With the Dakar Rally reaching its annual rest day, Americans show few signs of slowing down on the sands of Saudi Arabia in the off-road endurance classic.
After five of 12 stages in the event’s 47th edition, U.S. drivers and riders are poised for their best showing since 2020 when Ricky Brabec (bike) and Casey Currie (UTV) became the first American champions in the Dakar Rally.
Brabec won his second Dakar crown last year and is off to a solid title defense in 2025.
The Hesperia, California, native has two runner-up finishes stages for a ranking of sixth overall, 21 minutes, 1 seconds behind leader Daniel Sanders.
Brabec seems to have recovered well from a right leg injury that sidelined him after the first stage of the Rallye du Maroc season finale last year. But he still was frustrated by a 17th in Stage 4 that cost him 20 minutes.
“Definitely not the best day,” he said. “I’m really happy with my riding, and I’m happy with my navigation. But man, we made a big mistake and that definitely killed us. But we’re here. We’re healthy. We’re walking, and nothing you could do about it.
“I mean, overall, I’m happy with how I’m performing.”
So is Honda HRC teammate Skyler Howes, who is the highest-ranked U.S. rider in fifth (19:59 off the lead) with three top-five stage finishes.
Dakar results have been feast or famine for Howes, who has rebounded from a compound ankle fracture in a crash last August. He finished a career-best third in 2023, fifth in 2021 and ninth in ’20, but he failed to complete the event in ’24, ’22 and ’19.
“I’m quite happy with my performance today,” Howes said after a third in Stage 3. “My body feels good.”
In the premier car category, U.S. drivers Mitch Guthrie and Seth Quintero both are ranked in the top 10.
Guthrie moved into the T1 prototype category after a second last year in T3. He is ranked sixth in his Ford M-Sport, nearly 43 minutes behind leader Henk Lategan.
Quintero, 22, is in his second year with the esteemed Toyota Gazoo Racing. He set a Dakar record in 2022 by winning 12 stages of the T3 light prototype division.
Seth Quintero (USA) and Dennis Zenz (DEU) of Toyota Gazoo Racing race during stage 02 of Rally Dakar 2025 in Bisha, Saudi Arabia on January 06, 2025 // Marcelo Maragni / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202501060164 // Usage for editorial use only //
Seth Quintero races during Stage 2 of the Dakar Rally in Bisha (Marcelo Maragni / Red Bull Content Pool).
He has two stage victories in the premier category this year after twice being moved into the top spot.
Quintero benefited in Stage 5 when teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah was penalized for winning with a missing spare wheel. A 10-minute penalty knocked the five-time Dakar Rally champion to 1 second behind Quintero, who also was promoted to a Stage 1 victory after helping another competitor who had crashed.
“The first week was pretty good for us, with a victory at the start and two second places,” said Quintero, who trails Lategan by 90 minutes. “But on the other hand, we also lost 40 minutes on the 48 Chrono stage and with the punctures (in Stage 4). All in all, it’s not too bad. Now for us it will be upwards and onwards.”
One of the big surprises of Dakar has been the U.S. driver leading in the SSV category.
Brock Heger is racing in his first rally with a road book, but navigation has come easy so far for the California native. He has two class wins and top three finishes in every stage.
Heger prepared for Dakar by training with legendary U.S. rider Jimmy Lewis, who has mentored Brabec and other American riders.
“I’m surrounded by dunes and deserts where I live and started racing at about 8,” Heger, 34, said before the event.
“We’d been planning to race a road book rally before doing the Dakar, but it kept on getting pushed back. Although I lack specific experience I think with the team and (navigator) Max (Eddy), I should be OK. I’m not planning to finish 40th. I think we should be competitive, and I don’t think a podium is an unrealistic ambition.”
Also in SSV is Sara Price, who became the first U.S. woman to win a Dakar stage while finishing fourth as a rookie last year. The California native fell out of contention with mechanical problems in Stage 2, but she rebounded to win Stage 4 despite being more than 70 hours off the lead.
PAST DAKAR RALLY RESULTS
2024: Ricky Brabec wins second Dakar Rally championship
2023: Kevin Benavides first in bike; Nasser Al-Attiyah wins fifth title
2022: Al-Attiyah wins fourth overall; Austin Jones takes SSV
2021: Benavides beats Brabec in bike; Stephane Peterhansel wins 14th overall
