The Dakar Rally annually kicks off the FIM Cross-Country Rallies Championship. While the World’s Toughest Race receives the lion’s share of media coverage, the Sonora Rally will bring the world’s best rally riders to North America in 2023. The stakes couldn’t be higher either, with just eight points separating the top three competitors in the series. With that backdrop, the Mexican state of Sonora will mark a pivotal chapter in the 2023 title chase.
The five-day, Dakar-style event won’t just showcase the stunningly beautiful yet technically challenging Sonoran Desert but will also feature Dakar regulars like Skyler Howes and Ricky Barbec. The American riders both stand to improve their place in the standings at the rally. Howes won the Sonora Rally in 2018 and 2022. 2020 Dakar Rally-winner Brabec is no slouch himself, claiming victory in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021. At fifth and 11th in the standings (respectively), Howes and Brabec could benefit from a little home-field advantage.
