[{"id":14859,"permalink":"https:\/\/dirtsportsworld.com\/2026\/01\/17\/champions-decided-as-2026-dakar-rally-concludes-in-saudi-arabia\/","title":"Champions Decided as 2026 Dakar Rally Concludes in Saudi Arabia","content":"The 48th Dakar Rally is in the books. The rally covered almost 8,000 km of punishing desert terrain in Saudi Arabia, delivered heartbreak and triumph until the final kilometers of the rally. After 13 grueling stages, the champions were crowned in a whirlwind finish that fans won\u2019t soon forget.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_14861\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" Brock Heger secured his second consecutive Dakar title. Photo: A.S.O.\/J.Delfosse\/DPPI[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe biggest story in the United States was Brock Heger claiming his second rally title. Heger dominated the class taking the early overall lead during the rally. The SSV category saw multiple Polaris RZR vehicles finish highly, with Polaris securing the top and third positions in the final standings.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_14863\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" Luciano Benavides beat Ricky Brabec by 2 minutes to win the overall Dakar motorcycle title. Photo: A.S.O.\/Jennifer Lindini[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn what became one of the closest overall finishes in Dakar history, Argentina\u2019s Luciano Benavides clinched his first Dakar Rally motorcycle title by an astonishing two seconds, the narrowest margin ever in the bike category. Ricky Brabec started the day with a lead, but a late mistake allowed Benavides the victory. Tosha Schareina finished third.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_14865\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" Nasser Al-Attiyah adds a sixth Dakar Rally title to his resume. Photo: A.S.O.\/J.Delfosse\/DPPI[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn the car category, veteran Qatari rally-raid legend Nasser Al-Attiyah secured his sixth Dakar Rally victory, adding another monumental chapter to his storied career. Driving for the Dacia Sandriders team which claimed its first overall Dakar win. Al-Attiyah maintained blazing consistency across two weeks of punishing speed sections, dunes, and rocky terrain. He finished the rally with a margin of nearly 10 minutes over his closest rival Nani Roma. Finishing third overall was Mattias Ekstr\u00f6m.","excerpt":"

The 48th Dakar Rally is in the books. The rally covered almost 8,000 km of punishing desert terrain in Saudi …<\/p>","date":"January 17, 2026 20:41","categories":[{"id":25047612,"title":"News","slug":"news"},{"id":25047953,"title":"Rally","slug":"rally"}],"tags":[{"id":25047900,"title":"brock heger","slug":"brock-heger"},{"id":25049813,"title":"Dakar 2026","slug":"dakar-2026"},{"id":25047642,"title":"Dakar Rally","slug":"dakar-rally"},{"id":25049086,"title":"luciano benavides","slug":"luciano-benavides"},{"id":25049611,"title":"Nani Roma","slug":"nani-roma"},{"id":25048662,"title":"nassar al-attiyah","slug":"nassar-al-attiyah"},{"id":25047968,"title":"nasser al-attiyah","slug":"nasser-al-attiyah"},{"id":25047641,"title":"Ricky Brabec","slug":"ricky-brabec"},{"id":25047646,"title":"saudi arabia","slug":"saudi-arabia"}]},{"id":14808,"permalink":"https:\/\/dirtsportsworld.com\/2026\/01\/08\/dakar-rally-guthrie-jr-excels-in-marathon-stage\/","title":"Dakar Rally: Guthrie Jr. Excels in Marathon Stage","content":"Stage 4 of the Dakar Rally was the first of two marathon stages. Wednesday night, the competitors camped in the desert without the comforts of the bivouac and support teams. By the end of Thursday, everyone was ready to get back to their support teams after a grueling Stage 5.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_14810\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" Mitch Guthrie Jr. secured another stage win at the 2026 Dakar Rally. Photo: a.s.o.\/a.vincent\/dppi[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn the car class, it was another Ford podium. Mitch Guthrie Jr. claimed his second stage victory of this Dakar after a strong performance over the 371 km timed special. Nani Roma crossed the line fastest but a speeding penalty moved him to second. Rounding out the podium in 3rd was Martin Prokop.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_14812\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" Luciano Benavides was the fastest bike of Stage 5. Photo: a.s.o.\/ jennifer lindini[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn the bike class, Luciano Benavides won the stage with Nacho Cornejo second and Daniel Sanders third. Sanders has regained the overall motorcycle lead with Ricky Brabec a close second.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_14813\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" Kyle Chaney secured a huge Stage 5 win at the Dakar Rally. Photo: a.s.o.\/a.vincent\/dppi[\/caption]\r\n\r\nKyle Chaney was the stage winner in the SSV class. Brock Heger maintains a significant lead in the class. Chaney\u2019s win moves him up to third in the overall standings.","excerpt":"

Stage 4 of the Dakar Rally was the first of two marathon stages. Wednesday night, the competitors camped in the …<\/p>","date":"January 8, 2026 23:35","categories":[{"id":25047612,"title":"News","slug":"news"},{"id":25047953,"title":"Rally","slug":"rally"}],"tags":[{"id":25047900,"title":"brock heger","slug":"brock-heger"},{"id":25049813,"title":"Dakar 2026","slug":"dakar-2026"},{"id":25047642,"title":"Dakar Rally","slug":"dakar-rally"},{"id":25048585,"title":"daniel sanders","slug":"daniel-sanders"},{"id":25047657,"title":"Kyle Chaney","slug":"kyle-chaney"},{"id":25049086,"title":"luciano benavides","slug":"luciano-benavides"},{"id":25049834,"title":"Marathon Stage","slug":"marathon-stage"},{"id":25048637,"title":"mitch guthrie jr","slug":"mitch-guthrie-jr"},{"id":25049109,"title":"nacho cornejo","slug":"nacho-cornejo"},{"id":25049611,"title":"Nani Roma","slug":"nani-roma"},{"id":25047641,"title":"Ricky Brabec","slug":"ricky-brabec"},{"id":25047646,"title":"saudi arabia","slug":"saudi-arabia"},{"id":25049833,"title":"SSV Class","slug":"ssv-class"},{"id":25049082,"title":"stage 4","slug":"stage-4"},{"id":25049832,"title":"Stage 5","slug":"stage-5"}]},{"id":14517,"permalink":"https:\/\/dirtsportsworld.com\/2025\/11\/20\/new-hilux-new-heroes-toyota-sets-sights-on-2026-dakar\/","title":"New Hilux, New Heroes: Toyota Sets Sights on 2026 Dakar","content":"Toyota Gazoo Racing is revving up for the 2026 Dakar Rally with a refreshed driver roster and the debut of its all-new DKR GR Hilux, a stronger, lighter, and more resilient truck designed for the punishing desert stages.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_14521\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" Henk Lategan, Seth Quintero and Toby Price will all drive the new 2026 Hilux in the Dakar Rally. Photo: Toyota Gazoo Racing.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe 2026 team includes returning stars Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings. The two secured second place in last year\u2019s Dakar Rally. Seth Quintero is a rising star in rally-raid and will pilot the No. 203 Hilux alongside his American navigator Andrew Short, a former motorcross rider. Quintero impressed in his rookie Dakar season, claiming a stage win and finishing in the top 10. Making his TGR W2RC debut is Toby Price, a two-time Dakar champion on bikes. Price will be paired with experienced navigator Armand Monl\u00e9on, who previously navigated for Lucas Moraes.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_14519\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" The truck also has a reinforced transmission, built to handle extreme loads and enhance durability. Photo: Toyota Gazoo Racing[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe new truck features a tubular chassis, which improves torsional stiffness and reduces weight, while also making maintenance easier which is a critical advantage during long rally stages. The truck also has a reinforced transmission, built to handle extreme loads and enhance durability under the arduous conditions of the Dakar Rally. Initially, the new Hilux will be fielded exclusively by the factory TGR W2RC squad. However, later in 2026, it will be made available to privateer teams as well.","excerpt":"

Toyota Gazoo Racing is revving up for the 2026 Dakar Rally with a refreshed driver roster and the debut of …<\/p>","date":"November 20, 2025 10:19","categories":[{"id":25047612,"title":"News","slug":"news"},{"id":25047953,"title":"Rally","slug":"rally"}],"tags":[{"id":25049816,"title":"Andrew Short","slug":"andrew-short"},{"id":25049815,"title":"Armand Monl\u00e9on","slug":"armand-monleon"},{"id":25049812,"title":"Brett Cummings","slug":"brett-cummings"},{"id":25047925,"title":"dakar","slug":"dakar"},{"id":25049813,"title":"Dakar 2026","slug":"dakar-2026"},{"id":25047642,"title":"Dakar Rally","slug":"dakar-rally"},{"id":25049081,"title":"Hank Lategan","slug":"hank-lategan"},{"id":25047957,"title":"rally","slug":"rally"},{"id":25047961,"title":"seth quintero","slug":"seth-quintero"},{"id":25049814,"title":"TGR W2RC","slug":"tgr-w2rc"},{"id":25048535,"title":"toby price","slug":"toby-price"},{"id":25048685,"title":"toyota gazoo racing","slug":"toyota-gazoo-racing"},{"id":25049066,"title":"Toyota Hilux","slug":"toyota-hilux"},{"id":25048366,"title":"truck","slug":"truck"}]}]{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1", "user_comment": "This feed allows you to read the posts from this site in any feed reader that supports the JSON Feed format. To add this feed to your reader, copy the following URL -- https://dirtsportsworld.com/tag/dakar-2026/feed/json/ -- and add it your reader.", "home_page_url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/tag/dakar-2026/", "feed_url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/tag/dakar-2026/feed/json/", "language": "en-US", "title": "Dakar 2026 Archives - DirtSportsWorld", "description": "The Voice of Off-Road Motorsports", "icon": "https://i0.wp.com/dirtsportsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/cropped-DSW-Web-Icon.png?fit=59%2C59&ssl=1", "items": [ { "id": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/?p=14859", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/2026/01/17/champions-decided-as-2026-dakar-rally-concludes-in-saudi-arabia/", "title": "Champions Decided as 2026 Dakar Rally Concludes in Saudi Arabia", "content_html": "

The 48th Dakar Rally is in the books. The rally covered almost 8,000 km of punishing desert terrain in Saudi …

The post Champions Decided as 2026 Dakar Rally Concludes in Saudi Arabia appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.

\n", "content_text": "The 48th Dakar Rally is in the books. The rally covered almost 8,000 km of punishing desert terrain in Saudi …The post Champions Decided as 2026 Dakar Rally Concludes in Saudi Arabia appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.", "date_published": "2026-01-17T20:41:15-08:00", "date_modified": "2026-01-17T20:41:15-08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "DirtSportsWorld Staff", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/author/dirtsportsworld/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4817be88e351e2814fd215f4b782a136e8119efccfc1eafde273c56619cf08f5?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "DirtSportsWorld Staff", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/author/dirtsportsworld/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4817be88e351e2814fd215f4b782a136e8119efccfc1eafde273c56619cf08f5?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "tags": [ "brock heger", "Dakar 2026", "Dakar Rally", "luciano benavides", "Nani Roma", "nassar al-attiyah", "nasser al-attiyah", "Ricky Brabec", "saudi arabia", "News", "Rally" ] }, { "id": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/?p=14808", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/2026/01/08/dakar-rally-guthrie-jr-excels-in-marathon-stage/", "title": "Dakar Rally: Guthrie Jr. Excels in Marathon Stage", "content_html": "

Stage 4 of the Dakar Rally was the first of two marathon stages. Wednesday night, the competitors camped in the …

The post Dakar Rally: Guthrie Jr. Excels in Marathon Stage appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.

\n", "content_text": "Stage 4 of the Dakar Rally was the first of two marathon stages. Wednesday night, the competitors camped in the …The post Dakar Rally: Guthrie Jr. Excels in Marathon Stage appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.", "date_published": "2026-01-08T23:35:24-08:00", "date_modified": "2026-01-08T23:35:24-08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "DirtSportsWorld Staff", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/author/dirtsportsworld/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4817be88e351e2814fd215f4b782a136e8119efccfc1eafde273c56619cf08f5?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "DirtSportsWorld Staff", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/author/dirtsportsworld/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4817be88e351e2814fd215f4b782a136e8119efccfc1eafde273c56619cf08f5?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "tags": [ "brock heger", "Dakar 2026", "Dakar Rally", "daniel sanders", "Kyle Chaney", "luciano benavides", "Marathon Stage", "mitch guthrie jr", "nacho cornejo", "Nani Roma", "Ricky Brabec", "saudi arabia", "SSV Class", "stage 4", "Stage 5", "News", "Rally" ] }, { "id": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/?p=14517", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/2025/11/20/new-hilux-new-heroes-toyota-sets-sights-on-2026-dakar/", "title": "New Hilux, New Heroes: Toyota Sets Sights on 2026 Dakar", "content_html": "

Toyota Gazoo Racing is revving up for the 2026 Dakar Rally with a refreshed driver roster and the debut of …

The post New Hilux, New Heroes: Toyota Sets Sights on 2026 Dakar appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.

\n", "content_text": "Toyota Gazoo Racing is revving up for the 2026 Dakar Rally with a refreshed driver roster and the debut of …The post New Hilux, New Heroes: Toyota Sets Sights on 2026 Dakar appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.", "date_published": "2025-11-20T10:19:08-08:00", "date_modified": "2025-11-20T10:19:08-08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "DirtSportsWorld Staff", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/author/dirtsportsworld/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4817be88e351e2814fd215f4b782a136e8119efccfc1eafde273c56619cf08f5?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "DirtSportsWorld Staff", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/author/dirtsportsworld/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4817be88e351e2814fd215f4b782a136e8119efccfc1eafde273c56619cf08f5?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "tags": [ "Andrew Short", "Armand Monl\u00e9on", "Brett Cummings", "dakar", "Dakar 2026", "Dakar Rally", "Hank Lategan", "Rally", "seth quintero", "TGR W2RC", "toby price", "toyota gazoo racing", "Toyota Hilux", "truck", "News" ] } ] }