Retired American Motocross and Supercross racer Andrew Short surprised everyone when he announced his aspirations to race rally. He signed with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Rally Team and attacked his first Dakar Rally. Short not only finished, but battled his way to a top-20 finish.
“I’m so happy to make it to the finish. Said Short at the finish of the Dakar Rally.
“That has been a very tough 14 days of racing. I hurt my ankle yesterday and only just made it to the finish. Today’s tracks were a lot smoother. There was a lot of dust everywhere and I think most people were taking things a little easier. I had some crashes over the course of the event but it hasn’t dampened my spirits. It’s always been a dream of mine to compete in the Dakar and it’s been interesting how I’ve handled the challenge. We’ve had some adverse weather but that hasn’t been as bad as I had expected, I was ok at the altitude, too. I knew I would have some crashes, but to have four at high-speed is something I didn’t expect. The speed is something that has surprised me a little, I’m ok in the dunes and the off-piste stuff, but on some of the tracks you are riding at full throttle for what seems like hours. I thought my overall pace would be a little better, but I have come away from the event having learnt a lot and I know what I need to work on to improve. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season now and then hopefully I’ll be more prepared for the 2019 Dakar.”