HRC to Dakar 2024

The Monster Energy Honda Team Get Ready to Kick Off 2024 With The Dakar Rally

A new season of the World Rally-Raid Championship kicks off this week with the Monster Energy Honda Team all set to tackle the Dakar Rally aboard the new Honda CRF450 RALLY. The current FIM Manufacturers’ World Championship holders will see a line up featuring world leading riders with victories on the Dakar and the very hardest of W2RC rallies under their belt.

With the only American to win the Dakar, 2020 winner Ricky Brabec, alongside Chilean rider Jose Ignacio Cornejo who is looking to get that elusive podium finish, American Skyler Howes, who was a new signing to the team in September, will also be on a mission for victory after his third place finish in 2023. Spaniard Tosha Schareina will also be one to watch after his victory on the Argentine Desafio Ruta 40 last year.

The 2020 and 2022 Dakar Rally runner-up Pablo Quintanilla will be looking to go one step higher on the podium to take the most prized trophy in motorsport back to Chile, while Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren will also be strong in the overall standings after his success over the past two seasons at Andalucia and Abu Dhabi.

Honda is no stranger to winning the world’s toughest rally, its first victory coming in 1982 at the hands of Frenchman Cyril Neveu who went onto win it again in 1986 and ’87, before Edi Orioli and Gilles Lalay took over the top step with the ever dominant NXR750 in the two years that followed when it was the original Paris-Dakar Rally in Africa.

Ricky Brabec added his name to the history books in 2020 and Kevin Benavides made it a second consecutive victory for Honda in 2021 as the Monster Energy Honda Team will now look to make a return to the victory circle with a strong rider line up.

The 2024 Dakar Rally is shaping up to be harder than the previous editions as the riders will not only endure 7,967 kilometres of riding across a prologue and 12 stages but it’ll also include the new ’48-hour chrono’ stage which will test the endurance of man and machine across the legendary Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia.  There’ll be no communication with the outside world, no help from mechanics and entrants will have no idea where they are in relation to their fellow competitors when they bed down for the night at one of seven bivouacs dotted across stage six.  Plus it’ll hit at just the midpoint of the event, so although a rest day follows, there’ll be a further six days of action to go.

The fifth Dakar in the spectacular Saudi Arabian desert will see 60% of all-new sections on the stages as the route starts at the historical AlUla before winding across to the far Eastern town of Shubaytah before returning to the finish at the coastal town of Yanbu by the Red Sea after 14 days of rallying.  Expect plenty of stunning backdrops as the riders make their way through this epic adventure in a test of skill, speed and endurance.

In the words of the creator of the world’s most famous motorsport event, the late Thierry Sabine,“A challenge for those who go. A dream for those who stay behind” and this challenge will commence for the Monster Energy Honda riders on Friday 5th January 2024 when the 46th edition will kick off with a 28km Prologue.

The Daniel Blair Show

Daniel Blair breaks down each Supercross events and gives his opinion on the races.

Carving a Turn!

Gassin Gaylon on his Maico

Lawrence - Rider of the Year USA

 

As teams and riders prepare for the rapidly approaching 2024 season, endemic motorcycle-media outlets and the U.S. motorcycle-racing sanctioning body have recently named Team Honda HRC rider Jett Lawrence as their 2023 Rider of the Year. The awards—coming the American Motorcyclist Association, as well as Cycle News and Racer X Illustrated magazines—cited Lawrence’s extraordinary success this year, as he collected no fewer than three major AMA crowns.

The 2023 season saw Lawrence race the factory Honda CRF250R to the AMA 250SX West Region Championship in May before transitioning to the premier class aboard the factory CRF450RWE. In the AMA Pro Motocross series, Lawrence turned in an incredible rookie performance, clinching the 450 National Championship on August 12 (just four days after his 20^th birthday), winning all 22 motos across the season, in an unprecedented perfect season for a rookie rider. The following month, the Australian native put an exclamation point on the year by earning the inaugural SuperMotocross title.

“We’re proud to have Jett and his brother Hunter as AMA members,” said AMA Board of Directors Chairman Russ Ehnes in an official statement. “The Lawrence family’s story—transitioning from Australia to Europe to the United States in search of achieving Jett and Hunter’s racing dreams—is truly compelling.”

“Despite other talents across the motorcycle racing world, none stand out like Lawrence’s ’23 season,” wrote Cycle News Off-Road Test Editor Ryan Nitzen in his cover story.

“It’s now safe to say that Jett Lawrence was the fastest teenager our sport has ever seen,” wrote Racer X Illustrated Editor in Chief Davey Coombs. “Now 20, he’s also the youngest Racer X Rider of the Year ever.”

As impressive as Jett Lawrence’s year was, it was only part of a record-breaking 2023 for Team Honda HRC. Complementing Jett’s three titles were two more by his brother and teammate, Hunter Lawrence, who took the AMA 250SX East Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross 250 Championship. Meanwhile, their then-teammate, Chase Sexton, earned the AMA Supercross 450 laurels.

That said, the squad’s focus is now firmly on the 2024 season, which commences January 6 in Anaheim, California. There, the Lawrence brothers each have an opportunity to become the first-ever rider to win in an AMA Supercross premier-class debut.

Prado Prepares for SuperCross

It’s just two weeks until Jorge Prado makes his supercross debut as MXGP world champ, and he is getting in all the track time he can – even when it is overcast in California!

See a smooth Prado at Fox Raceway as he continues to learn a new sport with the countdown clock to A1 very much on – what can he do under the floodlights at Anahiem?

Ducati Off Road

Paolo Ciabatti Appointed Head Of Newly Formed Ducati Corse Off-Road Division

 

Paolo Ciabatti, who served as the Sporting Director of Ducati Corse from 2013 to 2023, has been appointed as the General Manager of the new Ducati Corse Off-Road. Photo: Ducati

In the wake of the recent revelation regarding a new off-road project, Ducati is gearing up to venture into the world of off-road racing, utilising national motocross competitions as a crucial component of its product development plan.

The initiative is set to kick off in 2024, featuring a 450 prototype piloted by Alessandro Lupino, with high-performance test rider Antonio Cairoli in collaboration.

To spearhead this exciting off-road venture, Ducati has established the Off-Road Division of Ducati Corse. This newly formed division will be responsible for the organization and management of the sporting program, marking Ducati’s foray into the MXGP World Championship and the AMA Supercross Championship in the coming years.

Paolo Ciabatti, who served as the Sporting Director of Ducati Corse from 2013 to 2023, has been appointed as the General Manager of the new Ducati Corse Off-Road. His mission is to guide Ducati to success in the off-road realm, and he will directly report to Ducati Motor Holding CEO Claudio Domenicali. Additionally, for the year 2024, Ciabatti will retain his role in coordinating Ducati’s sporting activities in major national SBK and SSP championships.

Mauro Grassilli, the Head of Marketing and Sponsorships of Ducati Corse, is set to take on the multifaceted role of Sporting, Marketing, and Communications Director of Ducati Corse. Grassilli will report directly to Ducati Corse General Manager Luigi Dall’Igna.

While venturing into off-road endeavors, Ducati Corse will maintain its commitment to managing the MotoGP and WorldSBK championships, aiming to build upon the remarkable series of successes that have defined Ducati’s recent years in the racing world.

Carson Brown and Ken Roczen Rematch on the 2006 RM125!

You can’t spell rematch without the RM. After a close race on the 85, Ken Roczen and I battled it out for the fastest lap on a 2006 RM125. This is Episode 2 of ERA’s; super excited that we got to do another one with Kenny!

Husqvarna Factory Racing all set to race 2024 Dakar Rally

Honda Dakar Team

Here is the Monster Energy Honda Team that will contest the 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship season with its new HONDA CRF450Rally.

Ducati Motocross 2024

Sound all the way up! Take a moment to enjoy Antonio Cairoli and Alessandro Lupino on the new Ducati motocross and stay tuned for the 21st-23rd January 2024, where at the Campioni in Pista event we will present the team that will participate in the Italian Motocross Championship in 2024.