Skyler Howes Claims Historic First Dakar Rally Stage Victory on Stage 11

American rider from Utah becomes the 9th U.S. motorcyclist to win a Dakar stage in dominant performance across Saudi Arabian desert, completing the 346-kilometer special in just over 3 hours.

SGWOM Editorial Team

Community News

January 15, 2026

8 min read

Featured image for Skyler Howes Claims Historic First Dakar Rally Stage Victory on Stage 11 - American rider from Utah becomes the 9th U.S. motorcyclist to win a Dakar stage in dominant performance across Saudi Arabian desert, completing the 346-kilometer special in just over 3 hours.

Photo Credit: Skyler Howes Facebook

January 15, 2026 — Skyler Howes etched his name into Dakar Rally history today, claiming his first-ever stage victory with a commanding performance on Stage 11 of the 2026 edition. The Monster Energy Honda HRC rider completed the 346-kilometer timed special in 3 hours, 9 minutes, and 2 seconds, beating teammate Adrien Van Beveren by just 21 seconds in one of the fastest stages of this year's grueling desert race.

For Howes, the milestone represents the culmination of eight years of Dakar competition and a lifetime of dedication to off-road racing. The win makes him just the ninth American motorcycle rider to capture a stage victory at the world's most demanding rally raid event.

Why a Dakar Stage Win Matters

For those unfamiliar with the Dakar Rally, understanding why a single stage victory carries such significance requires context. The Dakar is not just another race—it is widely considered the most grueling motorsport event on the planet.

Spanning approximately two weeks, competitors cover over 8,000 kilometers across Saudi Arabia's unforgiving desert landscape. Each day brings a new stage featuring 300-500 kilometers of timed racing through sand dunes, rocky wadis, and treacherous terrain that would stop most vehicles in their tracks. According to Wikipedia's Dakar Rally entry, the event has seen 76 fatalities in its history, underscoring its extreme danger.

Unlike circuit racing where drivers follow a known track, Dakar riders must navigate using only a roadbook—a continuous scroll of cryptic symbols and distance markers they receive just hours before each stage. One navigation error can cost minutes or hours; a mechanical failure in the remote desert can end a race entirely.

Howes reflected on his performance after the finish: "I'm happy. The stage was really fast and I just did a good job of navigating, pushed it to the end, so I consider that a perfect stage. I came away with the win which means a lot to give back to the team, they deserve stage wins, they deserve a lot and I'm happy to give that to them."

A Long Time Coming

The 33-year-old, who grew up in Utah, has been knocking on the door of Dakar success for years. In 2023, he achieved his best overall result, finishing third and becoming only the fifth American in history to stand on the Dakar podium. He led the rally for six stages that year, and after more than 43 hours of racing, the top three were separated by less than two minutes.

Howes describes his approach to the Dakar: "If you finish on the Dakar podium, you can probably win it. It comes down to refining your racecraft and learning from previous mistakes. Last year there were two different days where I tried a strategy that didn't work out, so I can put that knowledge into practice."

Today's Stage 11 victory validates that philosophy. After a tire issue during the first marathon stage earlier in this year's rally effectively ended his podium hopes, Howes refocused on delivering strong individual stage performances—and Stage 11 proved to be his moment.

Rocky Terrain Plays to American's Strengths

Stage 11 covered an 883-kilometer route from the bivouac to Al Henakiyah, with 346 kilometers of timed racing across what organizers called one of the fastest special stages of the entire rally. The rocky terrain and technical navigation sections played perfectly into Howes' skill set, honed over years of competing in American desert races.

Howes described the intensity of the stage: "Today it was the fastest stage and they had said this at the briefing. Every day has been fast this week, we were like, 'how can they get any faster?' But today was full gas, we were to the stop for 85% of the day."

Starting fourth off the line, Howes caught and passed his Honda teammate Van Beveren, who had been leading the stage as the opener. The two then rode together strategically: "I did the best I could to catch my teammate Adrien and then we rode together, well he navigated and I kind of sat in his dust to collect some bonus time."

Joining Elite American Company

With his Stage 11 victory, Howes joins an elite group of American motorcycle riders who have won Dakar Rally stages. Howes became the 9th American biker to win a stage in Dakar history.

This achievement comes during a golden era for American Dakar racing, headlined by his teammate Ricky Brabec, who became the first American to win the Dakar Rally overall in 2020 and claimed his second title in 2024. The Monster Energy Honda HRC team's American contingent demonstrated their strength throughout Stage 11, with Howes winning and Brabec strategically positioning himself for the overall battle. Four Honda riders finished in the top six on the stage.

Howes has embraced the opportunity with Honda: "It was always kind of a dream to ride for such an iconic team as this, so to end up here is a highlight of my career for sure."

The Navigation Challenge

What sets the Dakar apart from other motorsport events is its emphasis on navigation. Riders cannot rely on GPS or predetermined routes. Instead, they must follow a roadbook while simultaneously piloting 450cc motorcycles at speeds exceeding 150 km/h across terrain that changes from soft sand to jagged rocks within meters.

Howes' navigation skills have been central to his Dakar success. Raised on American desert racing where similar roadbook navigation is required, he developed an intuitive ability to read terrain while maintaining race pace. The route to Al Henakiyah "lent itself perfectly to a show of force from the Californian, who is used to success on the Vegas to Reno race or the Sonora Rally, which both boast similar terrain."

The Overall Battle Intensifies

While Howes celebrated his stage victory, the overall classification battle reached a fever pitch. His teammate Ricky Brabec employed strategic positioning, deliberately ceding time late in the stage to secure a favorable starting position for Stage 12. This tactical move handed the overall lead to Red Bull KTM's Luciano Benavides by a razor-thin 23 seconds.

The current overall standings after Stage 11:

Position	Rider	Team	Time/Gap
1	Luciano Benavides	Red Bull KTM	44h 48' 48"
2	Ricky Brabec	Monster Energy Honda	+23 seconds
3	Tosha Schareina	Monster Energy Honda	+15' 16"
4	Daniel Sanders	Red Bull KTM	+23' 32"
5	Skyler Howes	Monster Energy Honda	+34' 20"

With two stages remaining, the battle for victory will come down to the final kilometers of racing.

From Junkyard Honda to Factory Ride

Howes' journey to Dakar success is a quintessential American motorsport story. Born on April 14, 1992, in Riverside, California, he grew up in Utah and "learned to ride on a 1974 Honda XR75 that his father recovered from an auto salvage yard." The rugged desert terrain of Southern Utah—with its red rock landscapes, sandy washes, and rocky trails—provided the perfect training ground for a future Dakar champion.

After making a name for himself on the U.S. off-road racing scene with wins at Vegas to Reno, the Sonora Rally, and the Baja Rally, he turned professional in 2012. His breakthrough came in 2018 when he won the Sonora Rally, the Dakar Challenge, and the Baja Rally, opening the door to international rally-raid competition.

His path to the Dakar included years of watching the race on television with his father before finally competing as a privateer in 2019. That debut ended with a shoulder injury forcing retirement. In 2020, he returned and finished a remarkable ninth overall—despite riding with "a broken neck in the build-up."

After earning a Husqvarna factory contract through sheer determination, Howes moved to the Monster Energy Honda HRC team in 2024, returning to his roots on a Honda machine—the same brand he first rode in that Utah junkyard decades ago.

What's Next for Howes

Although the tire issue during the first marathon stage ended Howes' podium hopes for 2026, today's victory demonstrates he remains among the world's elite rally riders. Currently sitting fifth overall, approximately 34 minutes behind leader Benavides, Howes will fight to maintain his position and potentially challenge fourth-place Daniel Sanders, who sits just over 10 minutes ahead.

Howes acknowledged the challenge ahead: "Tomorrow, my job just means I've got to do a perfect job." Winning a stage means opening the next day's racing—a disadvantage since the leader must navigate without tire tracks to follow.

The penultimate stage covers 720 kilometers as the caravan makes its return to Yanbu on Saudi Arabia's western coast. The 2026 Dakar Rally concludes on January 17.

About the Dakar Rally

The Dakar Rally is an annual rally raid organized by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO). It originally ran from Paris, France to Dakar, Senegal beginning in 1978. The event relocated to South America from 2009-2019 due to security concerns in Africa, and since 2020, the rally has been held in Saudi Arabia.

The event features competition across multiple categories including motorcycles, cars, trucks, and UTVs, with competitors traversing thousands of kilometers of desert terrain over approximately two weeks.