The opening round will be a Baja for both motorcycles and cars and takes place on February 14-15 with a further event planned in April for each category.
LUSAIL: The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) yesterday unveiled details of the new-look fifth edition of the Qatar Off-Road Championship (QORC).
The 2025 series will be fought out over six events with motorcycle and quad entrants competing in three Bajas and three Survival events and car entrants tackling three Bajas and three rallies.
The opening round will be a Baja for both motorcycles and cars and takes place on February 14-15 with a further event planned in April for each category. The series then resumes in the autumn with rounds in September, October, November and December.
The Survival events will take place over a six or seven-kilometre circuit designed in an area of sand dunes. Races will have a Le Mans-style start and take on different formats.
The QORC will be held under the chairmanship of QMMF President Abdulrahman Al Mannaiand managed by an experienced team under the QMMF’s Executive Director Amro Al Hamad.
“Off-road motorsport is one of the most popular sports in the Middle East and the QORC continues to grow year-on-year,” said Amro Al Hamad. “Our championship already attracts overseas interest but we are sure that our new-look calendar of challenging events for 2025, the unique features of our terrain in Qatar, our substantial prize fund and the experience of our organising team will attract a burgeoning entry this year.”
There will be a new Challenger category in the motorcycle section for riders who have never won a round of the QORC, were not classified in second place at least on two occasions or were not podium finishers at least three times in the past. Riders will score points for both the Challenger and overall classifications.
Five scores will count towards the overall QORC with a minimum of four competitors to be classified. All results will decide the Survival and Baja Trophy standings with a minimum of two entrants to be classified.
A combination of Bajas and rallies will be included in the calendar for cars for the first time. Vehicles that are permitted to compete in the Bajas will also be eligible for the rallies and there will be separate classes and classifications for each category: FIA T3/T4, National T3/T4 and T1/T2.
The Survival events will take place over a six or seven-kilometre circuit designed in an area of sand dunes. Races will have a Le Mans-style start and take on different formats. They will last for 75 minutes, plus an additional lap, or be based around a pair of 30-minute races with an additional lap.
The Bajas will be FIA-type events with a selective section of between 150 and 160km and will combine speed and accurate navigation.
Rallies will run to a short format and include two sections with 20 to 40km of stages and between 40-80km in total. Competitors will be permitted a first pass for reconnaissance purposes and remote service will feature in the itinerary between the two sections.
Five of the six rounds will count towards the QORC standings in the cars with a minimum of four entrants classified. All three events will score points for the Baja Trophy and Rally Trophy with a minimum of two entrants classified.
Over QR2m will be distributed in a bumper prize fund across each of the car and motorcycle classes. This will be dependent upon event, championship and trophy classifications.
Between QR4,000 and QR5,000 will be awarded to each class winner in the motorcycle category down to fifth place with QR2,000-3,000 paid out to each of the Challenger category entrants down to fifth.
A staggering prize fund for overall QORC winners will include QR65,000 to the winner of each class and QR25,000 for the winner of each class in the Challenger category. Payouts will be further staggered down the field and for Survival and Baja Trophy entrants with full details available in the championship regulations available from the QMMF.
Likewise, in the car category, QR5,000 will be awarded to each class winner, QR70,000 will be paid to the winner of each class in the final classification with all classified competitors entitled to a minimum prize of QR10,000. A full breakdown of the prize fund and details of Baja Trophy and Rally Trophy awards – where the winners in each class will receive QR25,000 apiece - are available in the championship regulations.
Last year’s motorcycle series saw 66 entrants from 19 countries tackle four Bajas and four survival events with classes for both motorcycles and quads.
Emirati Mohammed Al Balooshi was crowned as the overall Class 1 motorcycle champion and also won the Baja Trophy, with victory in the Survival Trophy falling to South Africa’s Michael Anderson. The UAE’s Mansoor Al Suwaidi earned a clean sweep of the three Class 2 titles.
The QMMF ran three similar classes for cars in 2024and the championship was contested over four Baja events.
Seventeen drivers and 24 navigators from six countries took part. Honours in the three respective drivers’ categories went to the local duo of Ahmed Al Kuwari and Nawaf Al Sowaidi and Saudi Arabia’s Omar Al Lahim. Local co-driver Nasser Al Kuwari prevailed in Class 1 with Lithuanian Aisvydas Paliukenas and Emirati Ali Hassan Obaid earning Class 2 and 3 honours.
Further information about the 2025 Qatar Off-Road Championship (QORC) can be obtained from the Qatar Motor and Motor Cycle Federation at P.O. Box 8708, Doha, Qatar, Tel: + 974 443 79885, Fax: + 974 443 79732, E-mail: [email protected] and www.qmmf.com
