It was another up-and-down day for American riders in Stage 4 of the 2023 Dakar Rally.
Mason Klein was cruising toward a stage victory in the bikes category when his fuel pump intake failed 20 kilometers from the finish of the 574-kilometer loop stage around Ha’il in Saudi Arabia.
He finished the fourth stage in the 10th and fell nearly 7 minutes behind overall leader Daniel Sanders after Klein had entered second overall, 4 minutes off first place.
“The stage was really nice; everything was going really well,” said the Southern California native, who fell to sixth in the overall standings. “I got to open a good amount, so that was really nice. I got some bonus time, which is probably going to really help me.
“It’s pretty disappointing because the day was going so well, but at least we made it here. Tomorrow, maybe I’ll try and make up some time again, I guess. It’s pretty hard. You can’t really make up time. You just lose it.”
Klein said in an Instagram post that water got in his fuel line because he was the first rider to the refuel station and “when you’re the first one there, that’s what happens. You get all the water.”
In the Dakar Rally, competitors make their own repairs, so Klein, 21, lost precious time while scrambling into the role of makeshift mechanic in only his second start in the rally raid classic. Klein said he struggled to reattach a skid plate bolt and “was getting very stressed” while estimating he lost at least 5 minutes on the repair.
“I have a bunch of tools with me, so I basically ran out in the dunes, got my seat off, took out the tools, dropped it the ground, undid a couple of clips, undid three bolts, then I poured it back in ,” Klein said. “It didn’t go that smoothly though, because I couldn’t make the bike stand up until I had some gas in the tank again, so the whole time I had to balance the bike while taking everything off. You can’t get the skid plate off when it’s just laying on the ground. It’s just difficult.”
But it wasn’t all bad news for American riders (whose ranks were thinned Tuesday by the withdrawal of past champion and 2023 title contender Ricky Brabec).
Skyler Howes improved from fourth to second overall (3 minutes 33 seconds behind Sanders) after his second consecutive podium finish on his Husqvarna 450 Rally Factory Racing. The St. George, Utah native finished third Wednesday, 1 minute and 5 seconds behind winner Joan Barradea Bort. Pablo Quintanilla was second.
In a battle of Frenchmen in the cars division, Sebastien Loeb edged Stephane Peterhansel by 13 seconds to win the fourth stage. Carlos Sainz rebounds with a fourth place after losing the lead in Stage 3.
Defending Dakar Rally champion Nasser Al-Attiyah built his overall lead to more than 18 minutes with a fourth in Stage 4. Yazeed Al Rajhi is second overall, followed by the Team Audi electric hybrids of Peterhansel (18 minutes, 18 seconds behind) and Sainz (32:55).
Here are the stage winners and the top three in the overall rankings for each category (along with US notables) after Stage 4 of the 2023 Dakar Rally (WILL BE UPDATED):
cars
Stage 3 winner: Sebastien Loeb (FRA), Bahrain Raid Xtreme, 4:11:34.
General ranking: 1. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT), Toyota Gazoo Racing, 16:34:13; 2. Yazeed Al Rajhi (SAU), Overdrive Racing, 16:52:31; 3. Stephane Peterhansel (FRA), Team Audi Sport, 16:53:05.
bike
Stage 3 winner: Joan Barreda Bort (ESP), Monster Energy JB Team, 4:28:18.
General ranking: 1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing, 18:40:03; 2. Skyler Howes (USA), Husqvarna Factory Racing, 18:43:36; 3. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 18:44:08. US notables: 6th Mason Klein, BAS world KTM Racing Team, 18:50:08; 28. Jacob Argubright, Duust Co Rally Team, 21:24:45 (RIDERS’ TUESDAY RANKINGS/WILL BE UDPATED: 51. Pablo Copetti, Del Amo Motorsports, 17:46:05; 66.Paul Neff, American Rally Originals, 18:34:33; 72.Petr Vlcek, Detyens Racing, 18:47:31; 81. Kyle McCoy, American Rally Originals, 19:19:51; 82. David Pearson, American Rally Originals, 19:35:08; 107. Lawrence Ace Nilson, Duust Rally Team, 21:38:18; 115. James Pearson, American Rally Originals, 23:00:22; 120. Morrison Hart, American Rally Originals, 26:08:45. Withdrew: Ricky Brabec (USA), Monster Energy Honda, 9:42:49).
PAST RECAPS
STAGE 1: Ricky Brabec opens with victory; Carlos Sainz keeps Audi on top
STAGE 2: Mason Klein continues US surge in bikes
STAGE 3: Brabec is eliminated by crash as inclement weather shortens stage
PROLOGUE: Mattias Ekstrom leads Audi charge
CARRYING THE FLAG: US drivers and riders in the 2023 Dakar Rally