“In red from the next round in Portugal.” — With these words, Henk Hellegers announced that HT Rally Raid will once again appear in Honda red from 2026 onwards. The Dutch rally-raid team will compete on behalf of Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) in the Rally2 program within the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), with a contract lasting at least three years.
From Paris–Dakar to a Rally2 customer program
Henk’s first experience with rally-raid dates back to 1994, when he joined the Paris-Dakar-Paris as part of a fast assistance team, supporting a friend whose T1 car went on to win its class and finish 10th overall. In the years that followed (1995–1996), he worked in the assistance truck for Sven Quandt’s Geco team (now X-raid), securing two third-place finishes in the truck category. In 2005, he led the team of Thierry Magnaldi, which competed with a Honda buggy.
Just a year later, Hellegers founded HT Rally Raid, working with riders such as Paulo Goncalves, Quinn Cody, Sam Sunderland and Chaleco López, with support from Honda Europe. The team built a rally version of a production enduro bike, adding key components such as larger tanks, a custom exhaust, and a navigation tower. In 2012, HRC asked Hellegers to prepare their return to Dakar for 2013. This resulted in a close two-year collaboration during which Honda built its own factory team from Japan.
A return to roots with new energy
After this success, Hellegers transitioned to Husqvarna, but kept in contact with Honda. When the idea of a Rally2 customer program began to take shape—and Husqvarna pulled out of the discipline, Hellegers saw the perfect opportunity to return to his roots. “For me and my son Ties, who works with me, this brings new energy,” Hellegers said.
What’s new in the Honda Rally2 program?
Unlike the previous collaboration, HRC now fully produces the Rally2 bikes in Japan, with RedMoto in Italy handling homologation and marketing. Three test machines were already entered in Dakar 2025: two with RS Moto (ridden by Paolo Lucci and Jacob Argubright) and one under HRC supervision (ridden by Romain Dumontier). After returning to Japan, the bikes were approved as production models for customers.
The 2026 program: calendar and ambitions
HT Rally Raid plans to contest the entire 2026 W2RC season, from start to finish, with a roster of up to eight riders. These will range from ambitious amateurs dreaming of a Dakar finish to competitive riders chasing Rally2 championship points. Among them: Dutchman Ian Olthof.
The 2026 season includes five rounds across four continents:
- Dakar Rally: January 3–17
- BP Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal: March 17–22
- Desafío Ruta 40: May 24–29
- Rallye du Maroc: September 28–October 3
- Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge: November 22–27
Targeting the Rally2 Title
HT Rally Raid already has a successful track record in Rally2: the team helped Romain Dumontier win his category in Dakar 2023 and claimed World Cup titles in both 2022 and 2023 with Husqvarna equipment. The ambition for 2026 is clear, fight for the championship again, this time with Honda Rally2 bikes.
