The Dakar Rally is right around the corner, but Century Racing had to spend most of the buildup worrying about if their stuff will make it to the bivouac in time.

Team manager Julien Hardy noted that Brian Baragwanath’s Century CR7 along with vital equipment were trapped in customs upon arriving in Saudi Arabia. Said gear includes two large containers, one for spare parts and the other for team personnel to stay during the race. The car eventually made it to the bivouac in Yanbu by Wednesday night, but everything else did not.

They reached out to the Saudi Automobile & Motorcycle Federation and Ministry of Sport to mediate the situation, but it’s been a slow process.

“We have been struggling with major customs issues and we only got our car back at 11pm last night,” Hardy said on Thursday. “Our two 40 foot containers with all the spares, tools and staff quarters are still stuck in customs as we speak.

“We’re in constant communication with our broker, the Motorsport Federation and the ministry of sport here to get things moving, it has been very time consuming and frustrating.

“It’s a major setback but luckily the cars are here and ready to test. We are thankful for SRT and our other customer teams who have helped wherever possible.”

It wouldn’t be the first time a Dakar team got stuck at customs. In 2024, Mason Klein’s Kove failed to make it across the Saudi–Emirati border, prompting his team to scramble overnight to get it. They eventually returned with the bike just before scrutineering closed.

Baragwanath is looking to rebound after finishing tenth in 2025 but being disqualified two months later due to an illegal fuel sample.

Featured image credit: Charly López / ASO