RACE SUMMARY

Team Hero MotoSports successfully concluded their campaign at the 2023 edition of Sonora Rally, with both riders finishing in the top-10 positions. Ross Branch and Sebastian Buhler who represented the team at its first outing in North America, crossed the finish line securing the 7th and 10th overall positions respectively.

Sonora Rally which debuted in Mexico 9 years ago was inducted into the 2023 FIM World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC) – a key milestone for both the Rally and W2RC. This is the first time the Championship entered Mexico, and hence it became a leap into unknown territory for several international W2RC competitors.

Set in Sonora, the second-largest state of Mexico, and featuring the hottest desert in North America – the Sonora Rally was spread across 5 stages covering over 2,300 km, half of which formed the timed sections. It started in the capital city of Hermosillo a week ago with the scrutineering and technical checks, and getting the competitors accustomed to the subtropical climate of the region. The 5 stages took the competitors on a northward course to finish in San Luis Rio Colorado, a city close to the US-Mexico border. Resembling the Dakar, each day of the race introduced the competitors to varied terrains of the vast Sonoran Desert – ranging from flat ranchlands to soft dunes, open beaches, and riverbeds. The competitors were also offered magnificent views of the Sea of Cortez on two days, even as they tried to maintain their high speeds on the sandy beachfronts. Dust, centuries old Saguaro cacti, low mountain ranges, and broken pistes remained constant all week.

Ross Branch, even though new to the Mexican terrain, showcased a consistent performance all through the week, making it to the top-10 in all but one stages of the Rally. In the final stage, he finished with the 8th fastest time, and earned the 7th overall position in the Rally.

Sebastian Buhler too, made continuous improvements to move up the leaderboard with each stage. Even though the difficult terrain and some time losses dampened his spirit early on in the race, the German athlete showed great resilience and finished strong, earning the 10th spot in the overall rankings table.

For Hero MotoSports, this was a step into the unknown, as they entered their first race in the North American continent. Unlike other teams, Hero riders lacked any knowledge of the terrain, the track conditions and the rhythm of the Sonora Rally. However, the confident team learnt quickly, caught up with their competitors, and fought well until the last kilometer.