Ryan Nariño is on the verge of his Dakar Rally debut in 2027, but he’s not quite assured a spot just yet. To better his chances of being accepted by the ASO in July, he plans to compete in May’s Desafío Ruta 40.

Argentina will technically be his second time competing in the World Rally-Raid Championship but his debut as a W2RC points-earning rider. He competed in the 2023 Sonora Rally, its only year on the series calendar, but in the non-W2RC National Enduro category. Nariño finished 32nd in class after a wheel bearing broke and took him out of Stage 2, which was followed by the shift shaft going out the next day.

While Sonora withdrew from the championship after 2023, Nariño has continued to race it to build up his experience and hopefully qualify for Dakar.

He finally got his break in March’s race when he won Sonora’s Dakar Dreams challenge. After a poor 2025, he finished top seven in every stage in 2026 to place fifth overall among bikes and three hours ahead of his closest DD rivals.

Winning the DD means the Sonora Rally will cover $10,000 of his Dakar entry fees, but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee him a spot in the race. The Road to Dakar program for riders means they earn points that improve the likelihood of an acceptance letter from the ASO, though it’s not assured like with SSVs (Jorge Cano won Sonora’s RtD this year). Finishing the DR 40 yields 12 points.

If he makes it to the start, Nariño will follow in the footsteps of his dad Antonio, who did the 2015 Dakar as a Malle Moto rider. Both father and son attended January’s race in support of Ryan’s close friend Mason Klein. The family also runs All American Rally Raid, which provides equipment, bikes, and training for rallies in North and South America like Sonora and the DR 40.

Featured image credit: Matthew McNulty / WESTx1000