Dakar Rally: In a first, Hero MotoSports end on podium

Yanbu (Saudi Arabia), January 19

Hero MotoSports Team Rally today created history by becoming the first-ever Indian manufacturer to finish on the podium in the prestigious Dakar Rally.

It was double delight for the Indian motorsports community as Sherco TVS Rally Factory rider Harith Noha secured the first position in the overall ranking for Rally 2, also a first for India.

Hero MotoSports rider Ross Branch finished the Rally at the second place for the team. His consistent performance over the 12 stages saw him at the first and second spots in the overall rankings throughout the Rally.

Branch completed the 12th and final stage (175 Km) of Rally in the ninth position with a timing of one hour, 52 minutes and 42 seconds. With this timing he remained second in the overall ranking after Ricky Brabec of Honda team.

Brabec, who won in 2020, took 51 hours, 30 minutes and eight seconds to complete the Rally this time.

Branch was 10 minutes and 53 seconds behind him in the overall ranking.

After achieving the best result of his career, Branch said that to be on the podium is a dream come true for him. “It’s a dream come true to be on the podium. Nowadays it’s a big thing to finish in the top three in any rally race, and if it happens in Dakar, it’s an even bigger success,” Branch said. “I’m really over the moon to achieve this goal for Hero. And a big thank you to the team for developing a highly competitive machine, for the sleepless three weeks here, and for everything they’ve sacrificed to reach this point.”