I recently had the opportunity to attend Destination Defender with Land Rover out in Temecula, California. Though we did many cool things, a highlight was sitting down to talk off-road racing with American off-road racer Sara Price.
She’s been behind the wheel for 25 years, racing in Motocross, Supercross, NitroCross, and even electric hydrofoil boats with Will Smith ‘s (yes, the actor) team. Sidebar: These wild rides are known as Racebirds.
But today, we’re here to talk about Sara’s latest ride, the D7X-R that’s based on the Defender OCTA, which she’ll be piloting during the 2026 Dakar Rally. If you’re not aware, the OCTA is the biggest and baddest of the current Land Rover Defender lineup and Dakar is kind of a big deal.
Actually, we talked about a bunch of stuff, including Sara’s first car - which you’re going to love - and one of her favorite things to do when not racing or doing stunt work - which you’re REALLY going to love. Hint: One’s a “creepy van” and the other involves donkeys. Good luck in the race Sara and hope to chat with you again soon!
About the author: Niel Stender is an automotive journalist. More of his work can be found at muckrack.com/niel-stender.
