Can-Am Set To Race Maverick R at the Dakar Rally for the First Time

They're not messing around, just check out the driver lineup.

Photo by: Nik@influenceassociates.com über prnewswire.com/

By: Robbie Bacon

Dec 18, 2024 at 8:39am ET

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Can-Am will once again tackle the grueling Dakar Rally in 2025, but this time it'll be behind the wheel of the Maverick R, which is making its debut in the T4 Side-by-Side Vehicle (SSV) Class. And while bringing any all-new vehicle to the longest, most grueling rally raid in the world is daunting for any manufacturer, Can-Am has reason to be optimistic.

The Maverick R platform picked up sleuth of huge wins at some of the most iconic off-road races, including Vegas to Reno, the Silver State 300, and the Baja 1000. If the Maverick R can fend off the Polaris RZR Pro R and take a win in the T4 class, it'd be a huge achievement and the best way for the BRP brand to kick off 2025, as the battle between the two top UTV manufacturers is closer than ever.

Backed by the South Racing team, Can-Am will face the 12-day, 4971-mile race with four factory race drivers:

Francisco "Chaleco" Lopez, 49, Chile, three-time Dakar UTV Champion, 2022 World Rally Raid T3 Champion
Sara Price, 32, USA, 2023 Dakar Rally stage winner
Hunter Miller, 38, USA, 2020 King of the Hammers UTV Champion
Jeremias Gonzalez Ferioli, 28, Argentina, 3 Dakar Rally stage wins

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"The Dakar Rally is always the focal point of our racing calendar," said Jean-Francois Leclerc, BRP Race Manager. "This year, we're taking our Dakar efforts a step further with the introduction of the Maverick R and an excellent team of drivers. Our team of engineers and mechanics have been working diligently on the car to optimize performance and meet the regulatory requirements from the FIA, the International Automobile Federation. With the help of our partners at South Racing and our talented team of drivers, we're looking forward to another strong result at Dakar."

The race kicks off on January 3 in Bish, Saudi Arabia, but you'll have to wait until it finishes on January 17th in Shubayth, Saudi Arabia, to find out how the Maverick R and its innovative tall-knuckle suspension design get on.