Roger Feghali and his co-driver Joseph Matar, driving a Skoda Fabia, won the 29th Cedars Rally, organized by the Automobile and Touring Club of Lebanon (ATCL), over two days in the Northern Governorate.
In hot summer weather, twenty-five teams started the rally on Saturday, and twenty-three reached the finish on Sunday. This race was the second round of the 2024 Lebanese Rally Championship, following the Spring Rally. The total distance covered was 199.98 km, with 90.80 km of timed special stages, spread across seven stages (one “super special” on Saturday and six timed special stages on Sunday).
True to form, Roger Feghali dominated the race effortlessly, once again solidifying his reputation as an indispensable driver in the Lebanese rally world. Bassel Abou Hamdan and his co-driver Firas Elias, driving a Volkswagen Polo GTI, secured second place, finishing 1 minute and 29 seconds behind Feghali. Rabih Ayoub and his co-driver Georges Nader, in a Skoda Fabia, took third place, just 6 milliseconds behind Abou Hamdan, after a fierce battle for the runner-up position.
The event was notable for the absence of the much-anticipated duel between Roger Feghali and his son, Alex. Unfortunately, Alex could only manage a fifth-place finish, making a direct confrontation between father and son impossible. Although his fifth-place finish fell short of expectations, it hints at a potential that could materialize in future races of the championship. The young Feghali will likely learn from this experience to come back stronger and aim to compete with the best, including his own father.
With this victory, Roger Feghali continues to dominate the championship and leave an indelible mark on Lebanese rallying. The rally community now eagerly anticipates the next round of the championship, hoping for thrilling new duels and high-level performances. All eyes will be particularly on Alex Feghali to see how he will rebound, and whether he can finally offer the much-anticipated family duel.
Results
Here are the final results of the top 10 cars at the end of the rally:
1. Roger Feghali and Joseph Matar in a Skoda Fabia: 49 min 14.5 s
2. Bassel Abou Hamdan and Firas Elias in a Volkswagen Polo GTI: 50 min 43.7 s
3. Rabih Ayoub and Georges Nader in a Skoda Fabia: 50 min 44.1 s
4. Carl Rizk and Karim Abou Elias in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10: 51 min 29.8 s
5. Alex Feghali and Marc Haddad in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10: 51 min 51.6 s
6. Rodrigue al-Rahi and Nabil Koumboz in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9: 52 min 49 s
7. Elias al-Dahni and Omar Mazkur in a Citroën DS3: 53 min 49.6 s
8. Doumit Bou Doumit and Rami Menhem in a Citroën DS3: 53 min 53.5 s
9. David Mezher and Chadi Nasr in a Citroën DS3: 54 min 30.7 s
10. Mohammed Tajeddin and Joseph Kmeid in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9: 55 min 01.8 s
