KTM rider, Daniel Milner, has extended his perfect Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) season with victory at QMP.
KTM-equipped Daniel Milner has extended his perfect Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) winning streak after two intense days of competition at Queensland Moto Park. Capping off a successful weekend, Tom Buxton finished both days on the E1 podium and Riley McGillivray secured an E3 round podium on Sunday.
While Milner and his KTM 450 EXC-F topped the time-sheets on both days of the enduro format, he was pushed hard all weekend by the chasing pack. Saturday’s margin of victory was almost 30 seconds, but Sunday’s gap was just 5.9s as he tried to keep mistakes at a minimum around the challenging tests in dry conditions.
The KTM DM31 Racing team owner/rider took both the E2 class and outright victories on both days, mastering a variety of terrains that ranged from tight single-tracks, to motocross, and endurocross-type tests as well.
Daniel Milner: “On a whole, it was a good weekend and I was able to keep my perfect season going. The bike didn’t miss a beat and I was able to win both days. The conditions were brutal! Saturday wasn’t quite so bad, but we spent six hours on the bike and as a result I was a bit fatigued on Sunday. I went down in the first test and after that I just had to concentrate on minimising the mistakes as the tracks got rougher. The times were a lot tighter today as the boys behind me sent it, but I was able to still get it done.”
In the E1 class, KTM DM31 Racing’s Buxton continued to show his impressive ability to adapt to whatever conditions he faces in his first season of AORC racing, finishing the weekend with two P3 results at QMP. Aboard his KTM 250 EXC-F, Buxton found himself in third place on both days for a consistent outing.
Tom Buxton: “Finishing the weekend with another two thirds was pretty good. The conditions are a lot different to home, so it was just about trying to stay safe out there. I didn’t have any problems with the bike and was content to get through the weekend safely and add a couple more podium results to my first AORC season. I’d still like to be closer to the two riders up front, but we’ve got four more rounds and we’re seeing improvements. Kingston should be a lot of fun.”
Defending E3 class champion Riley McGillivray struggled to find comfort in the extremely dusty conditions the racers faced in Saturday’s seventh round, finishing the day in P4. Sunday saw his pace improve and he made a welcome return to the podium aboard his KTM 500 EXC-F, wrapping up the weekend with a hard-fought P3.
Riley McGillivray: “It was a tough weekend, to be honest. It’s been raining constantly in Victoria and I haven’t ridden dusty conditions like QMP for a long time. I didn’t have the pace to run with the guys ahead of me on Saturday, but we changed a few things for Sunday and I was able to get into the mix a bit more. Overall it was just an off weekend – I’m definitely keen to turn things around at Kingston and get back on top.”
Next rounds: August 24-25 – Kingston SE, South Australia
2024 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) – Queensland Moto Park, QLD
Round seven results:
E1
1. Korey McMahon (GASGAS)
2. Kyron Bacon (Yamaha)
3. Tom Buxton (KTM)
4. William Price (Kawasaki)
5. Brock Nichols (Husqvarna)
E2
1. Daniel Milner (KTM)
2. Jonte Reynders (Sherco)
3. Andrew Wilksch (Beta)
4. Will Dennett (Yamaha)
5. Ben Kearns (KTM)
E3
1. Jye Dickson (Beta)
2. Billy Hargy (Husqvarna)
3. Fraser Higlett (Beta)
4. Riley McGillivray (KTM)
5. Thomas Henry (Beta)
Round eight results:
E1
1. Kyron Bacon (Yamaha)
2. Korey McMahon (GASGAS)
3. Tom Buxton (KTM)
4. Brock Nichols (Husqvarna)
5. William Price (Kawasaki)
E2
1. Daniel Milner (KTM)
2. Jonte Reynders (Sherco)
3. Andrew Wilksch (Beta)
4. Will Dennett (Yamaha)
5. Ben Kearns (KTM)
E3
1. Billy Hargy (Husqvarna)
2. Jye Dickson (Beta)
3. Riley McGillivray (KTM)
4. Stefan Granquist (Husqvarna)
5. Thomas Henry (Beta)