Justin Jumet and Matthew Ransom had plans of entering next month’s Desafío Ruta 40 in their efforts to make the 2027 Dakar Rally, but holdups in sending their bikes to their dealer means they’re pushing it back to the Rallye du Maroc in September.

“Not ideal. Not planned. But that’s rally,” said Ransom.

Their campaign, nicknamed “Kansas to Dakar”, was revealed in January. Neither of them raced the Sonora Rally in March but Off Piste Adventure was crucial in training riders; Matt Lube, who won the Rally Enduro class, credited their company with prepping him for his maiden rally.

The Rallye du Maroc is in September whereas the ASO begins accepting riders in July. Since neither ran the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal or DR 40, there is a possibility they are rejected at first but can change the organizers’ minds with a strong finish in Morocco. Completing any of these three races and the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, all of which are part of the World Rally-Raid Championship like Dakar, earns points to bolster one’s chances of acceptance.

If anything, Morocco might be the better opportunity. Despite being further from their home base, its desert profile is closer to that of Saudi Arabia’s such that it offers 15 Road to Dakar points whereas Argentina and Abu Dhabi give out 12.

“Every detail matters at this stage, and we’re putting in the work now so we’re ready when it counts,” said Ransom.

Besides direct donations, the duo is also running a 2026 Yamaha YZ250X giveaway to raise funds for their entry.

Featured image credit: Justin Jumet