Motor

Ross Branch Brings W2RC World Title Home at Rallye du Maroc

Published On: 10/11/2024

Monster Energy's Ross Branch (Hero) wins on the final round (Stage 5) of the 2024 W2RC series at the Rallye du Maroc.

A wonderful, albeit trying at times, week of motorcycle racing across the unforgiving Moroccan countryside wrapped up today with Monster Energy racers earning the King’s share of prizes from the FIM, Rally Du Maroc organizers and the world’s ultimate off-road motorsports competition series – the 2024 World Rally Raid Championship.

The biggest prize of the day was awarded to Monster Energy’s Ross Branch, who delivered his first WRRC motorcycle division championship to India-based Hero MotoSports in a historic 1st place effort over five major racing events on four continents (Europe, Aisa/Middle East, South America and Africa). Branch would podium in three events (Dakar, Abu Dhabi and at this week’s Moroccan event) and lock down top five finishes in the other two races (Portugal and Argentina) to win the overall championship by 12 points ahead of Monster Energy/Honda Rally Team’s French star, Adrien Van Beveren, 88-76.

Van Beveren would place 2nd in the premier GP class at the Rally Du Maroc this week, one rostrum spot below his Monster Energy/Honda Rally Team teammate Tosha Schareina (Spain), the overall winner of this week’s Rally Du Maroc. With the 1st place Rallye Du Maroc effort, Schareina would capture 3rd overall in the WRRC season championship with 70 points. Branch would also place 3rd overall in the Rallye Du Maroc’s GP class.

In addition to Van Beveren and Schareina, American Ricky Brabec and Chilean Pablo Quintanilla would help give the Monster Energy/Honda Rally Team its third-straight WRRC Manufacturer’s Championship for the Japan-based Honda Motor Company.

For the South African Branch, the 2019 Dakar Rally Rookie of the Year, the ’24 WRRC title puts an exclamation point on a racing season that crisscrossed the globe to put the competitors in the most difficult of situations. And Branch responded as a champion.

“There’s no words that can describe this feeling at the moment,” said the elated Branch from the Mengoub bivouac following the race. “You know, the whole team has put so much effort in. And just watching how happy everyone is sharing in the success. I’m really happy to be part of such a crazy, cool family at Hero. Really proud and privileged to be here. So thank you to everyone that’s believed in me and given me the opportunity. That’s 34 years of racing and it takes a long time to get to something like this. I’m just over the moon and really grateful.

“And this is just the beginning for us. Hero is such a young, strong team. We look forward to 2025.”

Branch also gave props to his racing insurance policy this week, Monster Energy-backed Hero MotoSports teammate Jose “Nacho” Cornejo. The Chilean Cornejo followed Branch through the five stages, even winning Stage 4 (best time), to make sure, in the event of a crash and or broken part on Branch’s Hero Rally 450 (which there was none), that Branch would still finish every stage to secure the championship.

In perspective, Branch basically climbed off-road motorcycle racing’s Everest with his sherpa, Nacho.

“I’m really happy with how the riding went. My confidence and speed came back when we found the right settings for race speed,” said Cornejo. “Very happy also for ‘Rossi’ (Branch). He grabbed the World Championship title. He did an amazing season. And I’m happy for everyone on the team and all their hard work. Now some relax and some rest.”

With Monster Energy/Honda Rally Team members Brabec (knee) and Quintanilla (crash related bike DNF) unable to finish the Rallye Du Maroc due to injury, Schareina and Van Beveren would carry the torch for Honda, scoring a 1-2 finish today and sharing in the WRRC Manufacturer’s crown.

“We had some problems outside of us, and I made a few mistakes in this rally, but yeah, I think the overall result was really, really good and the bike and the team were super, super good,” said Schareina. “I’m super proud of my team. Again, we did it (Manufacturer’s title). Now the next stop is Dakar.”

Added Van Beveren: “It was a tough week. It was a tough rally. I think with the past rain it was not easy to make this race happen. The terrain was really rough in those first days. But I’m really happy with my effort. This is not really my type of terrain. But this time I managed to take the rhythm quite soon. So-so the first day as I had to start in front, but then I did really solid stages, almost every day on the podium.

“We had a strong week as a team and it’s very important for us to have that feeling before Dakar.”