Monster Energy Racers 1st through 5th at Dakar Stage 3

Monster Energy racers were WFO (Wide Freakin’ Open) through Monday’s Stage 3 of the 2024 Dakar Rally, Round One of the FIM World Rally Raid Championship, and a bit too much on the main jet for several of them as penalty flags flew following the stage and racers were assessed time penalties for ignoring a 30 kmph speed limit in the Special section.

One of those penalties went to the first guy to cross the finish line – Monster Energy/Honda Team’s Pablo Quintanilla. What would have been Quintanilla’s seventh Dakar stage victory soon became a gift for KTM racer Kevin Benavides, who was named the Stage 3 winner – ahead of another penalized (speeding) Monster Energy racer, Honda Team’s Ricky Brabec. Rounding out the podium on Monday would be Monster Energy/Honda Team’s Adrien Van Beveren (not penalized) in 3rd place, recording his best stage finish of the event thus far. A click back of AVB was Monster Energy/Honda Team’s Skyler Howes, who also continues to rip, bringing his Honda CRF450 Rally home in personal event-best 4th place, and moving him up (from 44th) to 13th place in the overall standings. Rounding out Stage 3’s top ten for Monster Energy were Ross Branch (Hero Motosports, fueled by Monster Energy) in 5th, Jose “Nacho” Cornejo in 6th and Quintanilla, with the speeding penalty adjustment, went from 1st to 7th.

But rather than dwell on the speeding penalties, Monster Energy can claim the top five overall positions – 1st through 5th – with Branch still leading the way ahead of Cornejo in 2nd, Brabec in 3rd, Quintanilla in 4th and Van Beveren in 5th.

In SSV class racing at Dakar, Monster Energy’s first year Dakar racer Sara Price (South Racing/Can-Am) continues to run well, today placing 4th in Stage 3 and moving, along with co-driver Jeremy Gray, into 2nd place in the overall class standings, 15:05 behind leaders Gerard Guell and Diego Gil.

Stage 3 Quotes

Branch: “Hanging on like you cannot believe! It was a tough stage for me this morning, really. I started off well, then started making some stupid, small navigational mistakes which cost us a little bit of time. So I had to back it off a little bit, just not to get lost. But got back to the bivouac safe and sound after the quick trip around the road (laughter). Body’s feeling good, bike’s running amazing, so I’m really looking forward to Stage 4 tomorrow.”

Van Beveren: It was a really, really long stage. Tricky navigation with some faster spots and some soft dunes, too. I got stuck in one spot (dune) and had to do it twice. But overall I had good rhythm, and am kind of happy with my riding. Super happy with my bike. Big step up from last year and even though the day is always full of surprises, I’m really feeling safe on my bike. It reacts so good. Stability, how the engine talks, the weight – you can ride faster, mostly in the sand. The front doesn’t dive. A big improvement.”

Quintanilla: “It was a long day. The navigation today was super tricky. Many changes of direction, so you must really focus on the meters of the bike. Otherwise it’s really easy to go in the wrong valley and stuff. But since the morning I really felt strong, with a good pace. I got up to kilometer 80, then first saw Nacho (Cornejo) around kilometer 100. After the refueling we (with Cornejo) started riding together, so that makes it able to push a little bit more in the front. I was switching positions with Nacho and the last part, 30 kilometers I’d say, was super, super tricky. Very narrow and easy to make a mistake. But I think that race with Nacho we did a really good job because we were helping each other to find a good way and we were riding also with a good pace. Happy for the day, and I think, day by day, a good feeling on the bike is coming and the race is just beginning. We have many days to go.”

Cornejo: “Rough day, started first, and it was very tricky. For navigation, race, rocks and dunes. Pablo caught me around kilometer 150, 170 – something like that. We rode together all day, then he passed to pick up the pace, then I’d pass him back. Shaking and baking, just like yesterday. I think we did a good job, pushed as hard as we could while trying to minimize the navigation mistakes. I’m quite happy with the job we’ve done to day.”

Notes:

• The aforementioned speeding infractions for the Monster Energy racers were due in fact to them exceeding the 30 kmph limit in a restricted zone, according to the Dakar organizer’s rule book. While most racers were assessed with a 1-minute penalty, officials came down hard on Cornejo, docking some 6 minutes from his overall time.
• Hero Motosports/Monster Energy’s Sebastian Buhler, who finished 4th in Sunday’s Stage 2, suffered a tough get off at kilometer 360 on Monday – knocking him out of Dakar. According to those close to the team, Buhler sustained a back injury that will require 6-8 weeks of rest (and likely no surgery).
• As the Dakar Rally enters Tuesday’s Stage 4, the route moves closer to the famed “Empty Quarter” desert of Saudi Arabia, where racers will pilot their bikes = exclusively - through a sea of sand dunes.
• Tomorrow’s Stage 4 destination, Al Hofuf, is located in the Al-Ahsa Oasis in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province and is known for being one of the world’s largest date (fruit) producers. Summers in Al Hofuf can average well over 100-degrees from May to October, 114-degree average in the month of July with a 123.4-degree high. The city is home to King Faisal University’s agriculture, veterinary medicine and animal resources programs.

Inching closer to Saudi’s Empty Quarter, Stage 4 will run from Al Salamiya to Al Hofuf, a 332 km Liaison with a similar length (229 km) Special, making for yet another trying morning of racing for the motorcycles. LOTS of navigational puzzles along this route, according to organizers, in order to make up for an easier than usual Special section. Al Hofuf is said to be a beautiful destination, built on an oasis and surrounded by some three million palm trees. For more information, including “Live” timing and scoring, visit www.dakar.com