Ignas Daunoravičius already has Dakar experience after finishing third in overall in this year’s Dakar Classic, but racing a motorcycle in the Dakar Rally isn’t exactly the same as navigating for a Land Cruiser in the adjacent regularity event.

To bolster his chances of being accepted for the 2027 Rally as a bike rider, Daunoravičius plans to compete in this month’s BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal and October’s Rallye du Maroc. Both are World Rally-Raid Championship events and part of the Road to Dakar, and finishing either event will earn him points that increase the likelihood of the ASO approving his entry for 2027.

Daunoravičius revealed his plans in May. Although the Rally as a rider his priority, he will return to the Classic in 2026 as a navigator for Shammie Zacky Baridwan.

He and Karolis Raišys raced the Dakar Classic for the first time in Januar. Despite being in one of the field’s oldest cars, their 1978 Land Rover 109 Series III won the H1.A class and placed on the overall podium.

Since then, Daunoravičius has balanced between doing races on both two and four wheels. He finished 15th in Enduro at the Rallye Breslau on a KTM 450 Rally Replica in June, then followed it up a week later by placing fourth in TH as the co-driver of a Nissan Terrano piloted by Evin Harvey Taz at the Italian Baja. Daunoravičius also did his first enduro race in March and the Bosnia Rally in July.

The BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal will take place on September 23–28, while the Rallye du Maroc is scheduled for October 12–17.

Featured image credit: Moaz Al-Shammari