Check out RacerXOnline social media for the next two weeks for daily reports from the Dakar Rally, as we get inside access to the Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally Team. This is a team running three Americans in the event, Ricky Brabec (two-time winner), Skyler Howes (former podium finisher) and rookie Preston Campbell.

Here's the Stage 8 recap, penned by Pat Schutte.

WADI AD-DAWASIR, Saudi Arabia – Dakar’s Stage 8 loop around Wadi Ad-Dawasir was a lonely 721 km for American Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally) as the then No. 2 overall RallyGP racer battled some baffling high winds and tough visibility to place 3^rd on the stage, dropping him down to 3^rd place in the overall standings (through eight of 13 stages) as KTM’s Luciano Benavides emerged as the new premier motorcycle class leader.

For the two-time Dakar winner Brabec, there were no crashes, no navigational errors on Stage 8. According to his accounts he rode a clean stage and, while he didn’t make up much time between he and the top two riders, he’s still only five minutes (05:02) back of 1^st place, which is plenty close at this stage of the race.

“Today’s stage I felt great,” said Brabec. “Made no mistakes, rode the best that I can, fast as I can all day. Another fast stage. Near the halfway (point) there started to come a little bit of wind, or actually, a lot of wind. I don’t even know how that’s possible out there. It was so windy that the top of the ground was covered in this layer of dirt, like one meter high, just blowing sand right across – which made it difficult to see. But overall it was a fun stage. Little bit of rocks, little sand dunes… fun sand dunes, but not as much rock as I would like. Rode by myself all day, so maybe tomorrow I can catch up to the group in front of me and ride in a group.

“Until then we’ll go to the motorhome, eat some lunch and enjoy the rest of our day.”

Sixth position on the stage and No. 2 American finisher was Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally’s Skyler Howes. Through eight stages Howes sits solidly in the top five (5^th), just under five minutes ahead of Jose “Nacho” Cornejo (Hero Motosports, powered by Monster Energy).

In Rally2 racing at Dakar, Preston Campbell, the third American competitor on the Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally team, continues to lead the support class to RallyGP, placing 4^th on Stage 8 and keeping his lead over KTM veteran racer Toni Mulec near double digits (09:36) through eight of 13 rounds in this, Campbell’s rookie Dakar campaign.