WEC Driver Juraj Varga Makes the Switch to SSV Racing with Polaris RZR Pro R
Polaris RZR Pro R has welcomed Juraj Varga, the latest addition to the growing list of Quad riders making the jump to Side-by-Side Vehicle (SSV) racing. This move comes after the shocking announcement in April that the Quad category would be axed from the 2025 Dakar Rally. The news was met with disappointment by Varga, who subsequently withdrew from the World Rally-Raid Championship’s BP Ultimate Rally-Raid.
Varga’s impressive Dakar Rally career includes a third-place finish in the final Dakar for Quads, with top-three stage finishes in nine of twelve legs. His preparation for the rally was limited, having competed in only one other W2RC event in 2024, the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid. In 2023, he secured third place in the W2RC Quad standings and was runner-up at the season-ending Rally du Maroc.
The Slovakian dealer Quadmoto centrum prepared Varga’s Polaris RZR Pro R, marking a new chapter in his racing career. “For me and the entire team, there is another new and big challenge: to move to racing at a higher level and head into a new category among the cars, buggies, and trucks,” Varga wrote.
This move is not uncommon, as many Quad competitors often transition to SSV racing when looking to compete in an FIA class. Notable examples include Dakar winner and newly crowned World Quad Champion Manuel Andújar, who will make his SSV debut this weekend as a co-driver. Meanwhile, Pablo Copetti, who finished third at Dakar in 2023, will drive an SSV in the 2025 Dakar.
Former Dakar Quad victors Josef Macháček, Ignacio Casale, and Sergei Kariakin have also made the switch to SSV racing. Last year’s W2RC runner-up Rodolfo Guillioli has become a navigator, while 2023 champion Laisvydas Kancius will compete as a co-driver in the top-level Ultimate division. As the defending Dakar SSV winner, Polaris is expected to continue its dominance in the category.
The 2024 WEC season is shaping up to be an exciting one, with drivers like Varga making the transition to new categories and manufacturers like Polaris continuing to innovate and push the boundaries of SSV racing.
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