Price, Sunderland team up for 2025 Dakar
After KTM chose not to renew his contract earlier this year, Toby Price looked like he wouldn’t be returning to the annual Dakar Rally. However, the Aussie has announced he will be back in Saudi Arabia next January – taking on a new challenge.
For Dakar 2025, Price will partner with his former team mate Sam Sunderland for an entry in the T1+ Car category with a Toyota HiLux from Overdrive Racing. Price will drive, while Sunderland will navigate.
Both Price and Sunderland are two-time winners in the Bike category at Dakar – Price in 2016 and 2019, Sunderland in 2017 and 2022. All those victories were achieved on KTMs, except Sunderland’s 2022 win, which was on the closely-related GasGas.
A move to four-wheel rally raid competition seemed the natural progression for each rider after the pair announced their retirement from full-time two-wheel competition earlier this year. Price will bring more experience to the Overdrive Racing HiLux, though, thanks to recent entries at events like the Finke Desert Race and Baja 1000, part of a four-wheel resume that dates back to 2016.
“I am super excited to announce that we’ll be on the start line for the 2025 Dakar Rally,” Price said.
“Teaming up with Overdrive Racing in a T1+ Car is a dream come true, and an opportunity that I am really grateful for and looking to make the most of. I want to say a massive thank you to Black Rock Motor Resort, BFGoodrich Tyres, ARB 4x4 Accessories, Peter Kittle Motor Company and Vietnam Motorbike Tours - they’ve been pivotal in making this dream a reality.
“It's been a huge amount of work since March putting this all together, and it feels surreal to be finally happening. I’ll be teaming up with my mate Sam Sunderland - four-time Dakar winners in one car is a cool story, and we’re looking to give it a good crack.”
As long-term representatives of Price’s career and Dakar pursuits, Owlpine Group worked extensively in engaging both Overdrive Racing and Black Rock Motor Resort, along with additional partners, in bridging the transition for Price and Sunderland to enter the ultra-competitive T1+ category.
After his two-wheel career closed, Sunderland said he was looking for a seat in the Cars category before the opportunity to partner Price as navigator came up.
“I’m stoked to announce that Pricey and I are heading to Dakar in a Toyota T1+ car for 2025!” Sunderland said.
“Being able to say that out loud is pretty wild, to be honest. I remember the days at Dakar when we would sit in the camper after a long, rough day on the bike, chatting about how nice it would be to sit in a car with a seat belt and a bit of air conditioning.
“That always seemed a bit far-fetched, so it’s surreal to be able to say we’ll be on the line. Massive thanks to the team at Black Rock Motor Resort for coming to the table and getting it across the line, as well as Overdrive Racing - time to get to work for January!”
Based in Belgium, Overdrive Racing emerged on the rally circuit in 2006 and is well-known for its partnership with Toyota, fielding a fleet of Hilux vehicles for their drivers. Having won the Dakar Rally on multiple occasions (most recently in 2023), the team is well-equipped with all the knowledge and technical expertise needed to provide their drivers with the best.
Jean-Marc Fortin, Overdrive Racing founder and team manager, is keen to get underway.
“This is one of the most exciting driver pairings we at Overdrive Racing have announced since the team's inception in 2006,” Fortin enthused.
“To have four-time Dakar Rally Champions Toby Price and Sam Sunderland in the same car is nothing short of sensational, and is a project that we are incredibly thrilled about. We’re confident in Price’s skill behind the wheel and Sam’s experience with navigation in the bikes category makes this pairing very formidable.
“This is very exciting news for the Dakar Rally, and equipped with an Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux, we believe that a great result is possible for these two, and collectively, that’s what we will be aiming towards.”
Aussie involvement in the Dakar at a sponsor level is rare, so it’s noteworthy that Black Rock Motor Resort came on board for the Price/Sunderland 2025 Dakar entry. The founders and builders of Black Rock Motor Resort, Tony Palmer and Richard Gillis, say that supporting Price and Sunderland, with the goal of achieving Dakar greatness alongside Overdrive Racing, is a natural extension of the company's overarching ethos.
"The whole team behind Black Rock Motor Resort are absolutely pumped to be backing a couple of World Champions having a crack at capturing victory in the ‘cars’ category at Dakar, 2025!” said Palmer.
“We’re so proud to be supporting this massive campaign of Toby Price and Sam Sunderland taking on the world at Dakar in an Overdrive Racing T1+ Car in 2025.
“We have massive respect for Tobes, Sam and the entire Overdrive Racing team for taking on such a monumental challenge, and couldn’t be prouder to be involved in making the dream a reality."
Currently under construction, Black Rock Motor Resort is shaping up to be one of Australia’s premier motorsport destinations, transforming a 252-hectare site at Wakefield, NSW, into a fully-fledged playground for car enthusiasts from all over the world.
The crown jewel will be a 5.25-kilometre tarmac circuit designed by the renowned Tilke Group, with the resort to also feature a specialised go-kart track, luxury accommodation options, a driver training centre and much more, making it a true ‘one stop shop’ for all motorsport fanatics.
Find more information on Black Rock Motor Resort HERE.
While several sponsors, like Black Rock Motor Resort, ARB 4x4 Accessories, BFGoodrich Tyres and Scipio are already on board for the Price/Sunderland 2025 Dakar entry, there are opportunities for additional partners to support the campaign. Interested sponsors should contact the Owlpine Group
