2023 Dakar Rally: Jones and Quintero Chasing Down De Mevius

The Can-Am Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team squad has slipped back slightly since our last Dakar Rally update, with Americans Austin Jones and Seth Quintero firmly parked in second and third place in the T3 class. Jones has been steadily closing the gap to leader Guillaume de Mevius, and sits just three minutes behind the Belgian after Stage 9.

Uncharacteristic rain and mud have plagued the racers in the first half of the rally, with Quintero suffering bad mechanical trouble on Stage 7, which saw him cross the line 10th. Quintero faltered again on Stage 8, with his second consecutive 10th place stage finish. Jones managed fourth on Stage 8, before finishing Stage 9 in ninth ahead of Quintero in yet another 10th place.

With Stage 9 out of the way, the rally is moving deeper into the Empty Quarter, a sandy, desolate part of Qatar where sending dispatches will be more difficult. Quintero’s hopes of a second year of record stage wins are gone, but both he and Jones are well positioned to notch impressive podium finishes. There’s a lot of driving left, and with close margins from first place to third, the game is far from decided.

Want to stay up to date on the latest UTV Driver news and reviews? Sign up for our weekly newsletter!