When he rolls out onto the pristine sands of Portugal’s beautiful Algarve coast this coming weekend (28-30 November) for the Monte Gordo Sand Experience, the fifth and penultimate round of the 2025 FIM Sand Races World Championship, Todd Kellett – Drag’on Yamaha knows that by close of play on Sunday he could very well be an FIM World Champion.

The British star has dominated the premier Moto class since the series’ inception in 2023, claiming back-to-back World Cup titles, but with the Moto category upgraded to full FIM World Championship status for 2025 there is even more at stake this time around, although the twenty-eight-year-old does not appear to be too concerned.

“I'm pleased for the championship and I think it's a good step to it growing in the future,” he said, “but to be honest, it's just another victory I'm chasing.”

It is the mentality of a pure racer and one that has seen him unbeaten in this extremely specialised discipline since the final race of that inaugural campaign – that just so happened to be the very first edition of the Monte Gordo Sand Experience – when he was carrying an injury and had to ride through the pain barrier to record two second places to clinch the crown.

Given the nature of the sport with its long races and huge rider numbers increasing the potential for something to go wrong, Kellett’s ten-round win-streak – six last season and, so far, four this year – is nothing short of remarkable. However, his hard-earned experience – and the experience of his team – means that as little as possible is left to chance.

“You never know what's going to happen but we prepare to be in the best shape possible. I work hard, my race mechanic Maxeance works hard so we make sure we are as prepared as we can be. I've learned a lot over the last two years how to manage a race better and stay out of trouble as much as possible and hopefully that's paying off now.”

As well as the elevation in status, there has been another major change to the Moto class this year with the return to action of Kellett’s team-mate Milko Potisek who missed the entire 2024 campaign through injury. The thirty-five-year-old Frenchman, a three-time winner of the fabled Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais, has been Kellett’s biggest rival this year and has pushed him hard throughout the opening four rounds, although he currently sits twenty-nine points off the lead.

“Yeah, it's great to have Milko back! I learned a lot from him in the early days and now we can train together to push one another and being one and two in the FIM World Championship is really cool as a team!”

The points-scoring action from Portugal gets under way on Saturday (29 November) at 12:45 (local time) with the ninety-minute Moto race before the one-hour Quad race at 15:30 (local time). Sunday (30 November) sees the one-hour Moto race scheduled for 13:45 (local time) followed by the forty-five-minute Quad race at 15:30 (local time).

Followers of this unique and highly-specialised sport can stay completely up to date with all the latest news through FIM social media platforms on Facebook and Instagram and via the Sportity app using the password FIMSandRaces.