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You can’t win the rally in the Prologue, but you can lose everything before the race even starts… However, Aussie Daniel Sanders must have missed the memo!
Rally2 Class Dakar Rookie of the Year Preston Campbell played it cool in Portugal.
Straight from second place at King Of The Hammers to the historic Mint 400 podium, Segway’s Super Villain continues to rewrite the history books.
Forget “artificial” intelligence, the all-new HJC i11 is really a smart choice when it comes to full face helmet tested to Snell’s latest standard and priced to protect riders’ wallets as well as their noggins.
Crescit Eundo — which is Latin for “It Grows as It Goes” — is the state motto for New Mexico. It is also the perfect description for Austin Ginn and his new role with Parts Unlimited.
Shifting Gears
Crescit Eundo — which is Latin for “It Grows as It Goes” — is the state motto for New Mexico. It is also the perfect description for Austin Ginn and his new role with Parts Unlimited.
Time to get social: Central Powersports Distribution welcomes Erik Hoagenson to the party.
Motorcycle Industry Council members have elected Zach Parham, President and CEO of Comoto Holdings, to the MIC Board of Directors.
Promoting from within, National Powersport Auctions names Mark Piccolo as General Operations Manager of its Philadelphia facility
Welcome to the Wild West! Old hand Carson Smith is the Western Regional Sales Manager – Owned Brands for Turn 14 Powersports.
PRESTON CAMPBELL KEEPS RALLY2 HOPES AFLOAT Overnight rain significantly impacted Stage 1 and with nearly 200 km of timed racing on a loop from the Grândola bivouac, conditions were far from easy. The stage was split into two main sections: after a 12 km liaison, the first 177 km of the special stage featured extremely wet and muddy tracks, deep riverbed crossings and technical navigation that demanded full concentration. Riders then faced a 31 km road section bringing them back to the start of yesterday’s Prologue, which was raced again in reverse under the watchful eyes of enthusiastic Portuguese fans. For Preston Campbell, more familiar with the Californian desert than Portugal, Stage 1 proved a real test. In only his second Portuguese event, the young American delivered an impressive performance, finishing just off the podium in fourth, 3’42” behind Stage winner Bruno Santos. Just 13 seconds from the overall podium and 3’46” off the lead, Campbell aims to climb higher tomorrow aboard his Honda CRF450 RX RALLY. "The first part of the special was good, started off in the sand and it was pretty deep and wet, by the end it was more hard pack and slippery,” says the kid from California. “It was super fun and I had a good time. "The bike was working well and then we took a little break and did a last special test which was only three minutes long, it was the Prologue backwards and I felt better on that today too than I did yesterday. I had a good first day here and ready for the rain tomorrow.”
WATERLOGGED STAGE 1 ALMOST SINKS BRABEC What does a desert racer know about waterproofing? Heavy rain swept in after yesterday’s Prologue and persisted overnight, setting the stage for a wet and muddy opening at this year’s Rally-Raid Portugal. However Ricky Brabec adapted well to the waterlogged conditions, keeping the leaders in sight despite the terrain not suiting his style. A late slide on the slick surface, combined with a two-minute speeding penalty, dropped him to fifth in the RallyGP classification. “I got stuck in a water hole but I think everybody encountered the same issues throughout the day, just soaking wet gear, gloves and googles,” said the 2X Dakar Rally winner after he had a chance to dry off following the stage. “It was fun, I had good traction. We came with more of a knobby tyre so less slick and a little bit easier to ride this kind of terrain.” Less fun was the time penalty and re-running the Prologue. “The second special of Stage 1 was the same stretch from the Prologue. This is kind of stupid, they do it for no reason, it’s part of racing I guess.” A 12 km liaison from Grândola led into the first timed section of 177 km, where sandy terrain returned, this time winding through forest tracks. A second transfer then brought riders back to the Prologue course, with the final 3 km run in reverse. “I hit the ground," he admits. “I don’t like hitting the ground, I lost the visor and scratched up the helmet. I got a little penalty in a speed zone, a couple of other riders did as well. I feel like I didn’t miss any speed zones but I guess one caught me out. I’ll just keep moving forward and try not to hit the ground the rest of the week and make it to the finish line.” Still there are five days to make up the 5 minutes Brabec lost on Stage 1. Back in Grândola for Stage 2, riders will be hoping for drier conditions as course crosses into Spain. A demanding 377 km timed section lies ahead as the route heads into more mountainous terrain en route to Badajoz in the Extremadura region.
PORTUGAL RALLY STAGE 1: PACK A PERISCOPE! Given his 8th place finish in yesterday’s Prologue, Skyler Howes 10 was tasked with opening Stage 1 of hte Portugal Rally in second position. Howes managed the challenging conditions effectively and was just nine seconds off the fastest time on the second special stage. He appeared more comfortable than on the opening day, ultimately finishing sixth, 6’47” behind the leader. “Growing up in the desert and getting two days of rain per year and then you come here to Portugal where it’s been raining for three months straight and everything is full of water, it’s a little bit different and challenging for me,” admits Howes. However he made the most of playing in the “puddles.” “ It’s really nice to come here and race and change things up a little bit from the desert. I’m having a lot of fun and it’s a great time and great challenge and I love riding my dirt bike. I’m stoked to be here with Monster Energy HRC - Honda Racing Corporation, loving life.”
FROM SUPER VILLAIN TO SUPER HERO! Straight from second place at King of The Hammers to The Mint 400 podium, Segway Powersports US Super Villain continues to rewrite the history books. The Mint marked the brand’s first-ever competitive appearance at the iconic Las Vegas desert race. With driver Jacob Zuccone and co-driver Samantha Rode flying the Segway Powersports Factory Racing flag, the dynamic duo took on one of the toughest off-road races in North America. Competing in the competitive UTV Pro Stock Modified class, the Super Villain delivered during its debut, putting in a P3 podium finish. Maybe even cooler was cruising the Las Vegas Strip in the Super Villain! Looking to help dealers cash in on the Mint, Segway Powersports also officially announced the MSRP of the Super Villain at $33,999. “With the race performance serving as a real-world showcase of the vehicle’s capability, pre-orders for the Super Villain are now open at authorized Segway Powersports dealers nationwide,” says Marketing Director Gabriel Cruz. “Segway is giving enthusiasts the opportunity to secure one of the most anticipated side-by-side launches in the industry.” Want to be a winner? Sign up to become a Segway Dealer: https://lnkd.in/eAzTjnPZ
PRESTON CAMPBELL PLAYS IT COOL IN PORTUGAL Rally2 Class Dakar Rookie of the Year Preston Campbell played it cool in Portugal. Smooth and composed on the slippery surface, Preston Campbell delivered a sixth place finish, just five seconds shy of the fastest Rally 2 time set by Jeremy Knuiman. His teammate, hometown hero Martim Ventura, pushed hard in front of home fans and despite a small crash on his Honda CRF450 RALLY RX, Ventura quickly remounted to complete the prologue in 11th place. “The Prologue was okay,” claims Campbell. “Super short, just over three minutes. It was sandy but had a pretty slippery base… and then there was some hard pack. I’m happy to get the race started.” Stage one sets off from the Grândola bivouac, with a 12 km transfer leading into a demanding 177 km timed section through forest tracks. Sand will remain a constant challenge, while riders must stay sharp for unexpected hazards such as deer and hidden tree stumps lurking off-line. The stage will then loop back to Grândola, where a final 3 km sprint will bring today’s action to a close.
BRABEC’S BACK ON PACE IN PORTUGAL, SANDERS SLIDES TO PROLOGUE WIN You can’t win the rally in the Prologue, but you can lose everything before the race even starts… However, Aussie Daniel Sanders must have missed the memo! “Chuckie” blazed through the sandy section in just 3:01. Perennial Prologue threat and 2024 Rally-Raid Portugal winner Tosha Schareina kept Sanders honest, just one second off the pace while his HRC - Honda Racing Corporation Monster Energy teammate and Top American Ricky Brabec kept pace. Brabec, returning to his Honda CRF450 RALLY for the first time since the Dakar Rally in January, chased Toasha through the slippery conditions to finish just two seconds behind his teammate. “tt was really slick in areas, slicker than I was predicting,” said Brabec of the blistering Prologue pace. “Not a lot of people might know this but I haven’t really ridden a motorcycle since Dakar, so to go the speed and to push like we did today, it felt cool… but the race is not determined by the Prologue so I’m looking forward to the next five days.” But weather may rain on Ricky’s parade. “The wind is coming, the clouds are coming,” he says. “Let’s hope the weather is nice to us. First off, the roads here are a little bit scary, now with the rain and the clouds coming in, it’s going to be muddy and scary, so it’s going to be unpredictable this week. Let’s just try to stay on two wheels and put the skis out when we need to and make it to the finish line.”
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FLY Racing, an Arrowhead Engineered Products flagship brand under Western Power Sports (WPS) announces a multi-year partnership with Vicki Golden.
With U.S. operations based in Beaverton, Oregon, it stands to reason that SW-MOTECH knows a thing or two about inclement weather.
After 26 years of superior community building and a loyal customer base in the Bend, Oregon, area, Angy and John Stewart have decided to ride off into the sunset.
The Motorcycle Industry Council and its Board of Directors thanked Jim Woodruff, CEO of National Powersport Auctions, for a decade of “extraordinary leadership on the board, bringing strategic vision and passion to his service, and for serving as Secretary/Treasurer since 2017.”
Straight from meeting with Artie Starrs at Motor Bike Europe and covering the Olympics in Milan, digital community builder @thatgirl_gogo is back in the saddle and ready to roar into Daytona for Bike Week.
