...
I will see that I post a picture in this post later today since I have none here...
It's a 'her' ... about 1000 grams ... lot's of hair ... :)
Her original name is Lulu... but I can't really name her that because a friend of mine might not really like it if I scream "LULU!! COME HERE!!!"
So I was looking for a name and was hoping she would do something stupid that I could name her after... but no ... very quiet .. potty trained ... play full ... hmmm ... so I came up with: "Maey"
That's what she sounded like when I got her:"maey.... maey ..." (and since I do not know a May or Mae in Kuwait I am good to go...)
So for everyone that didn't get it yet ... I GOT A CAT !!!
After absence of almost 5 years I became a can opener again! :)
As it looks right now I will have a new family member by the end of today. YEAH !! :)
I was actually looking forward for it for a long time but never really thought it would happen in Kuwait.
NOW IT WILL HAPPEN !!!
Everything is ready ... toys ... sanitary equipment ... a complete room ... food ...
All ready and waiting for the big moment ... ! :)
I am really excited !!!
More news when it is actually hapening !!!
So the party was... OK!
Plenty of people (2000 where invited and all must have shown up)! All kinds of nationalities. High ranking military officials in fancy uniforms, Embassy staff from all over the place, business men and women and plenty of people like me... :P
Met a lot of people but forgot most of their names... (really bad with names!)
My potential sheika to maintain me was also there... In fact there where 3! Wealthy, good looking and bored of life. So let's see what happens there... ;)
Basically all mayor American type restaurants where present giving away free food! I tried as much as i can and was stuffed after 1 hour... Yummy stuff but no pork! Big disappointment!
Alcohol was served after the official part at around 9-9.30 and it was more then welcomed by the guest. In fact one guest was carried away by ambulance with alcohol problems and one was escorted out of the premises after sexually assaulting a teenage American girl. Both where Arab! :P
An ambassador who i will not mention by name was hitting really hard on my 'date' telling her he would love to see the chocolate from the chocolate fountain run all over her body! Darn! I was standing right next to her when he did that! He didn't really care since he too was a victim of alcohol.
Someone offered me to buy his 58" yacht for 400.ooo US$ and I said I'll think about it... (I will need time to think about how to get that amount of cash without robbing several banks!)
And hey! There are some hotties working in the U.S. Embassy!! Probably the best looking and best dressed one was a Pakistani women in a gorgeous red dress... (but I don't think she could maintain me :P ).
My 'date' was probablly THE attraction! maybe because I went shopping for cloth with her for this event and made sure she'll be really sexy! :P So if any of 'my female' readers need advice on what to wear ... drop me a line and I'll help you out for a couple of bucks ... :P
Like I mentioned earlier, I couldn't take the Wiesmann there since it would have been far away at the Amiri Diwanyia parking lot. But I'll try for the next big event!
Ohhh!!! The effin cleaners took my goody bag away from me filled with all kinds of crap. The only cool thing where a few coffe cups that I would have sponsored to my office... the rest was all stuff to throw away anyways. No big loss.
Dispite the fact that my contact to the American Embassy just got a little bit weaker last week, I am pretty sure I'll be there for the next events as well... Gotta make sure that I'll meet the girl in red! :P
I am sitting at my hair dresser getting ready for tonight's 4th of July party... I am terribly late already because my boss had to discuss all kinds of stuff with me today that in his opinion had no time until tomorrow... Well... It will be done tomorrow... :P
Another cool fact is that I am actually writing this blog entry on my mobile phone! ha! I love technology! :)
Guys 'n girls... Keep your fingers crossed that I'll meet the sheika tonight that wants to maintain me! :)
Laters ... it's my turn with cutting the little hair that i still have left...
I am going to celebrate the 4th of July on the 7th of May in the American Embassy in Kuwait! :)
Don't ask me why ... the invitation says that!!
Guess the ladies and gentlemen invited don't like the summer heat...
I was told I need to show up dressed to impress. It's one of those see and be seen events. Nothing I particularly like, but what the hell... free food... free drinks... new faces...
Seems like a lot of big shots will go there like the Prime Minister of the beautiful State of Kuwait and some of his 'Employees' (Ministers). Maybe the Amir will show up as well since it's one of their biggest allies inviting.
I thought about taking a Wiesmann Roadster there to make an appropriate entry and do some marketing as well ... but they won't allow me to park it in the embassy. So my boss won't allow me to take the car... what a shame!
Ohhh ... even though I am single and looking I will be married on this evening! And I will even have two kids (who are both out of the worst and actually quite fun and lovable!)!
I just hope my 'wife' let's me flirt and doesn't get too drunk ... :P
Should anything cool happen, like me meeting a Sheika who wants to maintain me, I will let you know.
People, I need to rethink the whole idea about breaking the land speed record for Kuwait...
This week is the Kuwait Motor Show... I have been there yesterday and what can I say... I need to rethink my attempt! With my Peugeot 407 I will not be able to compete AT ALL!!!
If you been there ... saw the Audi's, Lamborghini’s, Porsche's and BMW's?!? HOW CAN I COMPETE WITH THEM???
I totally gave up on the idea after being the passenger in an Aston Martin DB9. You know the feeling when you are flying and the plane hits an air pocket and your stomach feels funny!? Ok... you have this feeling in a DB9 from the second the engine is running ... acceleration is AWSOME! Top speed beyond 300 km/h (still may not be enough to break the record). REAL NICE!!
But not only because this car costs more then I earn in a year I would not buy it ... no ... there are other reasons also ... Picture this:
My friend and I where on highway 40 driving the BB9 with about 120km/h ... on the lane right of us pulls up a car ... he get's his camera out and clicks pictures of the car ... !??!?! WTF?!?!
Since there are only (I think) 29 DB9 in Kuwait, people will always know where you are... don't really know if this is good or not ... but I like to have some privacy even if I go to public places.
Well ... my friend would probably kill me if I tell you that a DB9 is not a car to buy ... it is!! Awesome manufacturing! Hand build, though designed and absolutely individual! If I would not have to worry about what's paying my bills ... I would have one ... and a Vanquish right with it!! :P
But seriously now. There are real nice cars at the motor show and some real jewels as well! Maybe if you talk to the guys from Audi real nice they'll show you their treasure! Well hidden and very exclusive! And while you are there ... check out the RS4 and A8...
Right next to Audi you can find Volkswagen. Check out the Phaeton!!
Porsche displays the Porsche Carrera GT ... a monster!
For the guys that like the H2 ... the H3 is presented ... for me the H1 is still the best out of their series ... but this is just me ... :P
In the same hall you can find a real classic race car ... the Ford GT! They have one on display that seems to be a customer car ... he still has his radar warner in the front windshield!! :P Hope for him that police won't recognize...
And what would cars be without beautiful women?!?! Skoda won the unofficial beauty contest with a hostess named Hannan (if I remember right). She was trying to sell us a car and showed us the features of it ... when she explained that we could fit our skis in the trunk by sticking them thru the rear seat I tried hard not to crack up ... SKI?!?!? THIS IS THE KUWAIT MOTOR SHOW!!! NO SNOW!!! NO MOUNTAINS!!! But still ... she won!
Well ... so for me it's back to the drawing board ... and if I really want to break the record ... I think I need a filthy rich sponsor!
Anyone?!? No?!?
