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Rally raid bike followers have certainly been dissatisfied on the lack of entries within the premier RallyGP class in the course of the first half of the 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship as many groups together with Pink Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing choose to not run the total calendar like they used to. In an interview with SPEEDWEEK on 15 March, KTM AG rally normal supervisor Andreas Hölzl defined the group’s absence stems from a mix of finances and poor media publicity, which might go hand in hand for racing since too few of the latter means low return on funding and subsequently little motive to proceed investing.
KTM is likely one of the high bike marques within the self-discipline, having lately received the Dakar with Kevin Benavides in 2023 and nineteen in complete. Toby Worth went on to complete runner-up within the 2023 W2RC by simply 9 factors, narrowly lacking out on his second world rally title after claiming the 2018 FIM Cross-Nation Rallies World Championship. Regardless of their successes, KTM and rivals GasGas and defending champion Husqvarna, all of that are owned by Pierer Mobility Group, didn’t register for the 2024 championship, rendering their riders ineligible to earn factors at Dakar. Not one of the three have returned to the collection for the 2 rounds since.
Hölzl, who took over as KTM rally director from Norbert Stadlbauer in September 2023, defined to SPEEDWEEK that the group’s major focus stays on Dakar whereas different rounds aren’t value pursuing for the time being. This has been particularly obvious as Pierer undergoes a collection of reshuffling and finances cuts.
“This choice (to not race for factors) was already made in fall 2023,” Hölzl started. “The championship itself works fairly effectively, it’s a must to admit, however the principle race continues to be the Dakar. It’s essentially the most well-known, fascinating, and prestigious race, and that’s what we concentrate on. All of this prices some huge cash, and in instances like these, it should be effectively invested. The monetary side is one factor since you additionally need to pay a payment to the promoter, and media presence can also be not as we wish it but.”
He additionally pointed to security rules on the different W2RC rounds not being as strong because the Dakar. Though KTM’s Benavides and Matthias Walkner suffered accidents in testing crashes in 2023, he felt the security requirements in races are an excessive amount of of a threat.
“Every part on the Dakar is organised in an exemplary method, however that’s not the case in all races,” he continued. “Within the Dakar, there was considerably extra navigation and the common pace fell. From our viewpoint, the path is right. For instance, there was a rally wherein a stage was used twice. The bike went alongside a route the place automobiles had lately been touring, and that’s harmful.”
Despite this, Hölzl notes the group plans to return for the ultimate two rounds, the Desafío Ruta 40 in June and the Rallye du Maroc in October. Benavides will proceed with the group whereas Walkner continues to be recovering from a devastating leg harm. Worth left KTM in March.
With Pierer’s properties not signed up for factors, the RallyGP class was unusually barren for the second and third rounds of the W2RC. The Abu Dhabi Desert Problem solely noticed two riders from Hero MotoSports whereas this week’s BP Final Rally-Raid options eight riders, the majority coming from Hero and Monster Power Honda Rally Group.
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