World Rally Raid Championship’s motorcycle title comes down to final round

Place your bets! The final round of the 2024 World Rally Raid Championship (WRRC) goes off this weekend in Morocco with the annual running of the famed Rally Du Maroc. And if you bet on a Monster Energy-backed racer to win the overall motorcycle division title – you’d be 100-percent correct!

Here’s the scenario… through four (of five) WRRC rounds Monster Energy/Hero Motosports’ Ross Branch holds a nine-point lead over Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally Team’s Ricky Brabec, 72-63. And those two racers have the best shot at the overall crown, although Brabec’s teammate, Adrien Van Beveren, still has a mathematical chance at 16 points back (of Branch).

There are main scenarios, but the most likely outcome at the top, between Branch and Brabec, is that Branch has to win – or place 2nd (if Brabec wins) – to earn his first ever WRRC title. A Brabec victory, coupled with a Branch 3rd place finish, would have them tied in overall points, to which Brabec would win the tiebreaker based on more victories (three – Dakar, Desafio Ruta 40 & Du Maroc to Branch’s zero victories).

The bottleneck at the top between the relatively new Monster Energy-backed Hero Motosports off-road program and the powerful Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally team was the result of Honda and its engineering team having planned, in advance, to take the second WRRC round (Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge) off to study the mountains of data obtained from the previous month’s Dakar Rally on its new 2025 model Honda CRF 450 Rally motorcycle.

During the ’24 WRRC, Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally Team’s results speak volumes as they’ve won every other WRRC stop with Brabec, as mentioned, taking the Dakar Rally title and Desafio Ruta 40 win, with teammate Tosha Schareina winning the Rally Raid/Portugal round. And Van Beveren, who’s very capable of winning at any WRRC stop, has been on the podium in 3rd place at all three rounds Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally Team has contested.

Now all that said, don’t for a second count Branch out. The South African placed 4th in the 2023 WRRC – putting his Monster Energy-shod Hero 450 Rally ahead of all the Honda racers, except Van Beveren (3rd). And to start this season out, Branch gave the India-based motorcycle company a historic podium at Dakar, placing 2nd in the epic event to Brabec (and ahead of 3rd place Van Beveren).

And to start this season out, Branch gave the India-based motorcycle company a historic podium at Dakar, placing 2nd in the epic event to Brabec (and ahead of 3rd place Van Beveren).

“Super excited for the last round. It’s been an amazing year and we’ve been moving in a great direction, both me as a rider, and as a team,” said Branch. “This race is going to be really tough. It’s a mini Dakar for a reason. I’ve worked really hard in the last few months to fix the things that I felt needed fixing and I’m in the best position I could be in. We’re definitely all-in for the win, do the best we possibly can. I’m ready. The bike’s ready.”

When asked about going up against the Honda juggernaut, Branch said: “Honda’s obviously got a lot of riders than can get in the way. Well done to them. But we’re definitely not going down without a fight. We’ve got an incredibly fast team as well with myself, Sebastian Buhler and (Jose) “Nacho” Cornejo (former Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally Team member). They’ve been working really hard as well and we’re ready to take the fight to Honda.”

For his part Brabec has been nothing short of perfect on this year’s WRRC tour, though he’s only contested two of the races (1st/1st). Clearly the fastest off-road racer on the planet at the moment, the American is stoked to get after it starting on Saturday with the Rally Du Maroc Prelude.

“I think the only thing to happen on my end is to ride to the best of my abilities,” said Brabec. “Work to stay focused for all five days and, at the end of the week, just know I gave them my all. Whatever happens – happens.”

Brabec added that “It’s tough,” knowing that the Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally Team arrives in Morocco having contested just two WRRC rounds with its full team – including Brabec. But he also noted that riding a safe, accident-free round in Morocco will be key as he is also looking ahead at defending his all-important Dakar Rally crown this December/January ’25.

“Nobody really remembers who wins the championship and who won the event for the next week and who wins until next year,” he said. “My goal is always Dakar - although it would be pretty cool to have an American win the World Rally Raid Championship, because that hasn’t been done before.”

Added Van Beveren: “Yes, we are ready for the last round of the championship, which is the last preparation for Dakar – which remains the main goal of the year… the main goal of my whole career I would say. Here, in Morocco, there are so many variables with Ricky and myself and the championship. It is important for me to focus on my own performance.

“There is many things that can happen. It can happen to me. It can happen to Ricky. It can happen to Ross. I will give me best on my own race. I feel strong at the moment and am really happy about my Honda. We’re in a good atmosphere. Keep the mind fresh. Keep the feet on the ground and focus on the flag.”

Along with Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally Team’s fourth racer, Pablo Quintanilla, probably the most eyebrow-raising aspect of the team – and Honda’s race strategy – will lie with Schareina. The young Spanish racer has proven he can win this summer – having taken the Portugal WRRC title and placed 2nd at the Ruta 40. Will his speed be called upon (as with Van Beveren and Quintanilla) to place positions between Brabec and Branch in the overall title hunt? It will for certain, according to Schareina.

“For sure I know I’m going to help Ricky to win the championship,” said Schareina straight up. “For sure. I was talking about it with the team over the week. So with no problem I’m going to do my best for the race – and try to win. But if I’m in front and have to let Ricky bye, I will do that.”

2024 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (through 4 of 5 rounds)

Overall Standings

1st – Ross Branch (Monster Energy/Hero Motosports), 72 points
2nd – Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy/Honda HRC), 63 points
3rd - Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy/Honda HRC), 56 points
4th – Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy/Honda HRC), 45 points
5th – Pablo Quintanilla (Monster Energy/Honda HRC), 37 points
6th – Sebastian Buhler (Monster Energy/Hero Motosports), 29 points
7th – Jose “Nacho” Cornejo (Monster Energy/Hero Motosports), 28 points
8th – Skyler Howes (Monster Energy/Honda HRC), 26 points
9th – Aaron Mare (Monster Energy/Hero Motosports), 25 points

Up next… The 2024 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship field is back from its summer break and reunites in Morocco for the fifth and final chapter of this year’s series – the Rallye Du Maroc – Oct. 5-11. For more info on WRRC and Monster Energy’s racers with Honda and Hero, link to: www.worldrallyraidchampionship.com