Monster Energy Honda Rally Team will be a five-man operation for the rest of the 2023 World Rally-Raid Championship, 2024 Dakar Rally, and beyond. On Wednesday, the team announced Skyler Howes has joined the outfit where he will partner with fellow American Ricky Brabec, Adrien Van Beveren, José Ignacio Cornejo, and Pablo Quintanilla.
Howes departed Husqvarna Factory Racing in June, ending a two-and-a-half-year stint that saw him win the 2022 Rallye du Maroc. His last race with the team, the Sonora Rally in April, ended with a crash that resulted in shoulder injuries. Due to his recovery and free agency status, he did not run the Desafío Ruta 40 in late August.
He is no stranger to Honda, having raced a CRF450X in SCORE International, Best In The Desert, and other American desert racing championships before making the jump to rally raid. After being a privateer on a Yamaha and KTM, he finally connected with Husqvarna in 2021.
Although mathematically out of W2RC RallyGP contention due to his Sonora retirement and missing Argentina, Howes hopes to recapture his momentum from the season-opening Dakar Rally where he led much of the race despite not winning a stage and finished third overall. He was the fifth American to record a podium at Dakar, company that includes Brabec.
“Riding for the HRC Rally Team is a highlight of my life and career,” said Howes. “I learned how to ride on a XR75 when I was 3 years old and I began my rally effort on a CRF450X so my roots are deep with Honda. To also have the support of Monster Energy is huge for me and I’m super excited to see what the team and I can accomplish together. After a podium at the Dakar my focus remains the same, have as much fun as possible, and continue to reach for the top step of the podium.”
Van Beveren, the latest Honda signing in June 2022, is their highest rider in points after Argentina in third; he won the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in March. Honda also has satellite riders who are not competing for the championship in Joan Barreda and Desafío Ruta 40 winner Tosha Schareina.
“We are very happy to welcome Skyler. He is a young rider, but quite experienced in rally: was third in the last Dakar and won in Morocco. He is quite complete and fast off piste,” commented team manager Ruben Faria. “With him, we will have a super team for Dakar ’24 and I am sure Skyler will help us to be on the top standings.”
His first race with the team will be the W2RC season-ending Rallye du Maroc on 13–18 October. The 2024 Dakar Rally begins on 5 January.