In a historic moment for Indian motorsports, Harith Noah, riding for TVS-backed Sherco TVS Racing, secured victory in Stage 8 of the 2024 Dakar Rally. This remarkable achievement makes him the first-ever Indian to win a Dakar stage.
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After overcoming health challenges in the first week, Harith Noah showcased exceptional determination and skill in the 48H Chrono Stage 6, where he jumped to 13th place overall. The momentum continued in Stage 8 as he triumphed in the Rally 2 class, moving to 3rd place in the Rally 2 overall standings and maintaining 13th place in the general ranking.
Ross Branch Holds Strong in Second Place
With Joaquim Rodrigues, Sebastian Buhler, and Joan Barreda Bort retiring from Dakar 2024, Hero MotoSports’ sole contender, Ross Branch, emerges as a formidable competitor. Despite finishing eighth in Stage 8, Branch remains in a commendable second place overall, just 42 seconds behind leader Ricky Brabec.
Branch expressed his perspective on the challenging stage, acknowledging some time loss but maintaining optimism for the upcoming stages: “Today was a long one. It was a little bit risky this morning in the camel grass and in the dunes. We lost a little bit of time today, but nothing too serious.”
Carlos Sainz Leads Cars Category
In the cars category, Audi continued its dominance in Dakar 2024. Mattias Ekstrom secured victory in Stage 8, leading an Audi 1-2 finish with teammate Stephane Peterhansel. However, it is Carlos Sainz who leads the overall rally, adding almost six minutes to his advantage over Sebastien Loeb.
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Sainz, a three-time Dakar winner, holds a commanding lead of 24 minutes and 47 seconds over Loeb. The Audi team’s strong performance reaffirms their position in the competition.
As Dakar 2024 progresses, Harith Noah’s historic win adds a bright chapter to India’s motorsport narrative, and the competition intensifies with Ross Branch chasing victory and Carlos Sainz asserting his dominance in the cars category.
