2025 Dakar UTV Coverage

Polaris stands tall in 2025.

RZR Factory Racing and Sébastien Loeb Racing (SLR) returned to the winner’s circle at the 47th edition of the Dakar Rally, as rookie driver Brock Heger and navigator Max Eddy Jr., surgically dissected the Rally’s 12 grueling stages enroute to a dominant victory in the Side-by-Side (SSV) class. In an extraordinary debut performance, the all-American duo led the field of 39 competitors from 15 different countries in the SSV class over the course of 10 consecutive stages, maintaining a two-hour margin for the majority of the Rally.

Heger’s triumph comes less than two months after he captured the 2024 SCORE Baja 1000 and the 2024 SCORE Series Championship. This unprecedented run not only underscores the unmatched performance and durability of the RZR Pro R Factory machine, but cements Heger’s place as desert racing’s most dominant side-by-side driver. His rookie win at Dakar also etches his name in off-road racing history as one of only four other competitors to win in their rookie debut.

“Dakar is the pinnacle of our sport and winning this Championship is truly a dream come true,” said Heger. “Max’s experience and pinpoint navigation allowed me to focus solely on our pace and optimizing the condition of our vehicle, and the RZR Pro R Factory was virtually flawless for the entire 12 stages. Earning this historic victory with my close friend is something truly special, but to win Dakar after winning the Baja 1000 – that’s something I could have never imagined.”

The Championship formula for the American duo was calculated consistency and control throughout the intense two week event, earning one stage win (plus the Prologue), nine podium finishes, and top five finishes in all but one of the Rally’s 12 stages. The remarkable performance was a testament to the precision engineering of the RZR Pro R Factory, which provided the duo with unparalleled reliability, power, and agility to tackle the Dakar Rally’s grueling terrain. When it was all said and done, the duo completed the grueling 4,815-mile (7,749 km) race in 59 hours, 13 minutes and 11 seconds, finishing more than two hours ahead of their closest competitor. Ultimately, the duo outdueled teammates Xavier de Soultrait and Martin Bonnet, the defending 2024 SSV champions, who maintained a position of no worse than second overall, up until the Rally’s second to last stage, where a mechanical issue forced them to withdraw from the stage and finish the Rally 21st overall.

Heger made a strong debut in the Prologue, securing first place and gaining a 19-second advantage over his nearest competitor to begin stage one. The rally opened with one of its toughest challenges during stage one, as Heger’s onboard roadbook malfunctioned. Despite this setback, the team secured a third-place finish, setting the stage for a resilient comeback. In stage two, Heger and Eddy responded with a dominating performance, winning the stage and climbing to second overall, trailing only teammate Xavier de Soultrait. Stage three presented a grueling route through jagged rocky trails and expansive, wind-swept sandy stretches, where the RZR Pro R Factory’s robust suspension and handling delivered another third-place finish, narrowing the gap to eight minutes and 39 seconds behind the leader. Leaving Al Henakiyah in stage four, the team navigated a treacherous mix of towering dunes and high-speed, open plains, securing third place and taking the overall lead for the first time. Stage five’s brutal terrain challenged the drivers with sharp, technical turns and steep elevation changes, but the RZR Pro R Factory’s advanced capabilities allowed Heger to extend his lead to an impressive 1 hour, 17 minutes, and 30 seconds before the rest day.

After a critical rest day to recover and prepare, the competition resumed with stage six, where Heger delivered another podium finish despite losing ten minutes of his overall lead due to the relentless, rocky climbs and wide, exposed sandy plateaus. The RZR Pro R Factory’s rugged durability proved essential as the rally moved deeper into the vast, unforgiving desert during stages seven and eight, featuring soft, shifting dunes and expansive, arid plateaus. Heger maintained consistency with two second-place finishes, extending his lead to 1 hour, 41 minutes, and 49 seconds. In stage nine, a seven-minute penalty slightly dented the team’s momentum but didn’t prevent a second-place finish, just 1 minute and 11 seconds behind the stage winner. Stage ten featured towering dunes, razor-sharp ridgelines, and perilous descents, where the RZR Pro R Factory’s precise handling helped Heger finish just off the podium in fourth, solidifying an unassailable 1 hour, 49 minutes, and 53 seconds lead over teammate Xavier de Soultrait. In the penultimate stage, Heger continued his steady and consistent performance, securing fourth in class and maintaining his lead heading into the final 37-mile (60km) special stage.

“Starting the 2025 season with our second consecutive Dakar Rally win, following our success at the Baja 1000, is a monumental achievement for Polaris and Sébastien Loeb Racing,” said Alex Scheuerell, RZR Factory Racing Technical Director. “I think back to when we were developing the RZR Pro R Factory and establishing our factory program, and our ambitions were to be dominant and win the most important off-road races in the world. To see these ambitions come to fruition is incredibly gratifying and a testament to not only the incredible capabilities of the RZR Pro R, but to the dedication and expertise of everyone at Polaris who’s been a part of this program.”

Designed for unmatched performance, the race-ready RZR Pro R Factory combines power, durability, and precision handling, making it a formidable force in the toughest motorsport event on the planet. Featuring a high-strength, lightweight chassis built to FIA SSV Class standards, a race-tuned ProStar Fury 2.0L engine, and FOX Factory Race ESC EVO 3.0 Internal Bypass shocks, the RZR Pro R Factory proved its mettle by enduring the brutal, nearly 5,000-mile course across Saudi Arabia’s relentless desert terrain. Though specifically modified for international rally racing, the RZR Pro R Factory maintained key stock RZR Pro R components such as the engine, driveline, and suspension, showcasing the true durability of the platform — the very same components available to consumers on dealership floors. This ability to withstand the harshest conditions, mile after mile, played a crucial role in securing victory, demonstrating the vehicle’s unparalleled endurance and reliability under extreme pressure.

With back-to-back victories, the Sébastien Loeb Racing team has solidified its place at the pinnacle of Dakar Rally competition. In addition to Polaris’ remarkable success, SLR teammate Xavier de Soultrait, also driving a RZR Pro R Factory, finished the demanding 12-stage event in 21st. His performance was highlighted by a dominant victory in the first stage, along with six top-five finishes and several additional top-10 results that kept him in strong contention throughout the rally. Meanwhile, Florent Vayassade delivered a strong showing, and played a critical role in the team’s overall success. Together, these performances highlight the exceptional strength and unity of the Polaris and SLR teams, underscoring their dominance in one of the toughest motorsport events in the world.

Can-Am, meanwhile, earned a second-place finish and ten stage wins in the 2025 Dakar Rally, proving the performance and toughness of the Maverick R platform in some of the most demanding conditions in the world. South Racing Can-Am factory racer Francisco “Chaleco” López led the charge with five stage wins, the most stages of any racer in the T4 Side-by-Side Vehicle (SSV) Class, en route to a second-place overall finish. Sara Price and Jeremías González Ferioli also claimed stage wins and podiums throughout the rally, though they were ruled out of overall contention due to issues early in the race. South Racing’s João Monteiro showed strong pace finishing seventh, while Dakar Rally rookie Hunter Miller notched an impressive and memorable top-ten overall finish.

“Our team put in an incredible effort at Dakar this year,” said Jean-Francois Leclerc, BRP Race Manager. “This race always presents unique and unpredictable challenges and this year was no exception. I’m proud of how our drivers, team and partners at South Racing adapted and persevered throughout the rally. With 10 stage wins and multiple stage podium sweeps, we’ve proven the capabilities of the Maverick R. There are a lot of positives to take away from this year and we look forward to coming back even stronger next year.” Chaleco López started the rally with a strong second-place finish on the first stage. Stage two, the 48-hour Chrono stage, featured tricky dunes that cost the Chilean valuable time in the overall classification. From there, Chaleco displayed impressive determination and skill as he collected wins on stages three, five, six, nine and ten and moved his way up the overall standings. Chaleco and his co-pilot, Juan Pablo Latrach, finished the rally with a total time of 61 hours 19 minutes and 15 seconds, securing a runner-up finish in the T4 SSV Class.

“This was our first time racing the Maverick R at Dakar. The first week was tough, the car performed great, but we faced some challenges which cost us valuable time during the 48-hour stage. After that, things turned around. We started winning stage after stage, and the vehicle felt solid. We went from a rough start to a strong finish, proving that we have a fantastic foundation to build on and to keep winning in this category. I’m thrilled with what we’ve accomplished. A huge ‘thank you’ to the Can-Am factory and the South Racing team for their support and for providing us with an incredible unit for the future,” said Chaleco López.

After scoring a stage win in her rookie year at Dakar in 2024, Sara Price was motivated to contest for the overall win in 2025. Unfortunately, Price and her co-pilot, Sean Berriman, encountered issues on stage two and were forced to withdraw from the overall rally contention. In the following stages, she showcased her driving prowess, collecting a total of three stage wins.

“It’s been crazy to look back at this year’s Dakar with all of the ups and downs. There was a lot of growth between my first and second Dakar. This is one I will never forget. I’m also grateful to have such a great team behind me and to get to race the incredible Maverick R with Sean. He has been an amazing navigator and he did a phenomenal job. It also feels great to get three stage wins. I think we progressed a lot this year. Unfortunately, we had some bad luck that took us out of the overall, but we showed tenacity and grit every day, never giving up,” said Sara Price.

After a strong second-place finish in the prologue, Jeremías González Ferioli had a consistent start to the rally remaining in the top ten overall until stage four. The Argentinian faced issues on stage four that removed him from overall contention. Still motivated, Ferioli and co-pilot, Pedro Gonzalo Rinaldi, continued the rally and scored back-to-back stage wins on stages seven and eight, in addition to several stage podiums.

“It was a tough first week. We had some issues that left us out of the overall classification, but they were very important because we learned a lot. Once we solved those issues after our rest day, we started to have a good race and we were very satisfied with our pace. Gonzalo also did a great job navigating. We finished almost every stage in the top three and won two stages. It’s a bittersweet feeling because we were going to Dakar to fight for the podium, but we learned a lot and we will come back stronger. The whole team did an awesome job, winning 10 consecutive stages and P2 overall. It was a very good Dakar for the team and the new Maverick R,” said Jeremías González.

First-time Dakar Rally competitor Hunter Miller showed his resilience, skill and determination, fighting through every kilometer of the race to score a tenth-place finish. Miller and co-pilot, Andrew Short, achieved a fourth-place finish on stage four, proving that they have the pace to run with the lead group and making their mark in this iconic event.

“I’m relieved to have made it to the finish line of Dakar, completing every kilometer, but I’m also disappointed at the same time. I was having the time of my life learning a new form of racing and felt like I was really starting to come to grips with it. Dakar is by far the most challenging thing I have ever done. I’m excited to practice everything I learned over the next year as well as help to develop the Maverick R into its full potential,” said Hunter Miller.

The 12-day, 8,000-kilometer race across the unforgiving Saudi Arabian desert is widely regarded as the ultimate test of driver and machine. With support from South Racing, the Can-Am Factory racers displayed the potential of the Maverick R in its inaugural Dakar Rally appearance, capturing all but two stage wins. The Maverick R’s cutting-edge tall-knuckle suspension design, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and turbo-chared three-cylinder Rotax engine thrived in the grueling desert terrain. The team leaves the Dakar Rally with a profound sense of accomplishment and invaluable experience that will fuel their drive for next year’s challenge.