With the 2024 Dakar Rally just days away, The Checkered Flag is here with a crash course on the world of cross-country rally.
25 Auto/Truck, 6 Classic, 14 Raid Auto/Truck, 47 Moto, and 30 Raid Moto competitors make up the 122 taking part in the “real” road to Dakar.
Past-Racing launches Ford Ranger T1+ rental programme for 2024 W2RC and Bajas, 2025 Dakar Rally
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Spanish team Past-Racing will have “several” Ford Ranger T1+ vehicles available for those who wish to race the Blue Oval in any of the 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship or FIA Baja Cup events as well as the 2025 Dakar Rally.
After a journey that included a 14-year break from off-road racing and having to withdraw from the 2023 race due to logistical issues, “Super Fabio” Lottero will finally get to race the Dakar Rally in 2024.
Marc Solà, Luis Barbero, and Twan Vollenbregt were not expecting to race in the Dakar Rally or Classic in 2024 at first, but circumstances have thrown them into the navigator’s seats.
Before the 2024 Africa Eco Race, FIA member clubs worked to warn drivers about taking part in an event without FIA recognition. That won’t be an issue now as the FIA signed off on it under its respective ASNs.
75-year-old Kenjiro Shinozuka, the 1997 Dakar Rally winner, will not race the Africa Eco Race in 2024 due to losing his main sponsor. However, he hopes to remain involved by supporting his elementary school in Dakar.
Sonia Ledesma will not return to the Dakar Classic in 2024, citing budget and unfair treatment that she argues comes with the territory of being a woman in racing.
Due to Martin Šoltys sustaining an injury in the final days before the 2024 Dakar Rally, Pascal de Baar will fill in by driving the new Tatra Buggyra Evo3. Egbert Wingens will replace de Baar in the Team Boucou truck.
Sébastien Loeb Racing will field two Polaris RZR Pro R Factory SSVs, the same model that races in SCORE International, at the 2024 Dakar Rally for Xavier de Soultrait and Florent Vayssade.
Nicola Dutto, a paraplegic rider, stole the show when he and his team conquered the Baja 1000 in November. Two months later, the crew will head from Europe to Dakar at the 2024 Africa Eco Race.
Willem Avenant hopes to achieve a childhood dream of racing the Dakar Rally in 2025, a journey he’ll document on his “Decoding Dakar” series that he plans to provide as a roadmap for other Dakar aspirants.
Dirk von Zitzewitz stepping away from navigating, but "not quite finished with the Dakar yet"
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2009 Dakar Rally champion co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz turned down offers for 2024 as injuries prompted him to walk away from navigating, but he isn’t calling it quits on racing or the Dakar just yet.
After making his début in 2022, Mário Franco will run his second Dakar Rally in 2024, racing a Yamaha in the Challenger (T3) class with bike star and rally co-driving newcomer Daniel Jordão.
After finishing third in the 2023 Motorsport Australia Off Road SXS Pro Championship, Glenn Brinkman is heading to the Dakar Rally for the first time in 2024.
14 years after his last Dakar Rally and 24 years after his last on a bike, Yoshio Ikemachi will return to the race on two wheels in the Rally2 class.
The 2024 Dakar Rally’s Mission 1000 for electric/hydrogen/hybrid vehicles will determine top performers by points earned in a time attack against a set time; bonus points are earned via fan vote and drag race.
