The Dakar 2024 is just around the corner and Skyler Howes will face it as an official Honda rider. After finishing third in 2023 with Husqvarna, the rider now aims to go for the win, believing he has the chances and skills to do so.
The American told the official race website that a podium finish means victory is possible: ‘If you finish the Dakar on the podium, you can probably win. It’s about honing your racing skills and learning from past mistakes. In the last edition, there were two different days where I tried a strategy that didn’t work out, so I can put that knowledge into practice for this edition. So much of the Dakar depends on luck. That’s the beauty of the rally, there’s always something new for you. Every day you go in thinking “this is my strategy.” But that stage, that desert, has its own plans for you‘.
For this Dakar 2024, Howes is confident and admitted that he will have to change his mindset: ‘I think I will just go back to my original mindset, simply have fun with this. You have to minimize mistakes and just keep moving forward. Last time I led the rally for six stages and was in the top three for most of it. I know I can win it. I will take the things I learned in 2023 and apply them in 2024. I will aim to catch the drivers ahead of me and just do the best I can‘.
