Ricky Brabec clinches his third triumph in the Sonora Rally

Michelle L.

March 23, 2020

Ricky Brabec delivers stellar performance for Monster Energy Honda Team during the weekend in the Mexican desert.

Ricky Brabec | Photo credits: HRC

Reigning Dakar Rally champion, American rider Ricky Brabec, has retained the top honours with a victory in the Sonora Rally. The Monster Energy Honda Team rider took on the Mexican Sonora Desert on the border of the United States to claim his third win the event and the second in a row.

The rally consists of 1358km of racing, including some 1078kms of a timed special stage on challenging terrain. Brabec claimed four out of the five stages and even managed to bounce back from a 13-minute penalty which he encountered after the first stage. He completed his run with a time record of 11:56’09.

Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda Team)- As It Happened

Photo credits: HRC

“I always look forward to the Sonora Rally in México. It’s the only rally in North America that simulates a Dakar style rally raid. It has all the ingredients; fast pistes, mountains, washes and mountains dunes! This year the organization laid out a route that took us to new places and new faces. I had a set back in stage 1 that left me with a large penalty. I had to claw my way back to the top, day by day,” says Brabec as quoted from Honda Racing Corporation.

“It made the final stage interesting when I needed to make up over a minute and only have 142km to do it. Thanks to my Team and my Factory CRF450 RALLY, I was able to overcome and finish on top for the third time in the Sonora Rally. It was an incredible event, well organized and looking forward to coming back in 2021. I wanted to also give my condolences to all the victims of the current Covid-19 virus. Everyone please be safe and stay healthy so we can get back to normal soon.”