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After a fortnight long strategic battle, Ricky Brabec is poised to win the 2026 Dakar Rally!
While teammate Ricky Brabec fortnight long game of cat and mouse played out perfectly, Skyler Howes 10 went from the high of winning Stage 11 of the Dakar Rally to limping home just ahead of battered defending champ Daniel Sanders!
“Ten years ago, we set out to make riding more enjoyable,” notes Craig Johnson, founder of Wild Ass seat cushions.
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Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, USA (YMFUS) rang in the new year with a new president.
Rock & Roll in Anaheim… the week before the NAMM show! National Powersport Auctions rocked AIMExpo with another successful charity auction and then rolled out news of a big promotion of Ryan Keefe to Chief Revenue Officer.
Parts Unlimited Booth #1115 at AIMExpo has been making global moves. Going into EICMA they announced the addition of Rikard Coro who joined the team as Head of Sales & Marketing Europe on 08.12.2025.
Changing of the guard at BRP. “We are unveiling who will lead BRP into a new chapter: Denis Le Vot will become President and Chief Executive Officer, effective February 1st, 2026, at which time José Boisjoli will retire.
Dakar Rally rookie Preston Campbell made it through the penultimate Stage on the podium. After losing his overall lead, Campbell took a reflective approach yesterday, fully aware of the challenge ahead. On the 331 km special stage from Al Henakiyah to Yanbu today, he rode with confidence, powering through rocky sections before tackling the dunes. Another podium finish saw him in third place, five and a half minutes behind Rally2 Stage winner Michael Docherty. However, his main rival, Toni Mulec, finished nearly four minutes ahead, stretching the overall gap to 6’12”. "The stage was good, I had a lot of fun on this one, I liked the speed of it in the rocks and then on the short dune sections and in the nice valleys. It was a really fun flow and I was happy with my ride today. I’m super happy with my two weeks at the Dakar, I think it’s gone pretty well, lots of learning, lots of improvements and overall, super stoked to be able to be in the position I’m at and looking forward to more. "The best thing I’ve learned is the days are long and anything can happen, at the next corner, the next note, something can completely change the race, for better or for worse. You’ve always got to stay positive and just push forward."
While teammate Ricky Brabec fortnight long game of cat and mouse played out perfectly, Skyler Howes 10 went from the high of winning Stage 11 of the Dakar Rally to limping home just ahead of battered defending champ Daniel Sanders! Howes had a difficult day opening the stage and just 100 kilometres in, an oil leak spread over his boots and rear brake, forcing him to nurse his Honda CRF450 RALLY to the finish. "Oh boy, this is the second time this rally where I thought I was done. A freak mechanical issue put me on high alert and survival mode for the whole day," explained Hoews. "By some miracle I was able to finish. I lost a lot of time but was able to move into 4th overall. "Opening the special, I did more or less an OK job until the 100 km mark, Adrien Van Beveren took over and I just tried my best to not build any engine heat. I’m very happy to have moved up to 4th overall now, just by 10 seconds, but today was a miracle of a day to get in to the finish and I’m happy about that. We’ll see how this last 100 kms goes tomorrow." Howes ended the day 10th, 24 minutes down, but moved up to fourth overall – just 10 seconds ahead of Sanders. Everything now hinges on the final stage of the 2026 Dakar Rally. Back in Yanbu, last seen on Stage 2, just 105 km of racing remain as the world’s toughest rally is set for a dramatic conclusion.
BRABEC WINS PENULTIMATE STAGE, POISED FOR DAKAR VICTORY! After a fortnight long strategic battle, Ricky Brabec is posed to win the 2026 Dakar Rally! With just 23 seconds separating the top two riders at the start of Stage 12, Brabec’s calculated move on Stage 11 – easing off to secure a later start position behind rival Luciano Benavides – was put to the test as he chases a third Dakar title. “I tried to ride carefully but took many risks today to make a good push,” said a worn, but elated American from the Stage finish. “With one day to go we’re looking really good, so I’m really happy about this. I think last night was probably the best night’s sleep I’ve had since the Rally started.” The 311 km timed stage from Al Henakiyah to Yanbu demanded precision across technical navigation, rocky terrain and small dunes and starting six minutes behind Benavides, Brabec needed a near-perfect ride. Benavides struck first, leading at the 45 km mark, but once Brabec settled into his rhythm, the momentum began to shift. Gradually closing the gap, Brabec took control of the stage and as he caught riders ahead, including teammate Tosha Schareina, the time advantage grew. At the refuelling point, Brabec was able to assess the standings, knowing the second half of the stage would be about damage limitation. Benavides mounted a charge of his own, catching and passing Skyler Howes and Adrien Van Beveren to collect bonus time, but it wasn’t enough… But it is Dakar and anything can happen, Brabec readily admits. “We’ve still got one day to go, Luciano has been riding really well through the whole Rally, so I got to give it up to him, we’ve been fighting every single day. It’s truly cool to see and I think people that are watching at home are really enjoying the results everyday because it’s so back and forth. It makes for good racing and it makes for good television.” At the finish, Brabec secured his second stage win of the 2026 Dakar Rally and the 13th of his Dakar career, beating Benavides by 3’43”. The victory also marks Honda’s 120th Dakar Stage win. Brabec now carries a 3’20” advantage into the final Stage on Saturday.
#ShiftingGears Rock & Roll in Anaheim... the week before the NAMM show! National Powersport Auctions rocked AIMExpo with another successful charity auction and then rolled out news of a big promotion of Ryan Keefe to Chief Revenue Officer. In this newly expanded role based out of NPA’s corporate office in San Diego, California, Keefe will oversee all Sales & Marketing operations, leading key initiatives across NPA’s dealer sales, institutional sales, RV/Marine, DirectBuy, marketing and events divisions. Subscribe To #Dealernews To See The Full Story: https://dealernews.com/Home/post/shifting-gears-at-national-powersport-auctions/
Dakar Rally rookie Preston Campbell began the day leading the Rally2 standings by just 3’23”. After suffering a couple of falls in the dunes yesterday, the American knew concentration would be crucial across today’s punishing special stage, with his closest rival Toni Mulec poised to challenge. Campbell brought his bike home in fourth place, but was forced to surrender the overall lead to Mulec, the gap now standing at just 2’27”. Despite the setback, the California Kid remained unfazed, fully aware that reclaiming the top spot over the final two days will require an all-out push. "Tomorrow is going to be a big push to get the lead back. We don’t know how it will go, but I’ll do my best, push my maximum, make up some lost time and hopefully get a good result," he says. "My first goal coming here was to just finish and as the race evolved, your goals change and you’re close to the win, so you want to win. I’ll just have a good couple of last days, if the win comes that’s great and make it to the finish."
In Case You Missed It
Motorcycle Industry Council members have elected Teri Lynn of Troy Lee Designs to join the MIC Board of Directors and re-elected Robin Hartfiel, Editor of Dealernews, for another term.
When is TMI not enough? When it is referencing too much information for TMI’s RZR Roll-Out at the 2025 Sand Sports Super Show!






























