Australian two-time Dakar Rally winner Toby Price has extended his contract with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing squad into the 2024 event.
This will mark Price’s 10th Dakar Rally and ninth within the factory organisation in a career spanning 15 years riding KTM machinery. Price has secured five Australian Off-Road Championships during this time in addition to two Dakar Rally wins in 2016 and 2019 in an already decorated career.
Price riding the KTM 450 RALLY dominated the 2016 event by winning five stages out of 14 and winning by close to 40 minutes, while the 2019 Dakar Rally was a famous one as he completed the event with a broken wrist.
Currently sitting second in this year’s FIM World Rally-Raid Championship with one round remaining, Price is second just nine points behind Argentine Luciano Benavides.
“I’m definitely excited to have signed to race another Dakar with the Red Bull KTM team,” Price said.
“I’ve been racing for KTM for 15 years now and for the factory since 2015, so it feels great to be able to race the biggest, toughest rally for them once again.
“It’s been a long journey with the KTM brand and one that I think it’s fair to say has brought both sides heaps of success along the way. With this contract extension signed now, I’m really looking forward to focusing on the Dakar early next year and hopefully keeping KTM up front.”
KTM AG Rally Team Manager Andreas Holzl was excited to have Price continue his association with the Austrian bike manufacturer ahead of his first Dakar Rally in charge.
“Obviously, it’s great to have Toby confirmed to ride with the team at the 2024 Dakar Rally,” Holzl emphasised.
“I’ve known Toby for many years now and it’s safe to say his passion and commitment to the KTM brand is outstanding. The Dakar is unpredictable and incredibly tough, but as we’ve seen time and time again, Toby’s strength and willpower enables him to fight through and always deliver his best.
“This is going to be my first Dakar as Rally Team Manager and I’m so pleased that Toby will be part of the team.
“We’ll give it everything that’s for certain – we’re looking forward to January.”
The next round of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship is the Rallye du Maroc in Morocco before focus turns to the season-opening Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia on January 5-19.
Discussion about this post