Dealernews️ 3 hours ago

BRABEC BATTLES, HOLDS DAKAR RALLY LEAD With just three days left of the finish line, the pressure is on! Former 2X winner Ricky Brabec’s race-craft no comes into play as a slight micalutaion by defending champ Daniel Sanders saw the Top American consolidate is overall lead on Stage 10. Brabec’s day was impressive, if calculated. Starting 4th, he used the tracks ahead to his advantage. His rhythm was briefly interrupted when he stopped to check on Daniel Sanders following his crash in the dunes, but he quickly regrouped to claim second place. A 1’37” time credit for assisting Sanders proved crucial, lifting Brabec back to the top of the overall standings. With the leaderboard reshuffled once again, Brabec now leads the rally by just 56 seconds over Luciano Benavides after more than 41 hours of racing. “The Marathon Stage was good overall,” said Brabec from the bivouac. “We got to sleep on the ground, under the stars, it was really cool. Overall, the two days was awesome, we did the best job we could and the outcome is pretty good. If we’re still in a good position for the next three days, we’ll just keep doing the best we can and we’ll keep plugging away.” The two day Marathon forced riders to conserve tires and baby the bikes without outside assistance. “We made it back which is my main goal, my bike is in one piece, so for my mechanics it's super awesome. The times are super tight, I don’t know if I like it still, but it’s a good race I’m sure for the people watching. We’ll keep fighting, there's three days to go, hopefully at the end of this thing we’re in the position we want to be in.”

Dealernews️ 3 hours ago

HOWES CONTINUES TO FLY HIGH COVER FOR HIS WINGMAN Skyler Howes 10 continued to fly high cover for his wingman Ricky Brabec heading into the final three Stages of the Dakar Rally. Despite some serious challenges, his consistency sees Howes 5th overall. Stage 10 saw Howes finish with a solid fourth-place finish, also picking up bonus time. The dune-heavy terrain suited both the American and his Honda CRF450 RALLY. “Time and time again we’re seeing that the Marathon Stage is a key factor in this race Yesterday, I did a much better job of managing, it was really rocky in the beginning and tricky navigation, so I more or less just chilled out and rode really easy, managed the bike, brought it in in a good position and also didn’t make any navigation mistakes.” Of course it is Dakar and anything can happen at any time! “Today, I knew it was going to be really physically demanding. I rode normally, I didn’t go out of my comfort zone. Adrien passed me going full gas, I just let him go. I was riding my own race today and eventually we caught back up. They were opening the stage and it was really difficult to open in the big dunes so I was able to close the gap back up and I would consider this a really good stage, managed it, I rode my own race, had my own plan”

Dealernews️ 3 hours ago

DAKAR ROOKIE PRESTON CAMPBELL LEADS RALLY2 CLASS A fierce battle is shaping up in the Rally2 category as Preston Campbell held onto his lead following the conclusion of the second Marathon Stage of the 2026 Dakar Rally, Baja legend Johnny Campbell’s son continues to lead the Rally2 ranks as a rookie! Campbell continued his consistent form and starting the day with a 17-minute cushion, he had to carefully manage both his pace and the punishing terrain. The endless dunes caught him out a few times, forcing him to remount and push on, but he luckily avoided any serious setbacks. Crossing the line 15 minutes behind Rally2 stage winner Michael Docherty, Campbell now holds a slim 3’23” lead in the overall standings. With just three stages remaining, he knows he must stay sharp to hold off a fast-charging Toni Mulec. “It was a long two days,” concedes Campbell. “Yesterday, it was quite high speed and had some dunes at the end. I got through the rocks, it was a little tricky navigation early yesterday and I did a pretty good job of getting through it. Today, was all dunes and really soft ones, so just had to push and do my best. I made it here and I think we’re in a good position to keep fighting for the next couple of days. Today, was pushing through the really soft white dunes and they weren’t so big, but really soft, so had to get off a couple of times and flip the bike around and make my way through there. I’m still enjoying it and having a great time out here.”

Dealernews️ 8 hours ago

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY AS OF A1 Catch Jim Woodruff, CEO of National Powersport Auctions talking about the state of the industry with Robin Hartfiel, the editor and publisher of Dealernews Live from AIMExpo. Subscribe To #Dealernews To See The Full Story: https://dealernews.com/Home/post/state-of-the-industry-as-of-a1/

Dealernews️ 17 hours ago

Skyler Howes 10 flew high cover for his wingman Ricky Brabec chasing him to the Marathon Camp in 4th place on Stage 9 of the Dakar Rally. "I knew today we really needed to manage the tires as there were a lot of rocks at the beginning." A competitor provided a reminder: "Edgar Canet caught up to us at the refuelling stop and he had smashed his wheel, cut his tire and had a bunch of issues, so I knew that you could definitely go overboard here. "It was important to me, especially after the last Marathon Stage to try to do my best, to manage everything and make sure to get to this bivouac with the bike in good shape. I think I did a pretty good job."

Dealernews️ 17 hours ago

Best laid plans? Ricky Brabec began Stage 9 of the Dakar Rally with a clear plan — but that strategy shifted as soon as he caught the front runners. Adjusting on the fly cost him slightly, and he finished third in RallyGP, 6’22” behind teammate Tosha Schareina. "Last night before bed, we had a perfect strategy but obviously it didn’t work out," said the 2X winner. "A couple of riders made small mistakes, but at the end of the day I feel like I’m still in a good spot for tomorrow. At least for now, I have Tosha and Daniel in front of me to make the lines. It looks like I’m third, which gives me a six-minute gap to make a good push tomorrow." With tracks to follow from the riders ahead on Stage 10, Brabec will look to reduce the 6’24” gap to Daniel Sanders in the overall standings. Arriving at the Marathon camp with his tires in good condition, he remains a strong contender.

Dealernews️ 17 hours ago

Dakar Rally Rookie Preston Campbell finished 3rd on Stage 9 to stretch his lead on the Marathon leg. "It was a tough stage, there was a difficult navigation section but I luckily I only lost a little bit of time compared to other riders," said Campbell back in the bivouac. "I made it to the marathon camp and my bike is good, I feel strong and I'm ready for tomorrow."