Daniel Milner and KTM DM31 racing clinch 2024 Australian Off-Road Championship victory in impressive fashion at Nowra.
KTM DM31 Racing’s Daniel Milner has etched his name in the history books after clinching the 2024 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) title in Nowra this weekend. At the same time, teammate Tom Buxton and KTM-backed Riley McGillivray completed their seasons with podiums in the E1 and E3 classes, respectively.
After sustaining a shoulder injury in the previous rounds at Kingston SE, Milner still held a 26-point lead in the series, but had had minimal bike-time heading into the final two rounds of the 2024 season.
As such, the KTM DM31 Racing team owner/rider entered Nowra’s progressively dusty, rough Sprints cautiously, content to circulate for P4 on Saturday and to keep mistakes to a minimum. Sunday’s final round saw him build up his pace as he found more confidence in the demands his shoulder could take, and he ended the day in P3 aboard his KTM 450 EXC-F – more than enough to capture this year’s E2 Class and Outright championships.
Milner’s 2024 victory sees him equal Toby Price’s Australian record of five AORC titles outright, in addition to 10 class and Australian Four-Day Enduro Championships, sealing his position as one of the country’s all-time great off-road competitors.
Daniel Milner: “To have matched the record of five AORC championships and 10 titles, I don’t think it’s sunk in yet, as it’s something I’ve had my eye on for quite some time. I hadn’t really ridden since Kingston SE, because I wanted to give my shoulder as much time as possible to recover. As a result, yeah, I was pretty nervous entering Saturday’s racing. Yesterday’s tests included parts of the motocross track and some big bumps, and I didn’t feel very confident out there, but today’s tests were more flowy and I was able to push a bit more without worrying about my shoulder. Once I got myself into a good position early in the day, I was able to then slow up, manage it to the end, and do what I needed to do to win the title.”
Buxton, meanwhile, wrapped up his inaugural year of racing AORC with an impressive third overall in the championship standings. Buxton and his KTM 250 EXC-F stayed composed and in control across both rounds to finish his weekend without incident and with another two third-place round results to his name.
Tom Buxton: “It was a challenging weekend here in Nowra. It was dry, dusty and got progressively sketchy as the weekend went on. Everyone seemed to crash out around me, but I just focused on trying to be smooth, and stayed on two wheels both days. I was happy to keep consistent times all weekend, and finishing third in the E1 championship is a good way to finish my first season. It’s one of those years where you wish you were further up the points, but I know what I need to work on for next year. I learnt a lot, being part of Dan’s team and it’ll be good to go into 2025 with more knowledge and experience under my belt.”
In the E3 class, KTM-mounted McGillivray – the champion from one year ago – consolidated his runner-up position in the standings with a pair of third-place results at Nowra. Aboard the KTM 500 EXC-F, the 20-year-old remained consistent through the roots, dust and water crossings to seal a satisfying P2 finish in the 2024 series.
Riley McGillivray: “After I hurt myself in the middle of the year at Edenhope, I’ve struggled to get back to the pace I need to fight for wins, but to take P2 in the championship is still pretty satisfying. While two thirds aren’t a bad way to end my second year in E3, I was looking for a bit more, to be honest – I want to get back to winning as that’s what we put the work in for. I’m looking forward to having a good off-season, then start building again for next year, so we can get ourselves back to the front and winning again.”
2024 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) – Nowra, NSW
Round 11 results:
E1
1. Kyron Bacon (Yamaha)
2. Korey McMahon (GASGAS)
3. Tom Buxton (KTM DM31 Racing)
E2
1. Jonte Reynders (Sherco)
2. Will Dennett (Yamaha)
3. Andrew Wilksch (Beta)
4. Daniel Milner (KTM DM31 Racing)
E3
1. Jye Dickson (Beta)
2. Billy Hargy (Husqvarna)
3. Riley McGillivray (KTM)
Round 12 results:
E1
1. Kyron Bacon (Yamaha)
2. Korey McMahon (GASGAS)
3. Tom Buxton (KTM DM31 Racing)
E2
1. Jonte Reynders (Sherco)
2. Andrew Wilksch (Beta)
3. Daniel Milner (KTM DM31 Racing)
E3
1. Jye Dickson (Beta)
2. Billy Hargy (Husqvarna)
3. Riley McGillivray (KTM)
Final championship standings:
E1
1. Kyron Bacon (Yamaha) 287
2. Korey McMahon (GASGAS) 268
3. Tom Buxton (KTM DM31 Racing) 240
E2
1. Daniel Milner (KTM DM31 Racing) 263
2. Jonte Reynders (Sherco) 249
3. Will Dennett (Yamaha) 236
E3
1. Jye Dickson (Beta) 271
2. Riley McGillivray (KTM) 250
3. Billy Hargy (Husqvarna) 221