[{"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":14841,"permalink":"https:\/\/dirtsportsworld.com\/2026\/01\/14\/dakar-rally-leaderboard-update\/","title":"Dakar Rally: Leaderboard Update","content":"With four punishing stages still to go, the 2026 Dakar Rally has delivered another round of chaos, heroics and strategy through Stage 9\u2019s grueling marathon segment. Navigation errors, mechanical misfortune and opportunistic rides have reshaped the battle for glory across bike, car and truck categories and the leaderboard now paints an unpredictable picture of who could ultimately stand atop the sands of Saudi Arabia.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_14844\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" Ricky Brabec sits six minutes behind leader Daniel Sanders. Photo: A.S.O.\/Jennifer Lindini[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe bikes category once again proved to be a tactical war as riders confronted a demanding 418-km special toward Bisha. Spaniard Tosha Schareina seized the Stage 9 win. Daniel Sanders who claimed the provisional overall lead after finishing solidly second on the stage, clawing back time and inheriting the top spot thanks to consistent pacing and resilience through the marathon. KTM rider Sanders now leads Honda\u2019s Ricky Brabec by roughly 6 min 24 sec, with KTM\u2019s Luciano Benavides a handful of minutes further back in third.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_14846\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" Nani Roma has the overall rally lead in the car class. Photo: a.s.o.\/a.vincent\/dppi[\/caption]\r\n\r\nStage 9 was nothing short of a roller coaster in the cars class. Navigation errors and slips from favorites like Nasser Al-Attiyah handed the advantage to Ford\u2019s Nani Roma, who surged to the overall lead with a performance that combined aggression with calculated risk management.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_14848\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" Brock Heger has a commanding lead in the SSV Class at the Dakar Rally. Photo: A.S.O.\/J.Delfosse\/DPPI[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe battle for supremacy in the SSV category at the 2026 Dakar Rally intensified. Brock Heger continued his commanding run as he continues lead the class. Portugal\u2019s Gon\u00e7alo Guerreiro remained firmly in contention, finishing near the front on Stage 9 to hold onto second overall. The Polaris driver has matched Heger\u2019s pace on multiple occasions during the rally, keeping the pressure on as the final stages loom.","excerpt":"

With four punishing stages still to go, the 2026 Dakar Rally has delivered another round of chaos, heroics and strategy …<\/p>","date":"January 14, 2026 18:26","categories":[{"id":25047612,"title":"News","slug":"news"},{"id":25047953,"title":"Rally","slug":"rally"}],"tags":[{"id":25049825,"title":"2026 Dakar Rally","slug":"2026-dakar-rally"},{"id":25049739,"title":"Bisha","slug":"bisha"},{"id":25047900,"title":"brock heger","slug":"brock-heger"},{"id":25047642,"title":"Dakar Rally","slug":"dakar-rally"},{"id":25048585,"title":"daniel sanders","slug":"daniel-sanders"},{"id":25049086,"title":"luciano benavides","slug":"luciano-benavides"},{"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":25047955,"title":"ssv","slug":"ssv"},{"id":25049836,"title":"Tosha Shareina","slug":"tosha-shareina"}]},{"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":10073,"permalink":"https:\/\/dirtsportsworld.com\/2024\/07\/17\/ford-raptor-t1-ready-for-dakar-action\/","title":"Ford Raptor T1+ Ready for Dakar Action","content":"Ford has a new vehicle ready to conquer the Dakar Rally in January. The new Ford Raptor T1+. The look of truck is awesome, but don\u2019t underestimate its capability. The purpose-built vehicle is a collaboration between Ford Performance and M-Sport. Carlos Sainz Sr. and Nani Roma will get behind the wheel of this beast next month starting with the Baja Hungary race.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_10075\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" The T1+ Ford Raptor will race in Hungary in August. Photo: Ford[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe T1+ Ford Raptor features a Coyote based 5.0 V8 engine providing torque and power to conquer the most rugged of terrain. The vehicle has a double wishbone suspension featuring FOX shock technology. There are adjustable external bypass dampers and remote reservoirs at each wheel. The body panels are all carbon fiber. The Raptor T1+ has a wide stance allowing for more stability at high speeds. The stance helps preventing the vehicle from rolling over in off-camber situations.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_10077\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" The Raptor T1+ has a wide stance for stability. Photo: Ford[\/caption]\r\n\r\n\u201cTaking on such a demanding race like Dakar is a daunting task for all of us at Ford Performance, but we have never shirked a challenge,\u201d said Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports. \u201cTo embrace this challenge, we have partnered with the best in the world with M-Sport and Red Bull and I think it shows how seriously we are taking this project. The Ford Raptor T1+ is a stake in the ground for our global off-road vision \u2013 we want to take on the best and prove ourselves in the toughest places on earth. The lessons we are learning from Raptor T1+, along with competing with stock trucks in Baja 1000 and Finke Desert Race, will help make Raptor vehicles even better for our customers.\u201d\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_10078\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" Ford will campaign the Raptor T1+ with drivers Carlos Sainz and Nani Roma. Photo: Ford[\/caption]","excerpt":"

Ford has a new vehicle ready to conquer the Dakar Rally in January. The new Ford Raptor T1+. The look …<\/p>","date":"July 17, 2024 00:32","categories":[{"id":25047612,"title":"News","slug":"news"},{"id":25047953,"title":"Rally","slug":"rally"}],"tags":[{"id":25049612,"title":"Baja Hungary","slug":"baja-hungary"},{"id":25049610,"title":"Carlos Sainz Sr","slug":"carlos-sainz-sr"},{"id":25049613,"title":"Dakar 2025","slug":"dakar-2025"},{"id":25047642,"title":"Dakar Rally","slug":"dakar-rally"},{"id":25047866,"title":"ford","slug":"ford"},{"id":25049614,"title":"Ford Raptor T1+","slug":"ford-raptor-t1"},{"id":25049611,"title":"Nani Roma","slug":"nani-roma"}]}]{ "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/nani-roma/feed/json/ -- and add it your reader.", "home_page_url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/tag/nani-roma/", "feed_url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/tag/nani-roma/feed/json/", "language": "en-US", "title": "Nani Roma 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=14841", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/2026/01/14/dakar-rally-leaderboard-update/", "title": "Dakar Rally: Leaderboard Update", "content_html": "

With four punishing stages still to go, the 2026 Dakar Rally has delivered another round of chaos, heroics and strategy …

The post Dakar Rally: Leaderboard Update appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.

\n", "content_text": "With four punishing stages still to go, the 2026 Dakar Rally has delivered another round of chaos, heroics and strategy …The post Dakar Rally: Leaderboard Update appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.", "date_published": "2026-01-14T18:26:44-08:00", "date_modified": "2026-01-14T18:26:44-08:00", "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": [ "2026 Dakar Rally", "Bisha", "brock heger", "Dakar Rally", "daniel sanders", "luciano benavides", "Nani Roma", "Ricky Brabec", "saudi arabia", "ssv", "Tosha Shareina", "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=10073", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/2024/07/17/ford-raptor-t1-ready-for-dakar-action/", "title": "Ford Raptor T1+ Ready for Dakar Action", "content_html": "

Ford has a new vehicle ready to conquer the Dakar Rally in January. The new Ford Raptor T1+. The look …

The post Ford Raptor T1+ Ready for Dakar Action appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.

\n", "content_text": "Ford has a new vehicle ready to conquer the Dakar Rally in January. The new Ford Raptor T1+. The look …The post Ford Raptor T1+ Ready for Dakar Action appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.", "date_published": "2024-07-17T00:32:48-07:00", "date_modified": "2024-07-17T00:32:48-07:00", "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": [ "Baja Hungary", "Carlos Sainz Sr", "Dakar 2025", "Dakar Rally", "ford", "Ford Raptor T1+", "Nani Roma", "News", "Rally" ] } ] }