Milner, Sanders & Styke sweep 2018 AORC at Gympie

AORC 2018 kicks off at Gympie, QLD

Milner (E3), Sanders (E2), Styke (E1) & Driscoll (EJ) dominate

Wilson tops Womens, Grabham takes Vets double, Ballard leads Masters

McMahon wins J4, Riordan brothers take J2 & J3

The AORC has seen a great opening round at Gympie, with the season kicking off with a number of riders taking double wins across the two round event. Daniel Milner took the E3 wins with 50 points to his name, while Daniel Sanders in E2, Luke Styke in E1 and Michael Driscoll in the EJ category also all likewise took home 50 championship points thanks to perfect weekends.

In the Women’s category Jemma Wilson proved unbeatable with two from two, while Ben Grabham took the double in the Vets. Geoff Ballard took the Masters lead but is tied on points with John Baker, both on 47.

The Juniors also saw clean sweeps, with Korey McMahon taking the J4 wins in dominant style, while Will Riordan took the J3 class, and his brother Angus (Riordan) was the J2 victory.

AORC Round 1 (Saturday)

It was an intriguing start to the 2018 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship season for Rounds 1 & 2 at Gympie, where Day 1 featured a number of interesting results as the sprint tests were won by Daniel Milner (E3), Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders (E2), Luke Styke (E1) and Michael Driscoll (EJ). Milner and Sanders’ times in particular were outstanding and took the attention of the crowd.

As the Women’s, Vets and Masters competed from the WR450F test gate, it would be Jemma Wilson, Ben Grabham and John Baker to come out on top for their respective classes in the season opener for the 2018 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC). The sprint format consisted of eight laps to determine the winners.

In the Juniors, Korey McMahon has come from behind to take out the J4 class. Will Riordan took out the J3 class comfortably after a great days riding, and his brother Angus Riordan continued the winning ways in the J2 class.

E3 – Round 1

Maintaining his perfect record since 2017 was Daniel Milner of the KTM Enduro Racing Team who was as impressive as we’ve ever seen him. Milner defeated his rival Kane Hall (Yamaha mounted) by a convincing four minutes and 55 seconds.

Motul Pirelli Sherco Team’s, Andrew Wilksch had a steady day lodging a top three position. Wilksch will be looking to elevate his position and take the fight to Hall on Day 2. Broc Grabham and Jesse Lawton completed the top five.

Milner’s rivals will need to up their game to take the fight to the reigning champion.

Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team rider, Lachlan Stanford was was relegated to eighth, after receiving a five minute penalty for deviating off the course, giving him an accumulated time of 1:23:48.113.

Daniel Milner

“It’s great to start the year off with a win that’s for sure and pick up where we left off in 2017. It was hard race today and I pushed as hard as I could. The bike was unreal, there’s always areas where we can improve but its hard to complain when we have collected the win. We’ll try to improve the bike for tomorrow and go from there.”

E3 Provisional Results

1. Daniel Milner – 1:16:27.993
2. Kane Hall – 1:21:23.975
3. Andrew Wilksch – 1:21:37.613
4. Broc Grabham – 1:22:35.077
5. Jesse Lawton – 1:22:36.187
6. Jamie Robins – 1:23:08.878
7. Thomas Mason – 1:23:23.649
8. Lachlan Stanford – 1:23:48.133
9. Adam Giles – 1:26:10.078
10. Casey Treasure – 1:27:02.661

E2 – Round 1

It was an impressive return to AORC competition for Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders, registering a win for the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team. Chucky was immense in the opening three tests but had an unfortunate fall mid-day. Despite missing out on a significant amount of time, ‘Chucky’ still chalked up the victory.

Finishing a further 79 seconds behind was Active8 Yamaha Yamalube’s Racing Team’s Josh Green. ‘Greeny’ who is looking as fit as he has ever been, rued missing out on the win, but will likely come on strong for the sprints.

The top three position went to last year’s E3 Champion, Lyndon Snodgrass who didn’t get off to the best start, ‘Snoddy’ will be looking to take the fight to rivals Sanders and Green tomorrow.

Stefan Granquist came fourth on his Yamaha. Former A4DE and AORC champion, Chris Hollis was mighty on his Suzuki Machine, registering a fifth-place finish on his return.

E2 Provisional Results

1. Daniel Sanders – 1:16:33.580
2. Joshua Green – 1:17:52.785
3. Lyndon Snodgrass – 1:20:13.306
4. Stefan Granquist – 1:20:17.710
5. Christopher Hollis – 1:20:42.673
6. Riley Graham – 1:21:31.391
7. Matt Murry – 1:25:32.860
8. Sean Holmes – 1:26:05.816
9. Brent Dean – 1:26:47.969
10. Stuart Holt – 1:27:28.645

E1 – Round 1

Delivering an outstanding victory for Active8 Yamaha Yamalube Team was former Motocross Champion, Luke Styke for the first round of the season. It was a battle between himself and Jack ‘Simmering’ Simpson on his KTM. Styke really coming into form in the second half of the day.

In the end, eight seconds separated the two E1 rivals at the finish. Coming in third was the ever impressing Nic Tomlinson on his Yamaha, a podium placing being a sensational way to get the season started.

French talent, Jeremy Carpentier (Yamaha MX Store Ballard’s Off-Road Team) finished in the top four, with Thomas Ravenhors (Yamaha) completing the top five.

Husqvarna Endruo Racing Team rider, Fraser Higlett was was relegated to ninth, after receiving a five minute penalty for deviating off the course, giving him an accumulated time of 1:24:28.746.

E1 Provisional Results

1. Luke Styke – 1:19:12.426
2. Jack Simpson – 1:19:20.753
3. Nicolas Tomlinson – 1:20:50.735
4. Jeremy Carpentier  – 1:21:15.201
5. Thomas Ravenhors – 1:21:48.980
6. Baylee Davies – 1:23:18.668
7. Peter-Daniel Allan – 1:23:22.730
8. Brad Hardaker – 1:23:30.881
9. Fraser Higlett – 1:24:28.746
10. Andrew Janke – 1:25:57.601

EJ – Round 1

Reigning champion, Michael Driscoll was simply unstoppable on his Yamaha, and has really staked his claim to go back to back this season.

Coming second was Husqvarna mounted Joshua Brierley, who finished a further 97 seconds back. Brierley is a highly rated young prospect, so we can expect him to take the fight to Driscoll soon enough.

Third was Corey Hammond, riding a KTM machine.

EJ Provisional Results

1. Michael Driscoll – 1:21:19.778
2. Joshua Brierley – 1:22:57.020
3. Corey Hammond – 1:25:03.111
4. Lachlan Allan – 1:25:18.107
5. Harry Teed – 1:25:24.023
6. Mitchell Brierley – 1:25:28.805
7. Luke Allan – 1:25:59.502
8. Ashden Gramlick – 1:28:20.597
9. Cooper Sheidow – 1:28:41.413
10. Dalton Johnson – 1:15:36.980

Womens – Round 1

Taking a phenomenal win for the Women’s Class was Jemma Wilson on her Yamaha. Wilson recorded a time of 1:02:57.912 and will be gunning for three Women’s titles in a row. The returning Jessica Gardiner of the Yamaha MX Store Ballard’s Off-Road Team rose to the occasion.

Gardiner posted an accumulated time of 1:04:36.432, a positive return after competing in France in 2017. Emelie Karlsson rode very well on her Yamaha to finish in third with a time of 1:04:47.957. The battle will likely go down to the wire between these three women at the end of the year.

Provisional Results Womens

1. Jemma Wilson – 1:02:57.912
2. Jessica Gardiner – 1:04:36.432
3. Emelie Karlsson – 1:04:47.957
4. Sophie Coldicutt – 1:05:46.968
5. Tegan Hall – 1:07:03.179
6. Tamara Gray – 1:07:05.399
7. Ebony Nielsen – 1:08:21.123
8. Danielle Foot – 1:09:43.875
9. Emi Ruprecht – 1:01:53.035
10. Julie Denyer – 1:06:00.930

Vets – Round 1

The Veterans class is designed for over 35’s competitors and showcases several Enduro legends and champions. Ben Grabham on his Beta took a sensational win on Saturday.

Grabham can be extremely proud of his time of 58:59.098. Richard Chibnall on the KTM finished in second with a time of 1:01:46.687. Jade Gartlan on his Gas Gas solidified his solid weekend with a third-place finish. Gartlan’s total time was a 1:01:49.012 after braving the WR450F track.

Provisional Results Vets

1. Ben Grabham – 58:59.098
2. Richard Chibnall – 1:01:46.687
3. Jade Gartlan – 1:01:49.012
4. Craig Wease – 1:03:45.402
5. Peter Rudd – 1:04:03.484
6. Steven Newman – 1:04:34.407
7. Michael Burgess – 1:05:22.677
8. Ryan Teggart – 1:05:26.153
9. Hugh Howarth – 1:05:55.857
10. Daniel Sawtell – 1:05:57.045

Masters – Round 1

John Baker took the win for the Masters class. Baker took 1:03:33.811 to complete the sprint, while in second was Geoff Ballard, with 1:03:43.808. Ian Jenner was the final podium placer with a time of 1:04:19.005. The win will be all up for grabs between these highly competitive Masters class competitors.

These riders will now switch to the YZ 450 FX track that the Seniors rode on Day 1. It’s all setup for another fantastic battle tomorrow.

Provisional Results Masters

1. John Baker – 1:03:33.811
2. Geoff Ballard – 1:03:43.808
3. Ian Jenner – 1:04:19.005
4. Hamish Guy – 1:04:35.967
5. Michael Widdison – 1:05:17.117
6. Craig Treasure – 1:05:50.950
7. Gordon McQueen – 1:06:33.780
8. Rob Mystek – 1:06:45.357
9. Robert Day – 1:06:46.959
10. David Salt – 1:07:32.972

J4 – Round 1

On a day that saw every condition possible on the bLU cRU track, the J4 class became a two-horse race between eventual winner McMahon and Kyron Bacon. The pair battled it out for much of the day before McMahon made his move in the final two heats to pull away to a 13 second victory.

Jayden Rudd rounded out the podium in third position in a great first outing in the J4 class after winning the J3 title in 2017.

J4 Provisional Results

1. Korey McMahon 1:02:59.176
2. Kyron Bacon 1:03:12.218
3. Jayden Rudd 1:04:23.902
4. Matt Waters 1:06:35.610
5. Matthew Pye 1:07:01.779
6. Raife Dooley 1:07:31.710
7. Max Price 1:08:39.033
8. Benjamin Harris 1:10:59.423
9. Lyle Byrne 1:12:07.694
10. Jared Watson 1:12:08.790

J3 – Round 1

Riordan was on another level at Gympie in the J3 Class. He didn’t make a mistake all day to come away with the win. Taking on the technical circuit, Riordan showed off his class and sent a message to his competition for the coming season.

Ned Chapman finished in second place and will take some positive momentum into Sundays racing, while Blake Hollis took the last step on the podium in third position.

J3 Provisional Results

1. Will Riordan 1:03:55.412
2. Ned Chapman 1:04:32.529
3. Blake Hollis 1:05:08.748
4. Benjamin Teed 1:08:50.926
5. Jasper Franklin 1:08:55.228
6. Sam Barton 1:09:49.616
7. Oscar Collins 1:11:30.182
8. Charlie Milton 1:12:20.877
9. Maxwell Liebeknec 1:14:39.012
10. Levii Read 1:14:42.051

J2 – Round 1

After seeing his brother Will dominating the Gympie terrain, Angus wasn’t going to be left behind, as he won the J2 class. Riordan was the fastest man on track and showed the Riordan family mean business this season. Billy Hargy and Mackenzie Johnson completed the podium after a solid days riding.

The racing is back Sunday starting at 8am, with all the juniors pushing to complete the weekend and set themselves up in the quest for their respective championships.

J2 Provisional Results

1. Angus Riordan 1:05:39.554
2. Billy Hargy 1:09:20.136
3. Mackenzie Johnson 1:09:51.584
4. Kade Conley 1:10:29.109
5. William Dennett 1:11:46.301
6. Max Phillips 1:12:34.800
7. Zac Perry 1:12:39.139
8. Harley Mystek 1:14:01.843
9. Taj Gow-Smith 1:15:00.812
10. William Cooper 1:16:15.694

AORC Round 2 (Sunday)

Sunday was a great day to cap off a phenomenal opening weekend of Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC). Taking the victories for Rounds 1 & 2 on both Saturday and Sunday were Daniel Milner (E3) Daniel Sanders (E2) Luke Styke (E1) and Michael Driscoll (EJ). Sanders posting the quickest elapsed time on the test track on Sunday.

Jemma Wilson has sent a strong message to her competition in the Women’s class, after taking out Sunday’s sprint to back up Saturday’s win. Ben Grabham also completed the double to get off to the perfect start in the Veterans class, whilst Geoff Ballard took out the Masters class. These classes took off from the YZ450FX test gate.

It was a weekend of back to back wins for the Juniors on Sunday, with Korey McMahon dominating the J4 class in style, Will Riordan taking J3 and his brother Angus, J2 . It’s quite clear that the future of the AORC is in great hands with many Juniors putting on brilliant displays. The Juniors once again competed from the bLU cRU test gate.

E3 – Round 2

Daniel Milner of the KTM Enduro Team was once again the leading man for the E3 class on Sunday. The rider that offered the greatest challenge to Milner was Husqvarna Enduro racing Team’s Lachlan Stanford.

Daniel Milner

“Where we’re at is a good thing and the results this weekend were positive. To win outright on Saturday was awesome and then to get second today was also a close result, so I’m pretty happy with it knowing that we can still improve from here. The plan is to keep working, keep testing with the team and I know some areas we can get better, so it’s a good place to be in at the moment. Last year, in some ways, I probably had it a bit easy, so it’s good to have someone this year where we can push each-other and that’s something we all like to be a part of as racers. Now it’s time to get ready for the four-day and I’m most definitely excited for that!”

The gap that separated Milner and Stanford was 88 seconds with Milner registering a 53:38.468 and Stanford a 55:06.916 to finish the day.

Lachlan Stanford

“It was good to get a class podium with second today, giving us something to build upon in the coming rounds. I felt as though I was riding really good on the Saturday and my pace showed that – unfortunately had that penalty that bumped us back – but we were able to move forward from that and round two was a really positive one for me. The tighter and more technical track was a little bit more difficult on the bigger-capacity bike, but I am happy with how things are going, couldn’t ask for more from the Husqvarna FE 501 and can’t wait to get to the four- day now.”

The final podium placer for today was Broc Grabham, his 56:16.507 was 69 seconds off the pace of Stanford.

E3 Provisional Results

1. Daniel Milner – 53:38.468
2. Lachlan Stanford – 55:06.916
3. Broc Grabham – 56:16.507
4. Thomas Mason – 56:31.988
5. Andrew Wilksch – 57:31.577
6. Kane Hall – 57:47.544
7. Jamie Robins – 58:24.485
8. Jesse Lawton – 58:30.676
9. Adam Giles – 59:49:630
10. James Skehan – 1:00:23.759

E3 Provisional Standings

1. Daniel MILNER 50
2. Broc GRABHAM 38
3. Kane Hall 37
4. Andrew WILKSCH 36
5. Lachlan STANFORD 35
6. Thomas MASON 32
7. Jamie ROBINS 29
8. Jesse LAWTON 29
9. Adam GILES 24
10. James SKEHAN 20

E2 – Round 2

Sunday’s rider of the day had to go to Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders, as he was the fastest on the WR450F track and his class. ‘Chucky’ had phenomenal speed yesterday, but several falls hindered his true potential.

Daniel Sanders

“It was good to see where we were at in the first round and we managed to top the first test of the year on Saturday morning. The thing is, I’ve got a really good feeling with the Husqvarna FE 450 already and the best thing was that I was able to ride the way I know how to, getting in that rhythm and having my flow back. I got the nerves out of the system early, made a few mistakes that cost me the outright on Saturday, but today I tried to be more consistent and that worked for me. I was able to get through the day cleanly and I think everybody liked the excitement of the racing, so it was fortunate for me that I got the overall on Sunday. I’m just pumped for the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team to go 1-1- in class and 2-1 outright, because they’ve been working so hard and have wanted this for a lot of years now, so it’s good to get that and we can now carry this form into the A4DE.”

Husqvarna Enduro Racing’s Sanders took a 48 second victory to Active8 Yamaha Yamalube Team’s, Josh Green. The times for these pair being 53:29.353 (Sanders) and 55:06.916 (Green). The final podium placing went to Lyndon Snodgrass of the KTM Enduro Team.

Josh Green

“Opening rounds are always tough as you want to put in a good positive start to the championship but not throw too much emphasis on it as the reality is that it’s just two rounds of the twelve we contest for the AORC. I feel I have made a good start and I’m well placed after the first two rounds. My bike was working well, fitness is good and on Sunday my test times were right there so I can take a lot of positives from the weekend and continue to work hard during the week to ensure I’m better again at the next round.”

Lyndon Snodgrass

“It was a good weekend overall and it provides us a base to work from. On Saturday I had some issues early on with a crash that caused me to lose a bit of time, but I kept getting better and better for third in class. Today was improved for me though, I was third in class again and it was good to be more competitive overall. All in all, we’ve come away with good points from rounds one and two, so we will look to keep working and moving ahead from here.”

E2 Provisional Results

1. Daniel Sanders – 53:29.353
2. Joshua Green – 54:17.486
3. Lyndon Snodgrass – 54:26.654
4. Stefan Granquist – 56:35.666
5. Riley Graham – 57:21.487
6. Christopher Hollis – 58:08.628
7. Matt Murray – 1:00:29.538
8. Brent Dean – 1:00:52.343
9. Sean Homes – 1:01:00.122
10. Daniel Collins – 1:01:11.046

E2 Provisional Standings

1. Daniel SANDERS 50
2. Joshua GREEN 44
3. Lyndon SNODGRASS 40
4. Stefan GRANQUIST 36
5. Riley GRAHAM 31
6. Christopher HOLLIS 31
7. Matt MURRY 28
8. Brent DEAN 25
9. Sean HOLMES 25
10. Daniel COLLINS 21

E1 – Round 2

Luke Styke of the Active8 Yamaha Yamalube Team is showing all the signs that his transition to Enduro from Motocross was a brilliant idea. Styke reigned supreme as a back to back winner for Rounds 1 & 2.

Luke Styke

“It was good weekend result wise and I really enjoyed the weekend! It was all new to me and I’m still learning a lot of things, even the simple stuff like how the day runs, but it was a fun weekend and I guess I couldn’t have asked for more. We have a bit of a gap between now and the next event which is the Four day, so there are some things I want to improve on and even just get more time on the bike in general. But, thanks to Yamaha and the Active8 team for a great weekend to start my off-road career and look forward to building on things from here.”

The Yamaha rider completed the WR450F track in 55:01.233. Coming second was Jack ‘Simmering’ Simpson on his KTM machine. The difference between winner and second place being 27 seconds. Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team rider, Fraser Higlett completing the podium with an elapsed time of 55:33.463.

Fraser Higlett

“I’m pretty happy to have these first two rounds completed and I’m really happy with how I went, first time out with Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team on the Husqvarna FE 250. It’s a shame about Saturday, but we live and we learn from those experiences, and then today was a really satisfying one for me to be on the class podium. We just need to keep this up for the rest of the season and hopefully I can continue to work my way forward as I gain more experience. I had no idea where I was going to stand coming into this weekend, so it gives me some peace of mind knowing that I’ve got the speed to be competitive and now I can’t wait to go racing again.”

E1 Provisional Results

1. Luke Styke – 55:01.233
2. Jack Simpson – 55:28.575
3. Fraser Higlett – 55:33.463
4. Jeremy Carpentier – 56:19.481
5. Nicholas Tomlinson – 56:24.057
6. Tomas Ravenhors – 57:36.104
7. Brad Hardaker – 58:26.257
8. Baylee Davies – 58:34.955
9. Andrew Janke – 59:49.230
10. Peter-Daniel Allan – 1:00:17.588

E1 Provisional Standings

1. Luke STYKE 50
2. Jack SIMPSON 44
3. Nicolas TOMLINSON 36
4. Jeremy CARPENTIER 36
5. Fraser HIGLETT 32
6. Tomas RAVENHORST 31
7. Baylee DAVIES 28
8. Brad HARDAKER 27
9. Peter-Daniel ALLAN 25
10. Andrew JANKE 23

EJ – Round 2

It was always going to take an almighty effort to beat rising star Michael Driscoll, who managed to win by a convincing 76 seconds. The greatest challenger to Driscoll was recent graduate from the Junior classes, Joshua Brierley.

The times for these two competitors were 55:54.499 (Driscoll) and 57:10.631 (Brierley). Corey Hammond also maintained his third place finish from yesterday with a 58:38.096.

Michael Driscoll

“The weekend was pretty good for me and its always nice to get the class win on both days. Being my second year in the EJ class, I really now need to look towards comparing my times and racing with the guys in E1 as that is the next step in my career. I have to keep pushing myself and not rest with doing enough to win this class as if I want to prove that I can match it with the professionals, then I have to do times equal to them, so that’s my goal for the coming rounds.”

EJ Provisional Results

1. Michael Driscoll – 55:54.499
2. Joshua Brierley – 57:10.631
3. Corey Hammond – 58:38.096
4. Dalton Johnson – 58:41.681
5. Harry Teed – 59:42.902
6. Mitchell Brierley – 59:55.323
7. Lachlan Allan – 1:00:16.137
8. Cooper Sheidow – 1:01:32.808
9. Riley Nancarrow – 1:01:48.751
10. Ashden Gramlick – 1:02:05.792

EJ Provisional Standings

1. Michael DRISCOLL 50
2. Joshua BRIERLEY 44
3. Corey HAMMOND 40
4. Harry TEED 32
5. Lachlan ALLAN 32
6. Mitchell BRIERLEY 30
7. Luke ALLAN 27
8. Cooper SHEIDOW 24
9. Ashden GRAMLICK 23
10. Riley NANCARROW 22

Women’s –  Round 2

In a quest for three titles in a row, Wilson couldn’t have gotten off to a better start in the pursuit, finishing Sunday with a time of 1:07:27.921. Wilson had stiff competition from Emelie Karlsson who finished in second, 24 seconds behind Wilson with 1:07:51.129.

Jessica Gardiner of the Yamaha MX Store Ballard’s Off-Road Team enjoyed a solid weekend’s riding in her return to the Australian scene, finishing in third position 1:08:12.758, after a second place in Round 1.

Women’s Provisional Results

1. Jemma Wilson – 1:07:27.921
2. Emelie Karlsson- 1:07:51.129
3. Jessica Gardiner – 1:08:12.758
4. Sophie Coldicutt – 1:10:01.685
5. Danielle Foot – 1:11:27.008
6. Tamara Gray – 1:13:35.336
7. Ebony Neilson – 1:14:15.721
8. Emi Ruprecht – 1:16:50.810
9. Avril Gill – 1:18:50.147
10. Julie Denyer – 1:19:26.460

Women’s Provisional Standings

1. Jemma WILSON 50
2. Emelie KARLSSON 42
3. Jessica GARDINER 42
4. Sophie COLDICUTT 36
5. Tamara GRAY 30
6. Danielle FOOT 29
7. Ebony NIELSEN 28
8. Emi RUPRECHT 25
9. Tegan HALL 25
10. Avril GILL 22

Vets – Round 2

Ben Grabham has asserted himself as the man to beat in the over 35s veterans class, as he backed up his Saturday win with a Sunday victory on his Beta machine. Grabham was a step ahead of the field finishing with a time of 1:03:04.481.

Ben Grabham.

“As soon as I was driving into the Miva property I could see how green it was and how nice the dirt was looking, something I am not normally expecting to see in QLD. It has been a long time since I have raced one of these events so I was eager to get into it and see how I could go. Saturdays track was fairly tight for us but it was perfect for myself to get back into the swing of things. I am not going to Lie my lungs were burning trying to keep up but the Beta 300 was so much fun and working so well I was enjoying every minute of it. Results-wise I couldn’t have asked for more after winning every lap in my class. Sunday’s track layout was a bit more open and flowing and would give me a chance to open up the 300cc two-stroke a bit more so I was excited for that even though the body was a bit stiff and sore from Saturday’s racing. Sunday was another great days racing as I won every lap and picked up another win. To be honest I am having so much fun at the moment, I get to ride a bike that I have so much enjoyment riding. My biggest problem over the  weekend was the rear Goldentyre giving me too much grip so that’s a nice problem to have. Next up for racing is the A4DE next month.”

Richard Chibnall and Jade Gartlan went back and forth on the time sheet throughout Round 2, with Chibnall sneaking ahead on his KTM 1:06:08.459, as Gartlan rounded out the podium on his Gas Gas with a 1:06:11.641.

Vets Provisional Results

1. Ben Grabham – 1:03:04.481
2. Richard Chibnall – 1:06:08.459
3. Jade Grartlan – 1:06:11.641
4. Peter Rudd – 1:08:40.492
5. Sean Smith – 1:09:25.268
6. Steven Newman – 1:09:53.088
7. Ryan Teggart – 1:10:20.483
8. Michael Burgess – 1:10:37.344
9. Daniel Sawtell – 1:11:08.411
10. Phillip Chillemi – 1:11:15.709

Vets Provisional Standings

1. Ben GRABHAM 50
2. Richard CHIBNALL 44
3. Jade GARTLAN 40
4. Peter RUDD 34
5. Steven NEWMAN 30
6. Ryan TEGGART 27
7. Michael BURGESS 27
8. Sean SMITH 25
9. Daniel SAWTELL 23
10. Philip CHILLEMI 18

Masters – Round 2

Geoff Ballard came out on top of Round 2 in the Masters class, to go along with his second place in round one. Ballard went toe to toe with Round 1 winner John Baker, and got the better of him to stop the clock at 1:08:00.418. Baker had to settle for second place in the end, with a time of 1:08:07.887, just over seven seconds adrift.

Ian Jenner was consistent throughout Sundays racing and rounded out the podium with his 1:09:16.084, grabbing two third place finishes over the weekend.

Masters Provisional Results

1. Geoff Ballard 1:08.00.418
2. John Baker 1:08:07.887
3. Ian Jenner 1:09:16.084
4. Hamish Guy 1:09:36.507
5. Craig Treasure 1:10:53.181
6. Robert Day 1:11:16.958
7. Rob Mystek 1:11:31.267
8. Michael Widdison 1:12:02.541
9. Andrew Dennett 1:12:50.492
10. David Thompson 1:13:29.748

Masters Provisional Standings

1. Geoff BALLARD 47
2. John BAKER 47
3. Ian JENNER 38
4. Hamish GUY 38
5. Craig TREASURE 31
6. Michael WIDDISON 29
7. Robert DAY 27
8. Rob MYSTEK 27
9. Gordon MCQUEEN 23
10. Andrew DENNETT 21

J4 – Round 2

Korey McMahon was simply outstanding on his KTM machine, riding to an astonishing 124 second advantage, over his rival Kyron Bacon (Honda). These two enjoyed a very exciting battle yesterday with McMahon coming from behind to take the victory.

It was a much more relaxed victory for McMahon this time however, with him registering a time of 1:07:58.653 and Bacon a 1:10:03.156. The final podium placing went to last year’s J3 Champion Jayden Rudd (KTM), who will be looking to take the fight to the top two in the next rounds.

J4 Provisional Results

1. Korey McMachon – 1:07:58.653
2. Kyron Bacon – 1:10:03.156
3. Jayden Rudd – 1:11:21.303
4. Matthew Pye – 1:13:27.086
5. Matt Walters – 1:14:18.430
6. Raife Dooley – 1:15:42.053
7. Trent Brewster – 1:17:51.867
8. Benjamin Harris – 1:19:40.535
9. Daniel Van Der Watt – 1:19:55.864
10. Connor Albert – 1:21:10.377

J4 Provisional Standings

1. Korey MCMAHON 50
2. Kyron BACON 44
3. Jayden RUDD 40
4. Mathew PYE 34
5. Matt WATERS 34
6. Raife DOOLEY 30
7. Benjamin HARRIS 26
8. Trent BREWSTER 22
9. Daniel VAN DER WERF 21
10. Connor ALBERT 21

J3 – Round 2

Last year’s J2 Champion, Will Riordan (KTM) continues to impress everyone with another victory in his debut for the J3 class, managing a total time of 1:10:41.727.

The nearest challenger to Riordan was Blake Hollis, lodging a 1:11:31.576 to bridge the gap to 48 seconds. Ned Chapman on his Yamaha machine was the final podium placer.

J3 Provisional Results

1. Will Riordan – 1:10:41.727
2. Blake Hollis – 1:11:31.576
3. Ned Chapman – 1:14:21.213
4. Jasper Franklin – 1:16:20.880
5. Charlie Milton – 1:17:47.174
6. Benjamin Teed – 1:17:49.034
7. Sam Barton – 1:18:18.075
8. Thomas Teed – 1:22:41.025
9. Oscar Collins – 1:23:18.497
10. Levi Read – 1:23:52:504

J3 Provisional Standings

1. Will RIORDAN 25
2. Ned CHAPMAN 22
3. Blake HOLLIS 20
4. Benjamin TEED 18
5. Jasper FRANKLIN 16
6. Sam BARTON 15
7. Oscar COLLINS 14
8. Charlie MILTON 13
9. Maxwell LIEBEKNECHT 12
10. Levii READ 11

J2 – Round 2

In another case of Riordan domination, the J4 win went to his brother Angus (KTM) who ascended to a victory of over three minutes to Billy Hargy (Husqvarna). Riordan managing a 1:13:29.232 and Hargy a 1:16:46.742. Taking the final step on the podium was Mackenzie Johnson on a Yamaha bike.

J2 Provisional Results

1. Angus Riordan – 1:13:29.232
2. Billy Hargy – 1:16:46.742
3. Mackenzie Johnson – 1:18:43.360
4. Max Phillips – 1:19:32.509
5. Kobe Conley – 1:19:43.139
6. Zac Perry – 1:20:58.141
7. Harley Mystek – 1:22:00.771
8. William Dennett – 1:24:44.032
9. Taj Gow-Smith – 1:26:10.992
10. Thomas Vance – 1:29:36.694

J2 Provisional Standings

• TBA

The championship heads next to Hedley in Victoria, 5-6 May for Rounds 3 & 4 of the 2018 AORC!