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, it was all dunes and really soft ones, so I 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, I was pushing through the really soft white dunes and they weren’t so big, but really soft, so I 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.”
Rally2 Provisional Standings After Stage 10
Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Time/Gap
1 Campbell Preston 85 USA Honda HRC 44:03:28
2 Mulec Toni 16 SLO BAS World KTM Racing Team + 03:23
3 Ventura Martim 84 POR Honda HRC + 01:45:20
4 Dabrowski Konrad 26 POL Duust Rally Team + 01:54:23
5 Jucius Nerimantas 28 LTU HT Rally Raid + 02:02:32
6 Erdenebileg Khaliunbold 57 MNG BAS World KTM Racing Team + 02:14:49
7 Santos Bruno 35 POR BS FRUTAS PATRICIA PILAR + 02:47:18
8 Melot Benjamin 39 FRA Team Esprit KTM + 03:14:30
9 Engel Milan 21 CZE Moto Racing Group – MRG + 03:18:30
10 Pedró Josep 44 SPA Pedrega Team + 03:28:09
