SARA PRICE Powers Defender to Historic 1-2 Dakar Stock Class Debut Victory

January 20, 2026

• SARA PRICE and co-driver Sean Berriman delivered a crucial second-place finish in Dakar’s inaugural Stock class, crossing the line 65th overall but cementing Land Rover Defender’s dominant 1-2-4 class debut. The American driver proved instrumental in what became a textbook team effort, with 10 of 13 stages ending in Defender 1-2-3 finishes across 24,000 kilometers of competition.
• While Lithuanian-Spanish pairing Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal took the class victory after leading wire-to-wire, PRICE’s performance was equally impressive – finishing a full 23 places ahead of the third-place Toyota. Her consistency and teamwork mentality shone through as she emphasized reaching the finish line “as a team together” over individual glory.
• The Defender D7X-R’s stock class dominance sets up an intriguing transition to the World Rally-Raid Championship starting in Portugal this March. With PRICE having proven her mettle on Dakar’s biggest stage and the team’s mechanical reliability clearly established, we’re looking at a legitimate threat in the global rally-raid scene – and a platform where women drivers can continue making their mark.

dakar rally, fia world rally-raid championship, land rover defender, stock class