Price withdraws from Dakar
The first attempt of the Dakar Rally on four wheels for Australian off road legend Toby Price has come to an unfortunate early end.
After completing the first five stages of the 2025 event, Price and navigator Sam Sunderland have withdrawn on medical grounds.
During their last completed stage on Thursday where they finished 11th, Sunderland picked up concussion and as a result the Overdrive Racing pair have made the call not to continue after the sixth stage.
Price was sitting pretty in sixth overall early in his first attempt at the Dakar on four wheels, but slumped to 31st on Stage 4 due to axle issues.
However, Price and Sam Sunderland bounced back on Stage 5 where rose from 31st to 26th in the general classification.
But the health of his British teammate comes first, seeing Price’s first Dakar on four wheels come to an early end.
“Unfortunately we’ve chosen to withdraw from the Dakar Rally due to medical reasons,” Price wrote on social media.
“Sammy suffered a concussion on Thursday which we kept on the down low because he really wanted to soldier on like the true fighter he is.
“Today we had an issue with the car that pushed us back into the dust with poor visibility and Sammy took another blow to the head, losing vision and making his concussion worse.
“I feel it’s not fair to keep going because we have so much more to lose than gain.
“It’s a shame to finish like this and we’re both gutted.
“We can fix cars but not humans, and Sam is family to me so his health comes first.
“We can’t thank everyone enough for their support, especially Overdrive Racing and Black Rock Motorsport.
“It means the world to us and we wouldn’t be here without each and every partner that helped bring this to life!
“Hopefully this won’t be our last one, time will only tell and thank you all again, it’s been a wild ride!”
The 2025 Dakar Rally will carry on with six of the 12 stages completed and Daniel Sanders in a strong position to join Price as the only Australians to win the iconic event.
Image: DPPI / Red Bull Content Pool
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