The disappointment was as obvious as it was understandable. Having run second and talked of the potential for a dream Dakar win for the previous fortnight, fourth place just didn’t really cut it for Sara Price.
DirtFish found itself in the right place at the wrong time, waiting to talk to the Californian as she waited to find out if she’d done enough to stand on the SSV class podium.
“It’s such a rough rally,” the Can-Am driver said, speaking from both a mental and physical perspective.
Moments later, she was confirmed in fourth.
Sara Price gave her all to Dakar, but late punctures cost her the chance of a SSV class podium
“Bummer,” was her immediate response. “That’s just such a bummer. We gave it everything. I came here and showed I’m a true competitor… but I so wanted that podium.”
Earlier in the event, Price made history as the first American female to win a stage of Dakar. As time passes, such extraordinary feats will help ease the pain of only finishing fourth on her first time at the world’s toughest motorsport event.
“We finished,” she said. “That’s an achievement, and I think we have the pace. We do have the pace. I have everything it takes to be a champion of Dakar one day. But to lose it all at the end… bummer.
“We had it so together, but in the last two days, there were so many rocks and the rocks out here in this part of Saudi, they’re not your friend. When you have to push on those rocks, it’s so difficult to avoid punctures.”
Bummer.Sara Price
And it was the punctures that cost Price her podium.
Will she be back?
“I put so much into this,” she said. “It’s the toughest thing I ever did in my life. I spent all my money getting here this year. Of course I want to come back, but to do that we need to find a sponsor.”
For Price, Dakar 2025 starts on Monday with the search for the budget to help this history-maker land the result she and co-driver Jeremy Gray deserve.
