Challenger/ SSV race - where ambition comes to life
December 11
th
2024
- 20:39
[GMT + 3]
- The emergence and meteoric rise of lightweight vehicles transformed the Dakar bivouac. At present, these cars are divided into two classes with clear-cut technical specifications: Challenger, for cutting-edge prototypes (54 expected to start in Bisha), and SSV, for vehicles much closer to production models (39 entries on the list).
- In the Challenger class, seen as a stepping stone to Ultimate, a clash of titans looms between the Saudis Yasir Seaidan and Dania Akeel, but the Argentinian Nicolás Cavigliasso and other competitors are ready to fish in troubled waters.
- In SSV, Xavier de Soultrait will have his work cut out for him in his title defence campaign, with rivals such as "Chaleco" López, Gerard Farrés and Sebastián Guayasamín.
The field is a motley crew of drivers young and old with disparate tastes, ambitions and budgets. The rise of lightweight vehicles —nearly 100 expected at the next Dakar— captures the diversity of the rally and makes these classes a place where ambition comes to life. Both give drivers a chance to prove their mettle and take a quantum leap forward on the path to success. Indeed, all four manufacturers slated to duke it out for the title in the elite Ultimate class are fielding at least one laureate from the last two promotions of the "baby classes": Seth Quintero and Rokas Baciuška at Toyota, Guillaume de Mévius and João Ferreira at X-raid Mini, Cristina Gutiérrez in one of the three Dacia Sandriders and the American Mitch Guthrie as one of Ford's fantastic four.
Their inspirational tales are sure to whet the appetite of all the desert foodies who are eager to sink their teeth into an all-you-can-eat buffet of sand between Bisha and Shubaytah in pursuit of the Challenger title. The main pretenders are the GRally Team OT3s and the T3 Max cars over at Taurus, which have Yasir Seaidan, the 2024 W2RC champion in the SSV class, as their most bankable asset. Revving up for his eighth Dakar, he could steal Yazeed Al Rajhi's thunder to become the first-ever Saudi Dakar winner, but he will face stiff competition from Dania Akeel and perhaps even his other compatriot, "Captain Saleh" Alsaif, who has a knack for pulling a rabbit out of his hat. However, drivers from distant climes are determined to give them a run for their money. The Argentinian Nicolás Cavigliasso, who won the 2019 quad race and was the W2RC runner-up in the Challenger class, appears as the main threat, but the Spaniard Pau Navarro has no intention of being an also-ran in his return to the class. Similarly, the two-time quad champion Alexandre Giroud (2022 and 2023) is targeting the top spots in the medium term, but he will be ready to pounce on any opening, just like the five-time world enduro champion Antoine Meo, back in the Dakar after a hiatus. He could steal the show behind the wheel of an Apache hybrid T3 that emerged victorious from the Africa Eco Race a year ago. Scouts will keep a close eye on Team Red Bull Off-Road Jr Team USA by BFG, which are doubling down on their strategy of nurturing budding talents. Their newest batch consists of the Portuguese Gonçalo Guerreiro, 24, and the American Corbin Leaverton, 23.
In SSV, the reigning champion is back to defend his title. Xavier de Soultrait claimed the 2024 title at the very last minute, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in a Polaris from Sébastien Loeb Racing. The Frenchman will again face a Can-Am horde, especially the brand-new Maverick R cars. The Dakar will be their first race since their approval. These cars could be a particularly fearsome weapon in the hands of Spanish-speaking drivers. The Chilean "Chaleco" López, a born winner who started his career as a motorbike rider and went on to claim three SSV and Challenger titles, is back in the mix, as is the Spaniard Gerard Farrés, who has come tantalisingly close on two occasions (second in 2019 and 2022), and the Ecuadorian W2RC runner-up, Sebastián Guayasamín. The Swiss Jérôme de Sadeleer, overtaken at the post by "XdS" last January (second), should also be near the front, much like the American Sara Price and, why not, the Italian Rebecca Busi, who continues to blast up the rankings (third in W2RC). Finally, the Argentinian Manuel Andújar, the last winner of the quad race (2021 and 2024), will be making his first appearance in the class with a view to becoming the top dog at South Racing… a pack that rarely lets its quarry get away.