Toby Price Takes 2016 Atacama Rally Stage 2

Reigning Dakar Rally Champion wins a long stage at the Atacama Rally and pulls to within 10 seconds of the overall leader.

August 24, 2016August 24, 2016 Scott Rousseau

Toby Price is one bad man on a rally machine. The reigning Dakar Champion proved it by staying out of trouble and winning Stage 2 of the 2016 Atacama Rally in Chile today. Price is now nipping at the heels of leader Pablo Quintanilla. PHOTO BY M. PINOCHET/KTM IMAGES.

Red Bull KTM’s Toby Price appears headed toward the front of the 2016 Atacama Rally in Chile.

During today’s 467-kilometer Stage 2, which took place in the “Hand of the Desert” in Antofagasta, the reigning Dakar Rally Champion from Australia was smooth and fast through the rocky, timed special and dunes of Bahia Inglesa, crossing the finish line with a time of 3 hours, 46 minutes and 53 seconds. The move allowed price to pull within 10 seconds of the defending Atacama Rally Champion and current overall leader, Pablo Quintanilla of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally Team.

Pablo Quintanilla had a solid day in Stage 2 of the 2016 Atacama Rally, although he now only a holds a mere 10-second advantage over Price. PHOTO BY M. PINOCHET/HUSQVARNA MOTORCYCLES GmbH.

Racing in his native Chile, Quintanilla had another good day in the rally, finishing just 1 minute and 3 seconds behind Price, hanging on to a tenuous lead. Behind them came a trio of Team Honda HRC riders, two of them within fairly close proximity. Kevin Benavides of Argentina led them home after surviving a high-speed crash that severely tweaked the front end of his factory Honda CRF450 Rally, finishing third another 2 minutes behind Quintanilla, with Paulo Goncalves of Portugal stopping the clocks 32 seconds slower than Benavides only after crashing and suffering an injury to his abdomen.

Team HRC’s Ricky Brabec finished fifth today, although the American started fast but then slowed over the second part of the timed special, finishing 8 minutes and 6 seconds off Price’s winning time. Brabec still holds fifth overall in the rally, 12 minutes and 41 seconds behind Quintanilla and 7 minutes and 18 seconds out of a podium position.

Ricky Brabec continues to learn the ropes of rally racing by putting in steady finishes. The American rode his Honda to fifth place in Stage 2, and he remains fifth overall. PHOTO COURTESY OF TEAM HRC.

“Today was the longest stage of the rally, with 467 kilometres of special and was actually quite a fast one,” Brabec said. “The ending was sandy for the last ten to twenty kilometers. It went well, but I lost concentration a bit after the restart and slowed down a bit. It was a tough stage. So now we will see where we are but I’m happy and looking forward to riding again tomorrow.”

Thursday’s Stage 3 will take include 200 kilometers of racing in the Copiapó region. Good navigation is expected to be a real difference maker in the outcome of the stage.

2016 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship
Atacama Rally
Antofagasta-Bahia Inglesa, Chile
Results: August 24, 2016

Stage 2
1. Toby Price (AUS)-KTM/3 hours, 46 minutes, 53 seconds
2. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-Hus/00:01:03
3. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Hon/+00:03:03
4. Paulo Goncalves (POR)-Hon/+00:03:35
5. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Hon/+00:08:06
6. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-KTM/+00:08:14
7. Sam Sunderland (GBR)-KTM/+00:08:30
8. Pela Renet (FRA)-Hus/+00:14:15
9. Franco Caimi (ARG)-Hon/+00:17:47
10. José Cornejo (CHI)-KTM/+00:18:27

2016 Atacama Rally Overall Standings (after 2 of 5 stages)
1. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-Hus/6 hours, 2 minutes, 52 seconds
2. Toby Price (AUS)-KTM/+00:00:10
3. Paulo Goncalves (POR)-Hon/+00:05:22
4. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Hon/+00:06:19
5. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Hon/+00:12:41
6. Matthias Walkner (AUS)-KTM/+00:19:39
7. Sam Sunderland (GBR)-KTM/+00:25:28
8. Pela Renet (FRA)-Hus/+00:27:53
9. Franco Caimi (ARG)-Hon/+00:30:05
10. José Cornejo (CHI)-KTM/+00:38:33

Toby Price Takes 2016 Atacama Rally Stage 2

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