Keeping Cool in the Mexican Desert Sonora Rally 2021

Published: 16/05/2021

Evans cooled Monster Energy Honda Team victorious at the 2021 Sonora Rally!

The seventh edition of the Sonora Rally once again had the 2020 Dakar Champion, Ricky Brabec, as the key protagonist. This year’s victory means that Monster Energy Honda Team’s American rider has now won more than half of the editions of the Mexican race held to date. Team-mate José Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Cornejo also finished on the podium.

This particular rally was managed by off-road legend Johnny Campbell, Monster Energy Honda Team once again managed to take the victory spoils. The five-stage rally, held in the Altar desert in the state of Sonora in northern Mexico, included over 900 kilometres of timed special stages on a total 1,500-kilometre route, no problem for rally motorcycles using Evans PowerSports.

Monster Energy Honda Team general manager Ruben Faria said:

Ricky Brabec not only scooped the final triumph, with wins in two out of five stages, but kept a firm grip on the race throughout, on an error-free ride that included some scorching pace, even in some of the most difficult sections of the course. Brabec, who lined up against some of the factory riders set to participate in the forthcoming Dakar Rally, romped home to a win with a 13-minute gap over the nearest second-placed rival, claiming a third consecutive win in the race, the fourth in total in the rally.

For this rally the Monster Energy Honda Team had lined up two riders in the Sonora Rally. In addition to Ricky Brabec, team-mate José Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Cornejo also participated and the young Chilean rider, making his debut in the rally, improved by the day. Nacho adapted well to a somewhat different race format and would eventually snatch a win in the final stage, earning himself third place on the rally’s final podium.