Victorian standout Daniel Sanders topped the E2 category on both days of competition in dry, dusty conditions at the Dungog round of the Australian Off-Road Championship.
Three round wins and a brace of podium results marked a strong weekend for Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team at the Dungog round of the 2018 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) in New South Wales.
Victorian standout Daniel Sanders topped the E2 category on both days of competition in dry, dusty conditions, overcoming minor injuries sustained in a state event last weekend to extend his championship lead aboard the Husqvarna FE 450. He was also second outright on Saturday and Sunday.
Those results were enough for Sanders to maintain his unbeaten tally in the championship following this weekend’s Enduro format event, stretching his lead to 22 points as the series enters its second half. He is also currently ranked second in the outright points.
“This weekend was alright and it could’ve gone a lot worse, that’s for sure,” said Sanders. “I had a big crash in the Victorian round last weekend, so didn’t get back on the bike until Thursday, but we salvaged some points and actually went better than I expected. Saturday was a bit of a struggle, but we made some improvements for Sunday, even though there were some dramas with a blown fuse. It was a big effort to get back to where we did and that was good. To score these points on one of our worse weekends is definitely positive, so now we will move forward from here and hopefully have a good run for the rest of the season.”
It was a breakthrough ride for E1 rookie Fraser Higlett as he captured his first-career victory in the class on Saturday, starring aboard the Husqvarna FE 250. The Queenslander impressed by setting the fourth-fastest pace overall, then going on to claim second in class on Sunday and climb to P2 in the point-standings.
“I’m really, really happy to get my first E1 win on Saturday, which was pretty cool,” said Higlett. “It’s been a big year for me and we’re only halfway through the season, so if I can get some more victories in the coming rounds I will definitely be happy. It was a tough weekend though, so I am happy to get through it with consistent results. Sunday was a little bit rougher, but I still finished second in my class and I have to be happy with that. I’m getting more and more confidence, now I know that I can make it onto the top step and it makes me want to keep working harder for the rest of the year.”
E3 contender Lachlan Stanford also enjoyed a convincing weekend, taking second in class at the conclusion of both days. Powering his Husqvarna FE 501 to a pair of podium results and gaining strength as the weekend progressed, Stanford continues to sit second in the E3 rankings overall.
“It was a good weekend for me, being my first race following a decent break in the season. On Saturday we started off a bit slow, but I got faster and faster all weekend,” explained Stanford. “The Husqvarna FE 501 was really good in this type of terrain and it was a huge effort from the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team, so I am really thankful for that. We raced the same track on both days, so it got really, really rough and I think the more gnarly and technical track did suit me as the weekend went on. The track and format worked in my favour, so it was a good weekend and now we look forward to the rounds coming up.”
Christian Horwood – Team Manager, Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team: “We’re very happy with the team’s effort this weekend, to have ‘Chucky’ go 1-1 in the E2 class and finish second outright. That was really positive for him after Hattah, to be back in between the trees in dry and dusty conditions. Lachy was also really impressive, going 2-2 in E3 on both days and really gaining comfort as the weekend went on – he seemed to excel in Sunday’s conditions. Fraser rode outstanding to win E1 on Saturday and then backed that up with a second to complete the weekend, so it was a really strong couple of rounds for us. These results showcase the strengths of all three bikes with over 13 hours of riding time over two days and it also displays how prepared the riders are as well, so we are certainly satisfied at this point.”
The AORC series will resume with round seven of the championship at Broken Hill, New South Wales, to be held on 1-2 September.
2018 Australian Off-Road Championship – Dungog, NSW
Round five results:
E3
1. Daniel Milner (KTM)
2. Lachlan Stanford (Husqvarna)
3. Scott Keegan (KTM)
4. Broc Grabham (Gas Gas)
5. Tom Mason (KTM)
E2
1. Daniel Sanders (Husqvarna)
2. Josh Green (Yamaha)
3. Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM)
4. Wil Ruprecht (Yamaha)
5. Stefan Granquist (Yamaha)
E1
1. Fraser Higlett (Husqvarna)
2. Luke Styke (Yamaha)
3. Jack Simpson (KTM)
4. Brad Hardaker (Yamaha)
5. Tomas Ravenhorst (KTM)
Round six results:
E3
1. Daniel Milner (KTM)
2. Lachlan Stanford (Husqvarna)
3. Scott Keegan (KTM)
4. Broc Grabham (Gas Gas)
5. Kane Hall (Yamaha)
E2
1. Daniel Sanders (Husqvarna)
2. Josh Green (Yamaha)
3. Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM)
4. Wil Ruprecht (Yamaha)
5. Stefan Granquist (Yamaha)
E1
1. Luke Styke (Yamaha)
2. Fraser Higlett (Husqvarna)
3. Jeremy Carpentier (Yamaha)
4. Jack Simpson (KTM)
5. Brad Hardaker (Yamaha)
Championship Standings (After 6 of 11 Rounds):
E3
1. Daniel Milner (KTM) 150
2. Lachlan Stanford (Husqvarna) 123
3. Broc Grabham (Gas Gas) 108
4. Tom Mason (KTM) 96
5. Andrew Wilksch (Sherco) 95
E2
1. Daniel Sanders (Husqvarna) 150
2. Josh Green (Yamaha) 128
3. Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM) 124
4. Stefan Granquist (Yamaha) 102
5. Riley Graham (Yamaha) 95
E1
1. Luke Styke (Yamaha) 147
2. Fraser Higlett (Husqvarna) 123
3. Jack Simpson (KTM) 120
4. Jeremy Carpentier (Yamaha) 94
5. Tomas Ravenhorst (Yamaha) 93