Karolis Raišys and his 1978 Land Rover Series III will return to the Dakar Classic in 2027, looking to secure his second consecutive overall win.

“I won the Dakar Classic in Saudi Arabia. Now, I’ll have to try to win the Dakar in Africa,” he quipped, referring to the yet-official plan to move the race. “Lots of new developments and even more to take care of, but the lucky charms remain the same.”

His Land Rover 109 station wagon was the oldest car in the field at both the 2025 and 2026 Classics. After impressing by finishing third in 2025, he dominated January’s edition to secure the overall. The Land Rover also ended a four-year win overall streak for the Land Cruiser.

If Raišys repeats next January, he’ll join Carlos Santaolalla as the only multi-time winners of the Classic.

The Lithuanian was initially vague on whether he’d race the Classic again. In March, he told Čempionų pietūs that he’d be willing to return but also wanted to try something different from 2026.

Indeed, 2027 is already shaping up to be vastly different because of the new site. The ASO is expected to announce the Dakar’s relocation to Europe and Morocco due to the war in the Middle East.

Featured image credit: Aurélien Vialatte / ASO