KTM Enduro Racing Team's Daniel Milner won both rounds of the 2019 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) at Kyogle in New South Wales between 20-21 July, dominating the E2 division.
Reigning national champion Milner has switched from a KTM 350 EXC-F to the 450 EXC-F for the back-half of the season, making a swift transition to stand atop his class podium on both occasions over the weekend.
Despite not being 100 per cent from a recently-broken collarbone and a case of tendonitis in his arm prior to winning the Hattah Desert Race, Milner was as composed as ever to extend his E2 winning streak.
Saturday saw Milner post a total time of 1h31m51.996s, which was over a minute and a half clear of his closest E2 competitor, and then on Sunday, he was again comfortably ahead at 1h12m12.641s. As a result, Milner leads the series with an 18-point advantage.
“To win both days in E2 was a good result, for sure, so everything went well in that respect,” said Milner. “The outright results are what we’re chasing as riders though, but I feel as though I struggled with some arm-pump problems and wasn’t able to ride at 100 per cent – that time off the bike recently has affected me more than I initially had thought and it took a toll on me. It is what it is though, I’ll be putting the hours in on the bike and training moving forward, so look forward to Broken Hill. To be on the KTM 450 EXC-F was so good, it was nice to have that torque at Kyogle because some sections are quite steep and the tests were technical, so I really enjoyed it and am stoked to be on that model for the rest of the year.”
Teammate Lyndon Snodgrass delivered a consistent weekend riding the KTM 250 EXC-F in the E1 ranks, scoring second position on the podium at the conclusion of each day. Those results see him currently placed P2 in the championship standings.
“The weekend was tough in some ways, although the results we achieved to finish second in class on both days was definitely a good outcome,” said Snodgrass. “Consistent finishes are always positive and we’re still there in the championship, so even though I’d have liked to win we will take what we can right now and look to move forward from here. It was good to be back on the KTM 250 EXC-F after Hattah, I really enjoy riding the E1 class in AORC and the bike was perfect all weekend at Kyogle.”
The 2019 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) continues with round seven of the season, scheduled for Broken Hill, New South Wales, on 11 August. Visit www.ktm.com/au for further information on KTM Australia.
Glenn Kearney – Motorsports Manager, KTM Australia: “It was a really good weekend with strong results for both Milner and Snodgrass. To see Daniel win both days in E2 with the second-fastest times overall, it was a solid effort considering his recent injuries. The beauty of KTM is that you can choose the model you think will be most suited to each track, so Milner has moved to the KTM 450 EXC-F with Broken Hill coming up as more of a desert-style race and he’ll be on it for the rest of the year. I was really happy with Lyndon as well, since in the previous AORC event he had two fourth-place results, so to improve for second in class was good – those finishes earned him good points for the championship. Well done to everybody on the KTM Enduro Racing Team!”
2019 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) – Kyogle, NSW Round 5 Results:
E2
1. Daniel Milner (KTM)
2. Josh Green (Yamaha)
3. Jeremy Carpentier (Yamaha)
4. Jonte Reynders (Sherco)
5. Brad Hardaker (Yamaha)
E1
1. Fraser Higlett (Husqvarna)
2. Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM)
3. Michael Driscoll (Yamaha)
4. Luke Styke (Yamaha)
5. Lachlan Allan (Kawasaki)
Round 6 Results:
E2
1. Daniel Milner (KTM)
2. Josh Green (Yamaha)
3. Brad Hardaker (Yamaha)
4. Harrison Teed (KTM)
5. Hayden Keeley (Yamaha)
E1
1. Luke Styke (Yamaha)
2. Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM)
3. Fraser Higlett (Husqvarna)
4. Michael Driscoll (Yamaha)
5. Lachlan Allan (Kawasaki)
Championship Standings (After 6 of 11 Rounds):
E2
1. Daniel Milner (KTM) 150
2. Josh Green (Yamaha) 132
3. Jeremy Carpentier (Yamaha) 109
4. Brad Hardaker (Yamaha) 95
5. Harrison Teed (KTM) 91
E1
1. Luke Styke (Yamaha) 140
2. Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM) 127
3. Fraser Higlett (Husqvarna) 123
4. Michael Driscoll (Yamaha) 120
5. Lachlan Allan (Kawasaki) 89
Photos: JP Media