Host of the Desafio Ruta 40 YPF and ten editions of the Dakar Rally, Argentina has not only been crossed by the greatest rally-raid drivers: it is also the land where some were born. Winners of the Dakar Rally and world titles in various categories, Argentinians are now contributing to the momentum of rally-raid through the W2RC.
When you think of sport and Argentina, the first word that probably comes to mind is "football." However, it would be wrong to think that only the beautiful game stirs emotions in the land of Diego Maradona. A passionate people, Argentinians are also fervent fans of motorsports, and have been for decades. Formula 1 raced there as early as the 1950s (the first Argentine Grand Prix was in 1953), before MotoGP followed suit (1961). But the geography of this vast territory, dotted with mountains, deserts, and wide-open spaces, also invited to do some off-road adventures..
Enduros, WRC rallies, sand races, and all kinds of off-road crossings: the Argentinian playground has thus become one of the most popular on the planet, leading to the emergence of competitions and competitors. The career of Orlando Terranova, one of the country's most famous riders, is a perfect illustration of this. Born in Mendoza, "Orly" first proved himself in national enduros before progressing step by step towards world rally-raid, eventually competing against the stars of the Dakar Rally from 2005 onwards. At that time, the event was held in Africa. Its relocation to the South American continent four years later boosted the passion for the sport there.
Dakar Generation
It was indeed in Buenos Aires, on January 3, 2009, that the Dakar Rally began its Latin American era (2009-2019) before a huge crowd. No fewer than ten editions – all but the last – passed through Argentina during this period. It was also on his home soil, in La Rioja, that Orlando Terranova became, on January 15, 2013, the first Argentinian to win a stage in the car category. He remains the only one to this day, with seven victories to his name.
Three years after Orly‘s first victory, Kevin Benavides earned the first for Argentina in the bikes category, winning the 3rd stage of the 2016 Dakar Rally in San Salvador de Jujuy. The first of his 11 stage wins, on the road to two historic overall victories in 2021 and 2023. A feat recently emulated by his brother Luciano in 2026, seventeen years after discovering the Dakar Rally… by going to watch it pass through Fiambala in 2009.
While the Salta brothers were shining on two wheels, their compatriots were putting on a show on four wheels. Particularly in quads, where no fewer than ten Argentinians have won stages (a record), including four who also won the overall classification: Marcos Patronelli (2010-13-16), his brother Alejandro (2011-12), Nicolas Cavigliasso (2019), and more recently Manuel Andujar (2021-24). Some now compete in other categories, like Cavigliasso, winner of the 2025 Dakar Rally in the Challenger class with his partner Valentina Pertegarini. Another historic achievement, the duo became the first couple to win the race.
The best South American nation in the W2RC
Argentine talent has fully capitalized on the creation of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) in 2022 to develop and boost their careers in the discipline. Three competitors have even become champions: Luciano Benavides (RallyGP, 2023), Nicolas Cavigliasso (Challenger, 2025), and Valentina Pertegarini (Challenger navigator, 2024-25). No fewer than 12 riders have won stages across the various W2RC rounds, for a total of 95 Argentine victories. This makes Argentina the best-performing South American country, and also the third most successful nation in W2RC history, behind France and the United States!
Like in the Dakar Rally, the Argentinian school of the W2RC is distinguished by its great diversity: these 95 victories have been achieved across 7 distinct categories (RallyGP, Rally2, Rally3, Quad, Ultimate, Challenger, SSV). Another telling statistic: there has been at least one stage win by an Argentinian in 18 of the 21 W2RC rounds held to date, that is, before the Desafio Ruta 40 YPF 2026 scheduled… in Argentina!
National terrain, Global event
Launched in 2010, the race, now organized by +Eventos, has become a benchmark in the Americas, being included in the W2RC calendar in 2023, 2024, and now 2026. Great national champions have won there, such as Kevin Benavides in bikes (2016, Norte 2017), or Sebastian Halpern (2016-18) and Orlando Terranova (2015-17) in cars.
The world's best drivers are now trying to add the Desafio Ruta 40 YPF to their winning list, as Tosha Schareina (2023) and Ricky Brabec (2024) have done in bikes, as well as Nani Roma (2013), Nasser Al Attiyah (2023), and Yazeed Al Rajhi (2024) in cars. Men who have a meeting scheduled from May 24 to 29 to write a new page in the history of rally-raid in Argentina.
Argentine riders/drivers who won in W2RC:
Manuel Andujar: 36 victories (Quad x32, SSV x4)
Luciano Benavides: 18 victories (RallyGP x18)
Nicolas Cavigliasso: 16 victories (Challenger x16)
David Zille: 7 victories (Challenger x7)
Jeremias Ferioli: 5 victories (SSV x5)
Kevin Benavides: 4 victories (RallyGP x4)
Fernando Hernandez: 3 victories (Rally3 x3)
Francisco Moreno: 2 victories (Quad x2)
Juan Cruz Yacopini: 1 victory (Ultimate x1)
Lucio Alvarez: 1 victory (Ultimate x1)
Orlando Terranova: 1 victory (Ultimate x1)
Diego Llanos: 1 victory (Rally2 x1)
Argentine riders/drivers who won W2RC races:
Manuel Andujar: 3 victories (Dakar 2024, Desafio Ruta 40 YPF 2024 and Rallye du Maroc 2025 in Quad)
Luciano Benavides: 2 victories (Desafio Ruta 40 2023 and Dakar 2026 in RallyGP)
Kevin Benavides: 1 victory (Dakar 2023 in RallyGP)
Nicolas Cavigliasso: 1 victory (Dakar 2025 in Challenger)
David Zille: 1 victory (South African Safari Rally 2025 in Challenger)
