"I'm waiting for those final pieces to fit together"
En resumen
- Brandon Krause is a rally-raid newcomer who will be making his Dakar debut in 2026.
- The 28-year-old American has followed in the footsteps of his father Paul Krause, an American motorcycle legend who did the Dakar in 1998 and 2004. Paul also boasts multiple titles at the Baja 1000 and Baja 500 and did the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) 11 times.
- Brandon therefore grew up racing bikes in the South California desert, but it was only in 2025 that he decided to have a proper stab at rally-raid, entering the Sonora Rally in March. He only read a roadbook for the first time a week before the event, but still finished fifth overall and won the 'Dakar Dreams' prize, earning $10,000 towards his entry for Dakar 2026.
- The California native secured his place at this 48th edition by completing the Rallye du Maroc in October, although he admitted it was hard work! Brandon finished 35th for the renowned BAS World KTM team, who will also be supporting him in Saudi Arabia: "I'm very grateful to be able to use a program I can trust to get through such a tough race."
Ambición
B.K.: "I'm happy to finally be competing at the Dakar. It doesn't feel real yet, but this is something I’ve been dreaming of doing since as long as I can remember. Paul Krause has always just been my dad, nothing more or less special about him necessarily because of his racing accomplishments. Almost all of his racing career was done before I was born, except for the final time he went to the Dakar, but even then I was so young I barely remember. He is obviously the one who introduced me to dirt bikes, but there has never been a time where he would push me past what I wanted to do. Even after all of the money spent on this experience, if I were to never race a dirt bike again, he’d be glad to have given me the opportunity. No matter the race or situation, he’s there to see me do what I love.My experiences this year were pretty poor, to be honest, especially in Morocco. It’s a very frustrating feeling to have grown up your whole life in the desert and to get beat so badly by riders who grew up nowhere near sand and rocks! For this first Dakar I just want to finish. After Morocco, I definitely have no expectation of a result because I know it will not be where I want it to be. It feels like a big investment, so I better enjoy it. What would make this Dakar a success? If things were to 'click'. Experience is one thing, but I'm waiting for those final pieces to fit together. That 'aha!' moment where it finally makes sense."
