Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) President , and Giuseppe Luongo Youthstream President, pose for a picture during a press conference at the QMMF Headquarters yesterday. The QMMF anounced it will host the season opening race of the 2013 FIM MX1/MX2 Motocross World Championship at the Losail Motocross Track on March 1 and 2. This year’s championship will be constested over 19 rounds and it will end in September. PICTURE BY: ABDUL BASIT
By Armstrong Vas
Doha: The opening round of the 2013 FIM Motocross World Championships to be held at the new Losail Motocross Track on March 1 and 2 will be a night race, the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) announced here yesterday.
It is for the first time ever a round of the FIM Motocross World Championship will be held under floodlights, disclosed Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, QMMF President and Losail International Circuit General Manager.
“We are very proud to host this event for first time and at night. The championships will be held at the new Losail Motocross Track which is located next to the Losail International Circuit and which will be a permanent track to host more rounds in the future” said Al Attiyah, while addressing a press conference at QMMF headquarters yesterday.
“We are very happy to have this World Championship in Qatar and have this opportunity to bring this event in Qatar and Middle East. This is a great value for us and for our agenda and we really look forward to built a culture of this (motocross) motorsport in a strong way as we did in MotoGP before, so I think this is a good achievement to reach a goal and to create a motocross culture in this region. Qatar is trying to be a model for many countries and we are here to develop the Motocross passion,” the QMMF official said.
The series which is promoted by Youthstream will be contested over 19 rounds and the curtains will come down on the event in Germany in September.
In 2013, Youthstream will manage a total of 30 Motocross World Championship events and the event in March will be the first time they will be in Qatar to organise an event.
Giuseppe Luongo, President of Youthstream said the main goal of his company is to expand the FIM Motocross World Championships to more areas covering Australia, Asia, South Africa and the USA.
“We want to keep expanding. We must follow the growing economies, as well as the motorcycling growing markets. It is very important to be in Qatar and the Middle East,” said Luongo.
“As we aim to develop the sports world wide is was fundamental to be in Qatar, as the country has been hosting world championships of all types of sports. The sport (motocross) is becoming more and more popular and is easily reachable to young children.”
Luongo expressed confidence that QMMF will deliver a successful race.
“I am sure to have here one of the best Grand Prix of the world. I know we will achieve it, like he (Al Attiyah) has already done with MotoGP, we have new ingredients and formulas. The race will have good television coverage and it will be broadcasted worldwide live,” he added.
“The work to prepare the track is massive and the progress is very good. ” he said of the new Losail Motocross Track which is getting ready for the championship.
This year’s Championships will see another first. It is for the first time MX1 and MX2 will be combined into the same two motos.
The Peninsula
