Tosha Schareina on the box in 2nd place for South African WRRC opening Prologue race

Round 3 of the 2025 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship, the inaugural South Africa Safari Rally, opened today with the short (35 km total, 9 km against the clock) Prologue race. Originating in Sun City in order to shake down the race bikes, including those from the Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally and Hero Motosports, fueled by Monster Energy, the Prologue also set the starting positions for Tuesday’s Stage 1 in Lichtenburg.

WATCH PROLOGUE HIGHLIGHTS HERE!

Monster Energy was led in the Prologue by the current No. 2-ranked WRRC GP class racer, Tosha Schareina (Honda HRC Rally), who placed 2^nd – four seconds back of winner Daniel Sanders (KTM). American Ricky Brabec, would run ten seconds back of his Spanish teammate Schareina, with France’s Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally) a second behind Brabec.

Said Schareina of today’s Prologue race: “We have done, finally, the Prologue and I’m happy with the results and overall. I did three of four mistakes, but we will be able to choose our starting position later. So, I’m looking forward to tomorrow and Stage 1.”

Added Brabec: “Feels good to get the monkey off our back, do some kilometers under competition. The Prologue was like a grass track, ISDE (International Six Days Enduro) style. Definitely wasn’t our style, but we had a lot of fun. I really struggled with a couple things, but navigating wasn’t one of them. Looking forward to the next five days of racing.”

For the Hero Motosports, fueled by Monster Energy, team it’d be German newcomer Tobias Ebster (GP2 class) to the team who’d lead teammate and defending WRRC GP class overall champion, South Africa’s own Ross Branch, into the finish area. Ebster would finish 19 seconds behind Prologue winner Sanders, while Branch was right on his tail at 20 seconds back.

Said Branch: “Oh, man, what an amazing ride! It was really slippery, but good to be back in the old stomping grounds – so I had a really good time. Made a couple of mistakes where we lost a bit of time, but nothing too serious. It’s only 9 k’s out of a couple of thousand k’s to come up. It’s so nice to see so many spectators out to watch our sport. Show’s that the sport is strong here in southern Africa. A lot of supporters for me as well. Supercharged my motivation, and I’m looking forward to a really good week!”

PROLOGUE Notes:

• Tuesday’s SASR opening Stage 1 will circumnavigate Sun City in a 555 km loop, which features 260 km of Special (295 Liaison).
• The Lichtenburg (Stage 1) stage will be run on tracks and roads in and around agricultural land, along with some sand tracks and open bushveld (mix of trees, shrubs and tall grasses), highlighted by a short section of woods riding.
• Monster Energy’s Branch bet on himself as he chose to open Monday’s Prologue. The local Botswanan racing legend has the advantage of growing up riding/racing dirt bikes in the area and knows the terrain possibly better than anyone running the SASR, which should bode well for him in the remaining stages. 
• You’d think having mowed the tall grass down on the opening Prologue, SASR race organizers would have made things a bit easier on the racer. But this wasn’t the case, according to Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally’s Skyler Howes. “The mowed down grass actually made things more tricky for me because I expected the tractor marks everywhere. The very first corner I missed because the tractor mark went the wrong way.”
• Added Hero racer, fueled by Monster Energy, Jose “Nacho” Cornejo: “Yes, the track was really twisty and I guessed two times wrong and went straight into the bushes. I lost some time, but overall it was the same for everybody. I tried to make the best of it. The bike was riding good and we are in a good position to start tomorrow.”
• Hero Motosports, fueled by Monster Energy’s Ebster, who’s leading the overall GP2 class points chase after two WRRC rounds (Dakar & Abu Dhabi), is on the Hero 450 Rally bike for the first time at the SASR. “I wish I had a little bit more time on the bike. I just had two loops on the shakedown, but I’m feeling super comfortable on it and looking forward to the rest of the week.”
• The variety of terrain in South Africa varies from dry and dusty areas in the central region of the country, along with areas that are far more fertile.
• The SASR route is designed by renown seven-time South African Cross Country Champion rally racer, Evan Hutchinson. 

WRRC South Africa Safari Rally Results

Prologue (Place/Name/Team/Time)

2^nd – Schareina (Monster Energy/Honda), + :04

5^th – Brabec (Monster Energy/Honda), + :14

6^th – Van Beveren (Monster Energy/Honda), + :15

8^th – Ebster (Hero/Monster Energy), + :19

9^th – Branch (Hero/Monster Energy), + :20

Monster Energy WRRC Motorcycle GP class standings (after Dakar & Abu Dhabi)

Place/Name/Team

2^nd – Schareina (Monster Energy/Honda), 46 points        

3^rd – Brabec (Monster Energy/Honda), 37 points             

4^th – Van Beveren (Monster Energy/Honda), 35 points

6^th – Howes (Monster Energy/Honda), 24 points

6^th – Cornejo (Hero/Monster Energy), 24 points

2025 FIM World Rally-Raid GP2 class standings 

1^st – Tobias Ebster (Hero/Monster Energy), 46 points

Up now…

The FIM World Rally Raid Championship moves to South Africa for the inaugural running of the South African Safary Rally, May 18-24. For more information, including “Live” timing and scoring, visit www.worldrallyraidchampionship.com