Champion Al Attiyah eyes Poland win

Bengaluru, August 28: Defending champion champion Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah heads a powerful fleet of six Toyota Hiluxes from Team Overdrive to this weekend's Baja Poland, round nine of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies.

Based at Szczecin and taking place from September 1-3, the three-day event attracts one of the largest entries in the cross-country calendar and 134 cars, bikes, quads and trucks will take part on this occasion.

The ace Qatari driver currently has a 72-point lead in the drivers' standings.

Victory in Poland - to follow five previous wins this season in Dubai, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Spain and Hungary - would give Al Attiyah at least an advantage of 81 points to take to the final two rounds of the series in Morocco and Portugal in October.

Al Attiyah claimed his first victory in Poland last season.

"This is an important rally for me and the whole team and the outcome could put us in a very strong position to retain the FIA World Cup title," said Al Attiyah. "It is not an easy rally and there is strong competition, particularly from the local drivers in Poland."

Overdrive Racing has the most impressive team in the entire field with the Dutch trio of Bernhard Ten Brinke, Erik Van Loon and Peter van Merksteijn joining Dane Jes Munk, the host nation's Aron Domzala and Al Attiyah in the line-up.

Poland's Aron Domzala holds fifth in the championship standings after finishing in a similar position in Hungary earlier this month and claiming victory in Russia in February.

The Dutch trio of Ten Brinke, Van Loon and Van Mersteijn have impressive levels of experience in cross-country rallying and have worked with Overdrive Racing in the past.

Ten Brinke and Belgian navigator Tom Colsoul finished a fine seventh in the Dakar with Overdrive Racing in 2015.

Van Merksteijn's return to topflight action with Overdrive Racing sees him team up with the former French Dakar Rally-winning co-driver Pascal Maimon.

Munk teams up with Poland's Rafal Marton in the sixth team entry with additional support from Bewa and M-For Sport.

(With inputs from Overdrive Racing Team).