Summarize

Dakar 2025 starts in Saudi Arabia on 3 January. Big news is that Botswana’s 2024 World Rally Raid Moto Champion, second on Dakar 2024 and former triple South African Champion Ross Branch will carry number 1 on his Tork Craft-backed Hero MotoSports 450 Rally. More local news is of another multiple South African champion and 2024 World Rally 2 Champion, Bradley Cox stepping up to the big time aboard a privately-run Rally GP class BAS World KTM 450. 

A third fast South African, Aaron Mare will also race in the big class on his HT Husqvarna, and three of his compatriots will compete in the privateer Rally2 category. Michael Docherty returns on a BAS World KTM, while rookie duo, Willem Avenant has an HT Husqvarna at his disposal and Dwain Barnard rides a Nomade Racing KTM.

Getting back to the big time, 2024 bike winner, Honda returns with a five-machine army for ‘24 winner, American Ricky Brabec, compatriot Skyler Howes, Chilean Pablo Quintanilla, the ever-present Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren, and quick Spaniard Tosha Schareina. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is back at Dakar as ever and in spite of the Austrian manufacturer’s fiscal woes. The bikes will be ridden by GasGas refugee Australia Daniel Sanders and Argentine brothers, former Husqvarna man Luciano and regular rider in orange, Kevin Benavides.

Ross Branch is backed by Chilean José Ignacio Cornejo and German rider Sebastian Bühler in the Hero camp, while Spain’s Lorenzo Santolino and Portuguese rider Rui Goncalves will fly the Sherco flag. There are three single-bike entries for minnow bike makers, a Kove 450 for US flyer Mason Klein, a Rieju 450 with Bolivian Daniel Nosiglia Jager riding, and UAE rider Mohammed Balooshi in the saddle for Fantic.

South African privateers Cox and Mare will have Czech Martin Michek and Slovak Štefan Svitko on a pair of KTMs, and Portuguese rider Antonio Maio’s Yamaha to contend with as Rally GP privateers. Rally2 is hugely competitive as it covers the majority of the field. Indian 2024 Rally 2 winner Harith Noah is back on his Sherco, Frenchmen Romain Dumontier’s Honda and Mathieu Doveze’s KTM, and Czech Jan Brabec on another KTM will be the South African trio’s rivals on the 136 machine entry list.

Covering almost 8,000 kilometres including over 5000 km of desert racing over two weeks, Dakar 2024 starts with the Prologue at Bisha in Saudi Arabia on Friday 3 January. Race proper follows from the 4th with fourteen days of racing covering twelve stages including a 48-hour 950 km ‘chrono’ marathon test. Dakar 2025 novelties include five stages with separate routes for cars and bikes, while one stage will feature a mass start. Organizers promise a tougher route with much navigation.

Watch for Daily Dakar Updates focussing on Southern African competitors on the cars and bikes from Motorsport Media in Conjunction with Tork Craft will also be giving away two fully equipped Tork Craft TrackBox toolboxes signed by Ross Branch through the Daker fortnight. Don’t forget to visit the page to enter!