Nearly 8,000 km of riding across Saudi Arabia’s spectacular landscapes came to an end after two demanding weeks, with the 13th and final stage around Yanbu featuring just 105 km of timed competition as the rally concluded on the shores of the Red Sea.

Competing in his first Dakar Rally, Preston Campbell demonstrated remarkable composure and maturity despite limited experience, having contested only two World Rally-Raid Championship rounds prior to the event. The 26-year-old American rider consistently ran among the Rally2 frontrunners throughout the rally and after taking the overall Rally2 lead on stage four, he held the top position until stage eleven.  Although he began the final stage trailing rival Toni Mulec by more than six minutes, Campbell delivered a strong closing performance to reduce the gap to just 4’37”.

Finishing as Rally2 Dakar Rally runner-up, Campbell capped off an exceptional debut by also claiming top rookie honours and securing a place inside the overall top ten in the bike category.

Fellow rookie and teammate Martim Ventura experienced the full spectrum of Dakar challenges.  The 25-year-old Portuguese rider claimed his maiden Dakar stage victory on stage two, but suffered a significant setback two stages later when a mechanical issue cost him over two hours.  Dropping to ninth overall, Ventura responded with determination, mounting an impressive comeback that included another stage win in the second week and a hard-earned final spot on the Rally2 podium.

His performance highlighted both his resilience and the competitiveness of the Honda CRF450RX RALLY, rounding out a highly successful Dakar debut.

Following their outstanding first Dakar Rally appearances, Ventura and Campbell will now take time to recover before returning to action at Rally-Raid Portugal from 17-22 March, where both riders will be aiming to fight for Rally2 victory once again.

Rally2 Race Result - Stage 13

Rally2 Provisional Standings After Stage 13