Polaris Off Road announced its global effort for the 47th Edition 2025 Dakar Rally with Polaris Factory Racing’s Brock Heger making his debut appearance at the prestigious event with teammate Max Eddy Jr. as his navigator. Continuing its successful partnership with Sebastien Loeb Racing (SLR), Xavier De Soultrait will also return to defend his SSV title. Both drivers will pilot the championship-proven Gen 2 RZR Pro R Factory machine, the off-road industry’s only OEM-developed factory race UTV, designed specifically to take on the toughest deserts in the world and overcome the unparalleled demands of the 12-stages and 14-days of Dakar.
Heger, who secured the 2023 SCORE Pro UTV Open Championship, will bring his race-winning track record from the desert of Baja to the global stage of Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, De Soultrait is eager to make his return and defend his SSV Class Championship where he took two stage wins (plus the Prologue), five top-three finishes, and three additional top-fives. He looks to defend alongside his navigator, Martin Bonnet.
“Securing the win last year was not only a monumental achievement for Polaris and SLR, but also a profound and dramatic demonstration of the performance, sophistication and sheer toughness of our RZR Pro R Factory platform,” said Alex Scheuerell, Polaris Factory Racing Technical Director. “We’re thrilled to bring two of our Polaris Factory Race team members into this incredibly successful partnership with SLR. Brock Heger has shown he’s up for this challenge, after extraordinary performances throughout the SCORE series and the King of the Hammers Desert Challenge, and backed by Max’s extensive experience at Dakar, we’re eager to see this duo compete on a global stage.”
Last year marked the debut of the second-generation RZR Pro R Factory platform. Heading into 2025, the race machine returns with additional enhancements to performance and durability. Boasting a one-piece chassis, a stronger, stiffer frame, adjustable suspension hardware, and new and enhanced electronic componentry, the RZR Pro R Factory is ready to take on the desert of Saudi Arabia once again. The collective upgrades are the result of ongoing testing, development, and refinement between teams and drivers. Additionally, specifically for Dakar, the chassis has an integrated spare parts and tool storage supply to enable drivers to make their own repairs while on the course.
While the RZR Pro R Factory features premium, race-enhanced parts, much of the main componentry on the vehicle remains completely stock, based on the revolutionary RZR Pro R platform. These stock parts include the ProStar Fury 2.0L engine, front and rear drive, transmission, power steering rack, wheel bearings, all CVT components, including belt, plus control arms, front and rear knuckles, ball joints, and trailing arms.
The Polaris drivers will compete in the world’s toughest race, beginning January 3, 2025, in Bisha and finishing January 17, 2025, in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia.
