Dinaric Rally 2022: Recap and Ride Report

Dinaric Rally seems to be the fastest-growing rally race in Europe, and if you haven’t done it yet, you might want to keep an eye out for the next year’s edition. The five-day, FIM-licensed race in Croatia this August 21-27 saw both professional and amateur riders taking part, including a record number of female riders.

Our very own Tamas Esch has completed the Dinaric Rally 2022 all while servicing two bikes – his own and that of Emma Cases racing aborad the Cross Country ADV KTM 450 motorcycle.

What’s it really like to tackle the Dinaric race and what can you expect? Tamas shares his experience:

Dinaric Rally 2022

According to Tamas, Dinaric Rally 2022 was a fantastic event starting with two challenging days over hard, rocky, enduro-style terrain and tracks. During the marathon stage in Bosnia, the tracks were fast-flowing, but you could never take your eyes off the trail due to slippery woodland terrain and rural traffic like log trucks appearing out of nowhere.

“I’ve made some navigation mistakes on Day One, then spent the next two days helping out Emma who was racing her very first rally on my KTM EXC 450. She did an amazing job and improved so much! It’s always really cool to see new riders entering rallies and having the time of their life”, Tamas shares.
In addition, Tamas helped other riders get through tougher sections and drag fallen bikes out of bushes and ditches. “That’s just part of it – everyone helps out each other”, Tamas said.

During Day 4, Tamas’ teammate had a bad crash and they both lost twenty-five minutes which meant starting from the very back of the pack, after the quad and DARE class. “This set us back to about the 50th place, so it was time to really hit that throttle hard”, Tamas remembers.

On the last day, all bets were off. “I decided to push it as hard as I can, all while still staying in my safety zone – I don’t want to take unnecessary risks due to the previous injury, and my overall philosophy is to go smooth and steady rather than chase after the fast pros and make costly mistakes. I overtook at least twenty-five riders that day and finished the stage 16th overall. Of course, it didn’t help the overall ranking much since I’d lost so much time during the other days, but honestly, who cares? I had to service two motorcycles throughout the rally and tried to help others, and at the end of the day, I had a very challenging week…and a lot of fun. I will definitely be back next year!”, Tamas shares.

Think the Dinaric Rally might be for you?

The entries for the 2023 race are already open, and you can choose between the DARE, Rally or Adventure classes.

Not sure where to start? Check out our other rally resources:

Rally Training Schools

Simple Rally Racing Tips No One Will Tell You

How to Train for a Rally Race On Your Own

Images: Actiongraphers