22 Avril au 2 Mai 2009 SUMMARY • Global Press release • Presentation of OILIBYA • Press release : ENDURO CUP • CHALLENGE MECA’SYSTEM • Press release : CLASSE OPEN • Press release : WILDCAT TROPHY • Presentation of ‘NATURE APPROVED’ • Communiqué de presse IEC • CAR / BIKE Results for the Rally of Tunisia • Flow chart NPO • CONTACTS N.P.O. 10 Rue Marius Jacotot – 92817 Puteaux Cedex – France tél : 01.41.450.300 – Fax : 01.41.450.301 – Internet : www.npo.fr – E-mail : [email protected] S.A.S. N.P.O. au capital de 38.000 € – Siret 342 764 479 00057 – Code APE : 926 C – N° intracommunautaire : FR 383 427 644 79 22 Avril au 2 Mai 2009 4 February 2009 Presse Release THE MAGIC OF SAND AND WIDE OPEN SPACES …. The Rally OiLibya of Tunisia 2009 is planned in “cinemascope” through Tunisian and Libyan ergs. This sand-surrounded rally is all set to be magical, both in terms of the quality of an entirely new route and the grand spectacle itself. Covering 4,500 km, the race will include all the diversity of Africa, with 11 demanding stages where driving technique, navigational art and good race management will be determining factors for both professionals and amateurs alike. A major competition in the 2009 sporting calendar On the calendars of the FIA Cross-Country World Cup and FIM World Championships for motorbikes and quads the Rally OiLibya of Tunisia 2009 will allow all competitors to express their driving talents and demonstrate their off-road sense of direction. Alongside the “traditional” rally categories, NPO has maintained the “Enduro Cup” (first mount motorbikes- quads, with refuelling every 90km) and “Classe Open” (Autos-SSV-Trucks with basic preparation) categories, and, for the first time ever, will count towards the “Wildcat Trophy”. A new title sponsor An international oil Group established in 22 African countries, LIBYA OIL HOLDINGS LTD has associated with NPO to develop the reputation of its OIL LIBYA network through the international image of the Tunisia Rally. With the buyout of the Exxon and Mobil networks, OIL LIBYA now represents over 25% of the retail market in Tunisia. From next April over 200 service stations will bear the name OIL LIBYA. The group is also increasing development in the fields of exploration, production and gas and oil refining. A “magical” route with 11 first-time African stages! For the Rally OiLibya of Tunisia 2009, competitors meet in Marseille to load their vehicles on board ship. Administrative checks will start in the ship and technical checks will take place in Tunis, “on the seaside”. The OiLibya Rally will set off after a huge celebration in Tunis with a super-special stage on the beach. Competitors will then head for the desert, facing 6 further stages in Tunisia and 4 in Libya! There will be very few link routes: 6 stages will set off and arrive from camp to camp, without ever seeing tarmac. This 2009 rally is a demanding event but will remain accessible to all. In case of missed waypoints or mechanical problems, time penalties will be levied but no competitors will be dismissed from the race. Every competitor can set off again the next morning: the OiLibya rally is still a 100% pleasure Rally-Raid! In case of abandonment, motorbikes will be transported by NPO back to Tunis and riders who wish will be carried free of charge from camp to camp to follow the end of the rally. In Libya a marathon stage of 850km over 2 days is planned, with a drivers’ camp without assistance staff or motorbike trunks. Course management will be essential for both professionals and amateurs alike. The reward is a N.P.O. 10 Rue Marius Jacotot – 92817 Puteaux Cedex – France tél : 01.41.450.300 – Fax : 01.41.450.301 – Internet : www.npo.fr – E-mail : [email protected] S.A.S. N.P.O. au capital de 38.000 € – Siret 342 764 479 00057 – Code APE : 926 C – N° intracommunautaire : FR 383 427 644 79 22 Avril au 2 Mai 2009 100% off-road track through the dunes of the Ouari erg, with the discovery of 5 lakes surrounded by dunes. Sand, from morning to night … as far as the eye can see! Meanwhile, assistance vehicles will have a “reserved” camp where everyone will be kept informed of race events. Note that the daily routes taken by assistance vehicles have been considerably limited and take only tarred roads. The Rally OiLibya of Tunisia 2009: an “All in” rally From loading to unloading of vehicles in Marseille everything is taken care of: boat transport, accommodation, lunches, dinners, prize giving - everything is included in the entrance fee. This is a surprise-free budget that saves time too (no bookings, money transferred abroad, searching for hotels ….), allowing you more time to concentrate on preparing the race itself. Small budget? Choose the “ENDURO CUP” option! This is a category reserved for motorbikes and quads, defined as a simple, low-cost springboard towards a rally raid. For experienced Enduro bikers or quad riders or just those wanting to discover new horizons, the “Enduro Cup” will convince even the most hesitant. This category is open to “Enduro” type motorbikes and quads still in original configuration. Motorbikes must be mass-produced in at least 200 bikes, in full compliance with the sales catalogue of the manufacturer’s series and be sold normally through commercial outlets. In order to enable driving in original configuration, the organisers have set up fuel supplies every 90km. So there’s no need for large tanks or specific suspension. The only technical formality required by the organisers concerns the installation of a road-book roller and, of course, assembly of regulation safety equipment (Klaxon Sentinel, Iritrack system, unik GPS and distress signal). MECA’SYSTEM challenge: Meca’System is setting a challenge open to all competitors in the Enduro Cup whose motorbikes are fitted with a “light navigation pack”, designed specially for the competition and sold at a preferential rate for this event. The first three in the Challenge will all receive vouchers to purchase Meca’System equipment. Spotlight on … “CLASSE OPEN”! The “Classe Open” category is open to all vehicle types: SSV, Buggys, Protos and 4x4.... It is for older racing vehicles, which cannot be accepted in the T1 or T2 category but which do meet a number of extremely precise safety criteria, including an additional tank (minimum autonomy of 800km), a roll bar, bucket seats, harnesses, an extinguisher, etc. Vehicle preparation is therefore “simplified”. “Classe Open” is perfect for raiders who are still hesitating about entering a race and auto sport enthusiasts who dream of Africa but who do not have a large budget. Competitors in the “Classe Open” will live the same adventure as “Rally” entrants: same route, same road- book, same safety facilities along the 11 stages and over 4,500km of pure pleasure in the heart of the Tunisian and Libyan deserts. “WILDCAT TROPHY” 2009 – under starter’s orders The first round of the “Wildcat Trophy” will be held at the Rally OiLibya of Tunisia 2009. This trophy is for competitors entering at the wheel of a Bowler Wildcat and is above all a race within a race. It’s a time for all competitors to gauge themselves and jostle for places in overall ranking with the same arms at their disposal. It’s a virile, friendly fight but the spirit of assisting others remains a priority. At all the competitions counting for the Wildcat Trophy the best drivers in the general ranking are awarded prizes (cups + prize money). At the end of the season, when all the rounds are completed, the final ranking designates the driver who will be awarded the trophy for the best driver of the year. In 2008, Patrick Syrejol came just ahead of Jérôme Pélichet. For the Rally OiLibya of N.P.O. 10 Rue Marius Jacotot – 92817 Puteaux Cedex – France tél : 01.41.450.300 – Fax : 01.41.450.301 – Internet : www.npo.fr – E-mail : [email protected] S.A.S. N.P.O. au capital de 38.000 € – Siret 342 764 479 00057 – Code APE : 926 C – N° intracommunautaire : FR 383 427 644 79 22 Avril au 2 Mai 2009 Tunisia 2009, Wildcat Trophy entrants benefit from certain advantages, specifically a 1,000 euros reduction on the entrance fees for the Rally category. The top three in the trophy ranking will be awarded cups and cash prizes to be used for NPO events. NPO Rallies become 200% “NATURE APPROVED” In addition to its traditional “clean camps” actions, NPO will ensure for the very first time that polluting emissions are 200% compensated. All polluting emissions from all the organisers’ vehicles (cars, trucks, planes, helicopters, etc.) will be compensated by participation in a re-forestation project. Competitors will be made aware of this problem and given the opportunity of compensating for their own polluting emissions (using calculations based on fuel consumption and tyre changes). All participating vehicles will be “Nature Approved” certified and will bear a specific logo. Safety, ever at the heart of NPO concerns In addition to Irritrack systems (geographic positioning in real time and satellite telephone link with the race CP) and Sentinel (overtaking alarm), all motorbikes and quads will be fitted by NPO, free of charge, with an individual distress signal. 20 doctors, 4 4x4 tangos, 2 Amis motorbikes, 4 helicopters, 2 planes, 2 24hour race control posts, 2 advanced medical units, 2 sweeper trucks, 3 CP vehicles, 7 supply vehicles and assistance from the Tunisian and Libyan military will all be used to ensure that the race goes to plan.