Xavier de Soultrait and Co-Pilot Martin Bonnet
Navigated the Polaris RZR Pro R Factory to Two Stage Wins in Route
to the Overall SSV T4 Category Victory
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 19,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Polaris Off Road made a
triumphant return to the winner's circle at the 46th Edition of the
Dakar Rally, securing the prestigious Side-by-Side Vehicle (SSV) T4
class victory in partnership with Sebastien Loeb Racing (SLR). The
two-week-long race through the harsh and unforgiving terrain of
Saudi Arabia was an intense,
heart-pounding grind to the finish, but Xavier de Soultrait and
co-pilot Martin Bonnet were more
than up to the task, navigating their Polaris-engineered RZR Pro R
Factory flawlessly. The duo secured two stage wins (plus the
Prologue), five top three finishes and three additional top fives.
Soultrait completed the grueling 4,903 mile (7,891km) race in 56H
37' 43", finishing two and a half-minutes ahead of second place.
The triumph is a testament to the combined power of the SLR team's
skill and perseverance, the engineering prowess of Polaris and the
superiority of the Polaris RZR Pro R Factory.
In the SSV class race, Soultrait established himself as a strong
contender by securing the prologue win. He maintained his momentum
in the first two stages, finishing fifth and second respectively
and moving up to third place overall, the RZR Pro R Factory
immediately establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with in
the unforgiving terrain of Dakar.
However, stage three was a challenge for Soultrait and Bonnet,
finishing 10th and dropping to the eighth position. From then on,
Soultrait set his intentions firmly on navigating a relentless
climb to the top, finishing third in stage four and securing his
first win in stage five, moving him up to sixth place in the
general standings. After the first-ever 48-hour Chrono stage in
Dakar's history, Soultrait and the
Polaris RZR Pro R Factory emerged as winners from the Empty Quarter
dunes, moving him up to third place overall.
After a much-needed rest day, the competition resumed with stage
seven, where Soultrait's consistent finishes paid off as he secured
second-place, moving him to the top of the overall standings and
putting him in a position to battle for the event win. With the RZR
Pro R Factory consistently performing at the highest level, the
French duo continued to post solid podium results, taking second in
stages eight and nine to extend their lead in the overall rankings
to just over 28 minutes in their SLR RZR Pro R Factory. As the
competition entered its final days, Soultrait and his partner drove
conservatively during stage 10 to finish sixth. Unfortunately,
Soultrait was given a 10-minute penalty during stage 11, but his
fourth-place finish on the day was enough to maintain the lead,
setting up a fight to the finish with only a few minutes separating
him from second place. During the 12th and final stage of the
event, the duo focused on driving smart and consistent to take the
checkered flag in fourth and securing the monumental win.
Based on the revolutionary RZR Pro R platform, the all-new RZR
Pro R Factory was unveiled last year as the centerpiece for the
Polaris Factory Racing team, setting a new precedent within the UTV
industry with its race-ready level of power, strength, and control.
Utilizing a high-strength, lightweight chassis compliant with FIA
T4 Class, a race-tuned ProStar Fury 2.0L engine, FOX® Factory Race
ESC EVO 3.0 Internal Bypass shocks, the two SLR RZR Pro R Factory
vehicles showcased their pure strength and capabilities by rising
to the intensive demands of the nearly 5,000-mile event through the
brutal terrain of Saudi Arabia.
While the platform was modified specifically for international
rally racing, the RZR Pro R Factory still utilized many OEM
components like the engine, driveline and suspension components as
the stock RZR Pro R consumers can purchase on any dealership
floor.
"To continue the momentum after our overall UTV victory at the
Baja 1000 by starting to start the
2024 season off with a coveted Dakar Rally win alongside the
Sebastien Loeb Racing team is an achievement nothing short of
magnificent and something the Polaris team is incredibly proud of,"
said Alex Scheuerell, Polaris
Factory Racing Technical Director. "These landmark victories are
the ultimate validation for the RZR Pro R Factory platform and its
unmatched performance, strength and control. While it did come down
to the wire, Xavier and Martin demonstrated an incredible level of
consistency throughout the entire race, pushing themselves and the
vehicle when necessary, but also knowing when to take care of the
vehicle with a smoother, more conservative pace. We are incredibly
proud of the entire SLR team, and we look forward to what the
future holds for our racing program with them. I would also like to
thank the Polaris Factory Racing Team and the entire RZR
engineering group at Polaris that developed this amazing RZR Pro R
Factory platform to work from."
"It's truly the culmination of a dream," said Xavier de
Soultrait, SLR pilot and Dakar
winner. "It's hard for me to believe that we won this Dakar.
I think we raced intelligently, we put pressure on, but we never
overdrove. It was our first race with this new Polaris RZR Pro R
Factory, and frankly, we couldn't have asked for better. I am very
happy to have shared this with Martin, we really made a great team,
and I of course want to thank the entire Loeb Racing and Polaris
Factory Racing team who prepared a perfect car for us; this victory
is the fruition of all the teams' efforts! It is also thanks to all
our partners that we were able to achieve this."
Adding to Polaris' success, SLR teammate Florent Vayassade who
was also behind the wheel of a Polaris RZR Pro R Factory finished
the grueling 12-stage event with a top 10 overall finish,
highlighted by an impressive win in stage 12, plus two top fives
and four additional top 10 results.
To learn more, please visit Polaris.com/RZR or join the
conversation and follow on Facebook sm,
Instagram sm, YouTube sm and
Xsm. To follow the Sebastien Loeb Racing team, check
them out on Instagram sm.
About Polaris
As the global leader in powersports,
Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) pioneers product breakthroughs and
enriching experiences and services that have invited people to
discover the joy of being outdoors since our founding in 1954.
Polaris' high-quality product line-up includes the Polaris RANGER®,
RZR® and Polaris GENERAL™ side-by-side off-road vehicles;
Sportsman® all-terrain off-road vehicles; military and commercial
off-road vehicles; snowmobiles; Indian Motorcycle® mid-size and
heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot® moto-roadsters; Aixam
quadricycles; Goupil electric vehicles; and pontoon and deck boats,
including industry-leading Bennington pontoons. Polaris enhances
the riding experience with a robust portfolio of parts, garments,
and accessories. Headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves more than 100
countries across the globe. www.polaris.com
FOX is a registered trademark of Fox Factory Inc.
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SOURCE Polaris Inc.