Honda to defend Dakar title in 2022, with KTM on the hunt

The scene has changed a lot in the interlude between the 2021 and 2022 acts of the Dakar, and while the actors of the January melodrama remain mostly the same, a few now wear different costumes.

Scheduled to cover 8,375 kilometres, the Dakar Rally begins with its traditional prologue ahead of 12 physically demanding stages. Besides a mid-race rest day where riders and teams can regroup ahead of the final six days of racing, the Dakar Rally will once again provide a variety of challenging terrain to ensure a relentless test for all riders and their machinery with the eventual winner declared on January 14 in Jeddah.

Saudi Arabia shook up the competition and ushered in a new era of dominance by Honda, which brought down the curtain on the KTM hegemony, first with Ricky Brabec in 2020 and then with Kevin Benavides in 2021.

However, the Argentinian reigning champion’s move to the Austrian outfit has made rivals of the former teammates, who not even a year ago were standing next to Sam Sunderland on the podium in Jeddah.

As well as boosting its firepower in a major way, KTM has deployed its resources masterfully by sending its champions to its cousins at Gas-Gas and Husqvarna.

Kevin Benavides will form a trident with Toby Price and another biker clad in orange overalls, Matthias Walkner, perhaps the man of the season after winning the Silk Way Rally, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the FIM World Championship.

KTM’s sphere of influence extends to its Spanish ally, Gas-Gas, whose red bikes will be left to the care of Sam Sunderland and the up-and-coming Daniel Sanders, fourth last year in his first Dakar start.

Meanwhile, Skyler Howes, fifth in 2021, has earned a spot on the Husqvarna factory team and is a credible title contender. Aware that the key battles are also decided behind the scenes, KTM has also recalled Marc Coma, one of its all-time stars, as a supervisor and strategist… The Austrians are bringing out the big guns!

Honda is bound and determined to extend its victorious streak and has also landed a good catch in the transfer market. Ricky Brabec has stayed loyal to the Japanese brand, as has his teammate “Nacho” Cornejo, who crashed out of the overall lead two days before the finish in Jeddah.

The young Chilean, who has made waves with his uncanny talent for navigation, will be riding alongside an older countryman, signing of the year Pablo Quintanilla, who adapted to his new machine so quickly that he has already claimed the Rallye du Maroc on it.

Joan Barreda could also take over leadership duties depending on how the race unfolds. The most prolific active stage hunter in the category has a real shot at improving on his best finish so far (fifth in 2017) and even clinching the rally in his twelfth start.

Lady Luck has not been kind to Yamaha riders in recent years, but they are still heading into the race with lofty ambitions. Their natural and historic leader, Adrien Van Beveren, remains as motivated as ever despite four consecutive withdrawals.

The French biker has proved that he has racing on sand down to a science multiple times this season (second in the World Championship). He is joined by two dark horses, the American Andrew Short and the Botswanan Ross Branch, in a quest to bring Yamaha back to the top.

Meanwhile, the Indian constructor Hero will have its work cut out for it to bag a podium spot now that former Yamaha man Franco Caimi has been forced to sit out this one after crashing during training.

Sherco has a clearer path to the same goal with the Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino. Several young riders have already shown that they have what it takes to fight for the places of honour in their Dakar debut.

20-year-old American Mason Klein and 23-year-old South African Bradley Cox could steal the show on their first try, as could Italian Danilo Petrucci, now starting a new adventure in rally raids after a successful MotoGP career (two Grand Prix victories, sixth in the 2019 championship).

The “Original by Motul” bikers are nothing if not resourceful. They tackle the Dakar on its hardest difficulty setting by taking it upon themselves to maintain their bikes at the end of each stage. Seasoned veterans are joined by newcomers to the extreme “Original by Motul” challenge year after year.

One thing is for sure: anyone would love to get their hands on this trophy. 2022 should be a rematch for the same competitors who dominated the race in 2021. Lithuanian Arūnas Gelažninkas came out on top in his first outing in this class, beating 2020 champion Emanuel Gyenes and Benjamin Melot, who has finished on every step of the podium bar the top one.

Among the pretenders nipping at their heels are Czech Milan Engel, who will be making his “Original” debut after coming in fifteenth overall in 2019, and Portuguese Mário Patrão, who boasts what is possibly the strongest track record of the field with a thirteenth-place finish in 2016.

2022 Dakar Rally schedule

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Yamaha Rally Team looking to start 2022 on a high

Leading the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team into the desert at the 2022 Dakar Rally is Adrien Van Beveren. With his impressive second place finish in the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship still fresh in his mind, the Frenchman used the entire series as part of his preparations for the 2022 Dakar.

Rounding out his highly positive season with three stage wins and a second-place overall result at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in November, Van Beveren is feeling fit, strong, and is undoubtedly back to his very best.

Adrien Van Beveren

“I’ve just completed my final training sessions ahead of the Dakar and I’m feeling really strong and ready for the race. The whole of 2021 has been great for me. Round by round in the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship I had a solid strategy of being consistent and minimising mistakes. I was able to execute my plan perfectly and end the season as vice world champion, which I was really pleased about for both myself and the team. To avoid some unnecessary pressure, I’m looking at the Dakar as just another race and a continuation of my progress throughout the last year. For sure it is a huge race that everyone in rally focuses on, but I will take it day by day, stage by stage, and apply the same mindset that took me to success in this year’s world championship.”

For Ross Branch, 2021 was something of a learning year in what was only his first full season of rally racing.

Demonstrating his capabilities with an impressive win at Rally Kazakhstan, the Botswana native posted impressive stage finishes at all rounds of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship with a few unfortunate incidents hampering his overall results.

Undeterred and with a renewed focus, Ross looks to harness his raw speed to successfully reach the Dakar finish line on January 14.

Ross Branch

“This year has flown by, and Dakar is now just around the corner. I’m really excited for it. A fresh start, new stages, and I think it’s going to be a really good race. During the last year the team have been working super-hard and this is really motivating as a rider to see as it just inspires me to put everything that I have into my training and preparation. My goal for the race is to finish each stage. It sounds modest but it’s such a long and wild race where anything can happen. Staying trouble free will be so important and now with my experience from racing all year in 2021, I’m in a really good place mentally ahead of the Dakar. I’ve got a great team behind me, and everything is in place for a successful race. I can’t wait to get started.”

Lining up with his sights set on securing his best ever result at the Dakar Rally is the third and final Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team rider, Andrew Short.

With the American knowing the importance of safely completing each and every stage, as well as how chaotic the first few days of the Dakar can be, the 39-year-old is fully focused on achieving his goal.

Andrew Short

“I’m really looking forward to Dakar 2022 and it’ll actually be my fifth time racing the event. For this one I want to beat my best finish of sixth and to do that it’s super important to finish every stage safely. Each year I seem to experience some kind of problem early in the race so my focus will be on getting through week one without any major issues, then I’ll have the option to ramp things up in week two if I need to. Overall, you never really know how this race will go but I’ll be doing everything in my power to ensure the best result possible and have no regrets when the race comes to an end.”

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Empire Kawasaki to run Rykers, Yokoyama, Constantinou  in 2022

Kawasaki Motors Australia have confirmed the continuation of Empire Motorsports as the supported motocross team under the Empire Kawasaki banner. The direct collaboration between Kawasaki Motors Australia and Empire Kawasaki is entering its fourth season.

Tyson Cherry and Empire Motorsport will manage the motocross and supercross racing effort in the 2022 Australian Motocross Championship (ProMX) and Australian Supercross Championship. The Empire Kawasaki team will field Jayden Rykers of the KX450 (MX1), Haruki Yokoyama on the KX250 (MX2) and Jai Constantinou on a KX250 (MX2).

Robert Walker – Kawasaki Motors Australia

“Kawasaki are excited to see the 2022 ProMX series get going. With a new KX250 and KX450 for this year, we are very confident of some great results. Our team manager Tyson Cherry has done a great job over the last couple of years and, Kawasaki will continue to support the Empire team.”

Tyson Cherry – Empire Kawasaki Team Owner/Manager

“Empire Kawasaki is excited for a full year of racing in 2022! Heading into the season the preparation is going really well, all the boys are fit and healthy and ready to go racing on the 27th of March at Wonthaggi. Our focus for 2022 is to keep consistent and to be standing on the box at the end of the season.”

Jayden Rykers will be competing on the 2022 Kawasaki KX450 in MX1

Jayden Rykers

“I am happy to be continuing with the Empire Kawasaki team for 2022. I have spent some time on the test track on the new KX450 and, I think that as a whole, it suits my style better than my previous bike. This, paired with a strong pre-season strategy, will see me hunting the podium throughout the year.”

International Championship Rider, Haruki Yokoyama (Japan), is returning to the ProMX series on the 2022 Kawasaki KX250 in MX2.

Haruki Yokoyama

“Feeling super adamant on putting some good results on the board for the 2022 MX season, my bike this year is feeling awesome. The new 2022 KX250 has really blown me away this year excited to show my potential.”

Haruki Yokoyama will be working with Jai Constantinou to strengthen the MX2 team campaign.

Empire Motorsport are a dynamic force in motorsport. In 2022 Empire Motorsport team will continue to support the industry through coaching, rider development and a future plan of broadening of the team into the off-road racing series.

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Mellross & Fox to GasGas Racing Team in 2022

The GasGas Racing Team will feature an increased motocross presence for the 2022 season, with Hayden Mellross joining the brand’s factory line-up in MX1 alongside current MX2 signing Blake Fox.

Hungry to deliver strong results onboard the GASGAS MC 450F, 26-year-old Mellross enters 2022 off the back of fifth overall in ProMX championship, displaying consistent form throughout the year.

Victoria-based Mellross is no stranger to competing at the sharp end of competition, gathering a range of experience internationally during his careers as well as a list of credible results domestically.

Hayden Mellross

“I’m extremely excited to be on GASGAS! I’ve also been lucky enough to link up with a few cool sponsors that go along with it, so I think it is shaping up to be unreal and exciting year. I feel at home with the brand and team already, so now we’ll look to get to work into the new year!”

Current MX2 champion Fox steps up to MX2 with the official team for 2022 riding a GASGAS MC 250F, dominating the shortened 2021 MX3 championship by winning five out of the six races. The emerging 17-year-old has proven on multiple occasions that he can handle the pressure of fighting at the front and will be one to watch as the upcoming season unfolds.

Blake Fox

“I’m super-excited to work with everybody again and race onboard GASGAS machinery. We’ve been together a long time and I think this 250 program that they are building for next year will be good for me, it’s a great step at this stage of my career, so I’m super-keen to get out there already!”

Kyle Blunden – KTM Group Australia Motorsport Manager

“Since we didn’t get to partake in as much racing as we wanted last year, we are still kind of the new kids in the paddock… but what better way to kick off this new race season than with young gun Blake Fox on the MC 250F and a very determined Hayden Mellross on the MC 450F! We are excited to be back at the races in 2022 and have expanded our team to include an MX2 program, which will see Blake back on the MC 250F hot on the heels of taking out the MX3 title, GASGAS’s first Australian national championship. And with Hayden piloting the MC 450F in MX1, we can’t wait to see what these guys can do in 2022 – and have some fun while we are at it!”

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Kjer Olsen and Everts to DIGA Procross KTM for MXGP in 2022

DIGA Procross KTM will run KTM SX-F race technology in both the MXGP and MX2 classes of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship with a fresh rider line-up. The German squad welcome Grand Prix winner Thomas Kjer Olsen and Grand Prix rookie Liam Everts into their Cologne-based operation.

Justin Amian’s unit will now steer KTM’s advanced SX-F motocross machinery – with factory backing – but they will also harbor the competitive objectives of Thomas Kjer Olsen in the MXGP class and newcomer Liam Everts in MX2.

Olsen enters only his second term in MXGP after claiming victories, podiums and three top-three classifications in a successful MX2 tenure. The 24-year-old Dane is looking to progress his career in 2022 after showing sufficient speed to become a top ten regular in 2021. Next year’s calendar will see #19 race the KTM 450 SX-F for the first time for what will also be DIGA Procross’ maiden appearance in the category.

Liam Everts makes the step into Grand Prix competition for his first full year at world championship level. The 17-year-old Belgian has been carving his name into the foundations of the sport thanks to excellent technique and bags of potential. He showed enough promise through the EMX125 and EMX250 European Championships (with podium appearances in both divisions) – as well as debuting for his country at the 2021 Motocross of Nations – to earn his MX2 berth with the KTM 250 SX-F.

Justin Amian – DIGA Procross Team Manager

“We are happy and proud to officially represent KTM in the FIM Motocross World Championship from 2022.With Liam Everts we have a young, hungry and very talented athlete in our team, and we will try to support his progressas much as possible. With Thomas Kjer Olsen wewill start a new chapter in the premier class in 2022. Thomas has personally developed a lot in his 2021 MXGP rookie season and has shown great pace, which gives us the confidence that he will one day be at the front of the toughest series on the planet. Our team is eager for great results and we will do everything in our power to get better and better every day.I would like to thank Pit Beirer and Robert Jonas for the confidence they have shown in us and for the opportunity to represent KTM at the highest level.”

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Red Bull KTM welcomes Kody Kopp

The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will add 17-year-old up-and-comer Kody Kopp to its rider lineup for the 2022 Progressive American Flat Track Championship. Racing alongside teammate and championship contender, Max Whale, Kopp will pilot the KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition in the AFT Singles class this season, which begins on March 10 and 11 with the Volusia Half-Mile in Barberville, Florida.

Kody Kopp

“I’m very thankful for this amazing opportunity to join Red Bull KTM Factory Racing! I raced KTMs a lot as an amateur, so I am super excited to be returning back to my roots. I’m also stoked to have Max as my teammate. We’ve had some decent battles in the past and he is going to be a great mentor to learn from. I’ve looked up to the entire KTM organization for a long time, so I couldn’t be more ecstatic to get this 2022 season started!”

Kopp, a Washington native, earned Rookie of the Year in his 2021 AFT Singles debut season, finishing an impressive seventh overall in the championship. Claiming three podium finishes and six top-10s, the young rider laid a solid foundation in his first season and he looks to build upon that experience in 2022. Spending a lot of time training and riding with his teammate during the off-season, Kopp continues to learn and grow with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing program.

Chris Fillmore – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Flat Track Team Manager

“With one year of racing at the top level under his belt, the timing felt right to bring Kody on-board with Red Bull KTM. At 17, you are quite young and have some experience still to gain, but Kody’s level of talent and natural ability were very evident after watching him race last season. Kody has had great mentorship from his father Joe, who is a legend in the sport of flat track himself, and I look forward to continuing to help him grow. From the first week of riding, I feel the chemistry between the two riders is really good and they will continue to push each other on and off the track to deliver on KTM’s Ready to Race brand promise.”

Source: MCNews.com.au