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The Dakar Rally will begin today for the seventh consecutive year on the sands of Saudi Arabia, where Americans will try to extend their winning streak in the 48th edition of the off-road endurance classic.
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Watch the Dakar Rally 2026 on Private Media Online
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Last year, California native Brock Heger celebrated his 25th birthday by winning the SSV class in his 2025 Dakar Rally debut — the fourth consecutive year for a U.S. champion in the event.
Heger joined Ricky Brabec (the bike champion in 2020 and ’24), Austin “A.J.” Jones (SSV title in 2022 and T3 in 2023) and Casey Currie (UTV in 2020) as American class winners of the prestigious off-road event. Brabec became the first U.S. champion at Dakar six years ago (just a few hours before Currie also won).
Heger will return to defend his title in SSV with Loeb Fraymedia Motorsport-RZR Factory Racing.
“To win the Dakar in my first participation was an amazing experience, said Heger, who has former American factory driver Max Eddy as a navigator. “The ambitions for 2026 are similar to last year’s. I’m just doing my best to put ourselves in a good situation for the end result, and hopefully we bring victory home again.”
—Brabec, a 34-year-old native of Hesperia, California, is making his 11th Dakar start and seeking his third bike championship. After winning in 2024, Brabec finished fifth last year at Dakar as the defending bike champion, and he finished third in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) with podiums in Abu Dhabi, South Africa and Morocco.
—Skyler Howes, a 33-year-old from St. George, Utah, who finished third in bike at the 2023 Dakar Rally and was sixth last year. Howes will be making his eight Dakar start and his third as a teammate of Brabec on the Monster Energy Honda HRC team.
—Seth Quintero, a 23-year-old from Southern California who finished ninth in the premier category last year with two stage wins. Quintero, who set a Dakar Rally record with 12 stage wins in 2022, will be making his sixth start and third in the premier category, driving for prestigious Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC. His navigator will be former motocross and Supercross star Andrew Short, who also made five Dakar Rally bike stars before becoming a co-driver three years ago.
—Sara Price, a 33-year-old from Southern California, who is racing in her third Dakar Rally. Price, who finished fourth in her debut in SSV, is in the Stock category this year and aims to become the first U.S. woman to win the Dakar.
—Mitch Guthrie, a 29-year-old native of Glendora, California, will be making his sixth start and his second consecutive in the Ultimate car category after finishing fifth overall last year. Guthrie, who was the T3 runner-up in 2024, will be driving for Red Bull Ford M-Sport as a teammate of racing legends Carlos Sainz and Mattias Ekstrom.
—Mason Klein, a 24-year-old from California, will be trying to finish the Dakar Rally for the first time in his fifth start. Klein, who has joined the Hoto Factory Racing team, won a stage in the 2023 Dakar Rally but has failed to reach the checkered flag because of the mechanical woes and crashes the past three years.
Last year, the overall car and bike championships at Dakar went to first-time winners: Saudi Arabia native Yazeed Al-Rajhi returns in the premier car category in the Overdrive Racing Toyota, and Daniel Sanders, who is back with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing after the Australian won the W2RC World Championship with victories in four of five rounds.
The 2026 Dakar Rally will be contested over a prologue and 13 stages across the deserts, mountains and coastal plains of Saudi Arabia. Coverage of the event on the NBC Sports Channel on Pea**** will begin at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 3 and continue with daily hourlong shows at 8 p.m. ET through Saturday, Jan. 17. Episodes will be available on-demand on Pea****.
More information below on the Dakar Rally and how to watch the event on Pea****.
How long is the Dakar Rally?
The race will occur over more than 8,000 kilometers (nearly 5,000 miles), including 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) racing against the clock in timed specials throughout Saudi Arabia, the largest country in the Middle East by area.
What is the schedule and route of the 2026 Dakar Rally?
Below is a schedule breakdown of the 13 stages that comprise the 2026 Dakar Rally.
Date Coverage
Saturday, Jan. 3 Prologue: Yanbu
Sunday, Jan. 4 Stage 1: Yanbu
Monday, Jan. 5 Stage 2: Yanbu to Alula
Tuesday, Jan 6 Stage 3: Alula
Wednesday, Jan 7 Stage 4: Alula (marathon)
Thursday, Jan 8 Stage 5: Alula (marathon) to Hail
Friday, Jan 9 Stage 6: Hail to Riyadh
Saturday Jan 10 Rest: Riyadh
Sunday, Jan 11 Stage 7: Riyadh to Wadi Ad Dawasir
Monday, Jan 12 Stage 8: Wadi Ad Dawasir
Tuesday, Jan 13 Stage 9: Wadi Ad Dawasir to Bisha (marathon)
Wednesday, Jan 14 Stage 10: Bisha (marathon) to Bisha
Thursday, Jan 15 Stage 11: Bisha to Al Henakiyah
Friday, Jan 16 Stage 12: Al Henakiyah to Yanbu
Saturday, Jan 17 Stage 13: Yanbu
When was the Dakar Rally created?
In 1977, motorcycle racer Thierry Sabine got lost in the Libyan desert during the Abidjan-Nice Rally. The experience captivated him, and he was inspired to share his fascination with the desert. The Dakar Rally was born in 1979, beginning in Paris and concluding in Dakar, the capital of Senegal.
After the event was canceled in 2008, the event was held in South America from 2009-19. It’s been held in Saudi Arabia since 2020.
Who can enter the Dakar Rally?
Any person of any nationality who is at least 18 years old and holds an International FIA/FIM Cross-Country Rally license may apply for entry to the Dakar Rally. Competitors must also have participated in one FIA/FIM World Championship event or any other event on the FIA/FIM calendar or their national calendar. The organizer can refuse entry to any competitor who does not have a minimum of recent experience in competitive racing or the physical capabilities necessary to compete in the Dakar.
Who is entered in the 2026 Dakar Rally?
There are 564 riders, drivers and navigators representing 49 countries in this year’s event. The top three nationalities hail from France (188 competitors), Spain (106) and Italy (68). The full list of competitors can be found here.
How many vehicles are entered in the 2026 Dakar Rally?
There are 317 vehicles, including 115 motorbikes, approved across several categories for the 48th Dakar Rally. There are 72 cars entered in the Ultimate class, which is the premier division.
How to watch the 2026 Dakar Rally on Pea****
When: Saturday, Jan. 3 through Saturday, Jan. 17
Where: Saudi Arabia
Time: Daily coverage at 8 p.m. ET via the NBC Sports Channel on Pea**** and many streaming platforms
Episodes also will be available on-demand via Pea****
Results and recent winners of the Dakar Rally
2025: Brock Heger wins SSV title in Dakar Rally debut
2024: Ricky Brabec wins second Dakar Rally championship
2023: Kevin Benavides first in bike; Nasser Al-Attiyah wins fifth title
2022: Al-Attiyah wins fourth overall; Austin Jones takes SSV
2021: Benavides beats Brabec in bike; Stephane Peterhansel wins 14th overall
How can I access the Dakar Rally on Pea****?
Subscribe to Pea**** and then go to Pea****TV.com/Sports in your web browser or download the Pea**** app on your phone, tablet or streaming device. The event will be shown at 8 p.m. on the NBC Sports Channel. Replays will be available on-demand via the Dakar Rally page, which also has all the daily replays from the 2023-25 Dakar Rally.
What devices does Pea**** support?
You can enjoy Pea**** on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.
.
Watch the Dakar Rally 2026 on Private Media Online
.
Last year, California native Brock Heger celebrated his 25th birthday by winning the SSV class in his 2025 Dakar Rally debut — the fourth consecutive year for a U.S. champion in the event.
Heger joined Ricky Brabec (the bike champion in 2020 and ’24), Austin “A.J.” Jones (SSV title in 2022 and T3 in 2023) and Casey Currie (UTV in 2020) as American class winners of the prestigious off-road event. Brabec became the first U.S. champion at Dakar six years ago (just a few hours before Currie also won).
Heger will return to defend his title in SSV with Loeb Fraymedia Motorsport-RZR Factory Racing.
“To win the Dakar in my first participation was an amazing experience, said Heger, who has former American factory driver Max Eddy as a navigator. “The ambitions for 2026 are similar to last year’s. I’m just doing my best to put ourselves in a good situation for the end result, and hopefully we bring victory home again.”
—Brabec, a 34-year-old native of Hesperia, California, is making his 11th Dakar start and seeking his third bike championship. After winning in 2024, Brabec finished fifth last year at Dakar as the defending bike champion, and he finished third in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) with podiums in Abu Dhabi, South Africa and Morocco.
—Skyler Howes, a 33-year-old from St. George, Utah, who finished third in bike at the 2023 Dakar Rally and was sixth last year. Howes will be making his eight Dakar start and his third as a teammate of Brabec on the Monster Energy Honda HRC team.
—Seth Quintero, a 23-year-old from Southern California who finished ninth in the premier category last year with two stage wins. Quintero, who set a Dakar Rally record with 12 stage wins in 2022, will be making his sixth start and third in the premier category, driving for prestigious Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC. His navigator will be former motocross and Supercross star Andrew Short, who also made five Dakar Rally bike stars before becoming a co-driver three years ago.
—Sara Price, a 33-year-old from Southern California, who is racing in her third Dakar Rally. Price, who finished fourth in her debut in SSV, is in the Stock category this year and aims to become the first U.S. woman to win the Dakar.
—Mitch Guthrie, a 29-year-old native of Glendora, California, will be making his sixth start and his second consecutive in the Ultimate car category after finishing fifth overall last year. Guthrie, who was the T3 runner-up in 2024, will be driving for Red Bull Ford M-Sport as a teammate of racing legends Carlos Sainz and Mattias Ekstrom.
—Mason Klein, a 24-year-old from California, will be trying to finish the Dakar Rally for the first time in his fifth start. Klein, who has joined the Hoto Factory Racing team, won a stage in the 2023 Dakar Rally but has failed to reach the checkered flag because of the mechanical woes and crashes the past three years.
Last year, the overall car and bike championships at Dakar went to first-time winners: Saudi Arabia native Yazeed Al-Rajhi returns in the premier car category in the Overdrive Racing Toyota, and Daniel Sanders, who is back with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing after the Australian won the W2RC World Championship with victories in four of five rounds.
The 2026 Dakar Rally will be contested over a prologue and 13 stages across the deserts, mountains and coastal plains of Saudi Arabia. Coverage of the event on the NBC Sports Channel on Pea**** will begin at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 3 and continue with daily hourlong shows at 8 p.m. ET through Saturday, Jan. 17. Episodes will be available on-demand on Pea****.
More information below on the Dakar Rally and how to watch the event on Pea****.
How long is the Dakar Rally?
The race will occur over more than 8,000 kilometers (nearly 5,000 miles), including 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) racing against the clock in timed specials throughout Saudi Arabia, the largest country in the Middle East by area.
What is the schedule and route of the 2026 Dakar Rally?
Below is a schedule breakdown of the 13 stages that comprise the 2026 Dakar Rally.
Date Coverage
Saturday, Jan. 3 Prologue: Yanbu
Sunday, Jan. 4 Stage 1: Yanbu
Monday, Jan. 5 Stage 2: Yanbu to Alula
Tuesday, Jan 6 Stage 3: Alula
Wednesday, Jan 7 Stage 4: Alula (marathon)
Thursday, Jan 8 Stage 5: Alula (marathon) to Hail
Friday, Jan 9 Stage 6: Hail to Riyadh
Saturday Jan 10 Rest: Riyadh
Sunday, Jan 11 Stage 7: Riyadh to Wadi Ad Dawasir
Monday, Jan 12 Stage 8: Wadi Ad Dawasir
Tuesday, Jan 13 Stage 9: Wadi Ad Dawasir to Bisha (marathon)
Wednesday, Jan 14 Stage 10: Bisha (marathon) to Bisha
Thursday, Jan 15 Stage 11: Bisha to Al Henakiyah
Friday, Jan 16 Stage 12: Al Henakiyah to Yanbu
Saturday, Jan 17 Stage 13: Yanbu
When was the Dakar Rally created?
In 1977, motorcycle racer Thierry Sabine got lost in the Libyan desert during the Abidjan-Nice Rally. The experience captivated him, and he was inspired to share his fascination with the desert. The Dakar Rally was born in 1979, beginning in Paris and concluding in Dakar, the capital of Senegal.
After the event was canceled in 2008, the event was held in South America from 2009-19. It’s been held in Saudi Arabia since 2020.
Who can enter the Dakar Rally?
Any person of any nationality who is at least 18 years old and holds an International FIA/FIM Cross-Country Rally license may apply for entry to the Dakar Rally. Competitors must also have participated in one FIA/FIM World Championship event or any other event on the FIA/FIM calendar or their national calendar. The organizer can refuse entry to any competitor who does not have a minimum of recent experience in competitive racing or the physical capabilities necessary to compete in the Dakar.
Who is entered in the 2026 Dakar Rally?
There are 564 riders, drivers and navigators representing 49 countries in this year’s event. The top three nationalities hail from France (188 competitors), Spain (106) and Italy (68). The full list of competitors can be found here.
How many vehicles are entered in the 2026 Dakar Rally?
There are 317 vehicles, including 115 motorbikes, approved across several categories for the 48th Dakar Rally. There are 72 cars entered in the Ultimate class, which is the premier division.
How to watch the 2026 Dakar Rally on Pea****
When: Saturday, Jan. 3 through Saturday, Jan. 17
Where: Saudi Arabia
Time: Daily coverage at 8 p.m. ET via the NBC Sports Channel on Pea**** and many streaming platforms
Episodes also will be available on-demand via Pea****
Results and recent winners of the Dakar Rally
2025: Brock Heger wins SSV title in Dakar Rally debut
2024: Ricky Brabec wins second Dakar Rally championship
2023: Kevin Benavides first in bike; Nasser Al-Attiyah wins fifth title
2022: Al-Attiyah wins fourth overall; Austin Jones takes SSV
2021: Benavides beats Brabec in bike; Stephane Peterhansel wins 14th overall
How can I access the Dakar Rally on Pea****?
Subscribe to Pea**** and then go to Pea****TV.com/Sports in your web browser or download the Pea**** app on your phone, tablet or streaming device. The event will be shown at 8 p.m. on the NBC Sports Channel. Replays will be available on-demand via the Dakar Rally page, which also has all the daily replays from the 2023-25 Dakar Rally.
What devices does Pea**** support?
You can enjoy Pea**** on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.