Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team rider Daniel Sanders picked up another commanding class win in E3 at Dungog's third round of the 2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) in New South Wales.
Despite Sunday’s action being cancelled due to heavy rainfall overnight, it was a strong weekend for defending AORC champion Sanders aboard the Husqvarna FE 501.
“It’s always a good enduro at Dungog and it was positive to win the E3 class on Saturday,” said Sanders. “We made some changes with the bike going into the weekend, we’re still moving forward and I’m getting fitter as well, so it was a good weekend. There is a lot of room for improvement overall, so we will get back to work and look forward to the next round. Sunday didn’t go ahead, which was unfortunate after it rained all night, so that was their decision and it was fair enough.”
Dungog also marked teammate Andy Wilksch’s return to E2 action after recovering from a back injury sustained in the pre-season, riding the Husqvarna FE 450 to seventh position in an inspiring effort at round three.
“My only goal when I got injured was to be back for Dungog, which I’m really happy about and it was good to be there with the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team getting that experience together,” said Wilksch. “To finish and get the result that we did was a bonus, really. I felt as though my body held up okay, surprisingly well actually, and my times were inside the top 10 outright in a fair few of the tests. It was definitely a good weekend considering the lack of bike time that I’ve had so far this year.”
The next stop on the 2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) calendar will be Nowra, New South Wales, between 18-19 April. However, the event is under review by Motorcycling Australia due to growing concerns regarding the Coronvavirus outbreak. Read MA’s statement about the impact the Coronavirus outbreak will have on motorcycle events.
Ben Grabham – Team Coordinator, Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team: “It was a challenging weekend in regards to the weather and the enduro format, but to see ‘Chucky’ win the E3 class again was great and we were really happy with that result. Dungog was also Andy’s first race with the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team, which provided something to build upon and we were satisfied with his performance on return. With how dry it’s been for the farmers, of course, we’re not disappointed to see the rain, but it was a shame not to be able to go racing on Sunday.”
2020 Australian Off-Road Championship – Dungog, NSW Round Three Results:
E3
1. Daniel Sanders (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team) 2. Jonte Reynders (Sherco)
3. Fraser Higlett (Husqvarna)
4. Hayden Keeley (KTM)
5. Matt Murry (Kawasaki)
E2
1. Daniel Milner (KTM)
2. Michael Driscoll (Yamaha)
3. Josh Green (Yamaha)
4. Broc Grabham (KTM)
5. Jeremy Carpentier (Yamaha)
7. Andy Wilksch (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team)