Round six of the 2022 AORC Australian Off-Road Championship at Mendooran, NSW saw Kyron Bacon, Todd Waters and Andy Wilksch claiming wins in their respective classes.
AORC E2 CLASS
Todd Waters claimed two outright victories in the fifth and sixth rounds in the AORC E2 class on his Husqvarna FE 450. The rough, sandy tracks that greeted the racers this weekend were right in Waters’ favour and he thrived in the fast, whooped-out conditions.
Waters was in a league of his own on Saturday, leading his competitors by more than one-and-a-half minutes, as he topped the E2 and outright podiums for the first time this year.
Sunday saw Waters again thrive in the square-edged whoops and wide-open sandy sections, as he raced to his second AORC E2 and outright victories in as many days.
Todd Waters: “I’m over the moon with this result! I haven’t had any wins this year, which has been frustrating, so to get two back-to-back wins in off-road is a real achievement as it’s not my natural discipline. Coming off the Hattah Desert Race, we found a very comfortable sand set-up and I felt confident coming into the weekend. Having lived in Lommel, Belgium, for three years during my MXGP career also gave me plenty of experience on how to handle big sand whoops, as well as everything we’ve tackled this year as we get used to the off-road scene. Another big thing is we’ve got a truck now, so the team set-up is definitely building around me and that’s showing in the results. I’ve now got a fire in my belly and confidence in my riding that I’ll carry into the ProMX this weekend, as I try and step up every aspect of my 2022 campaign.”
AORC E1 CLASS
Kyron Bacon took out the AORC E1 class win with a total time of 1:08:01.785, ahead of Korey McMahon (GasGas Australia, Suttos Powersports). With only two seconds separating them, Round 6 became a battle of consistency and persistence as each vied for the top spot.
Korey McMahon managed two podiums on his GASGAS EC 250F in the highly-competitive E1 class and led until halfway through the day before an issue saw him drop more than a minute to his rivals. He fought back in the closing stages to salvage third.
Korey McMahon: “Looking at the big picture it was a pretty good weekend, but it’s bittersweet too. Yesterday I was running comfortably in first until a technical issue cost me. By the time I got going I lost a lot of time, but I was happy to work my way back onto the day’s podium. Today I felt like I rode really strongly and won four of the five tests on one track, but I had transponder issues on the second track and was given a manual time that was 15 seconds slower than Kyron [Bacon] – it was frustrating as I felt I was closer than that. The fast, rough conditions were gnarly today, but I enjoyed it and think it’s great to visit a new venue that sorts everyone out.”
AORC E3 CLASS
Andy Wilksch was unstoppable this year in Mendooran, he carved through the Mudgee MX tracks to claim another E3 win with a total time of 1:08:15.871. Wilksch proved once again why he’s important to keep an eye on.
Rounds seven and eight of the AORC Australian Off-Road Championship will be contested at Nowra in NSW between 6-7 August.
2022 Australian Off-Road Championship – Mendooran, NSW
Round five results:
E1
1. Kyron Bacon (Yamaha)
2. Sam Pretscherer (Husqvarna)
3. Korey McMahon (GASGAS)
4. Cooper Sheidow (KTM)
5. Blake Hollis (Yamaha)
E2
1. Todd Waters (Husqvarna)
2. Joshua Green (Yamaha)
3. Jye Dickson (KTM)
4. Callum Norton (Sherco)
5. Scott Keegan (KTM)
E3
1. Andrew Wilksch (Husqvarna)
2. Jonte Reynders (Sherco)
3. Stefan Granquist (KTM)
4. Hayden Keeley (KTM)
5. Patrick McGillivray (KTM)
EW
1. Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha)
2. Meghan Rutledge (Kawasaki)
3. Emelie Karlsson (KTM)
4. Taylor Thompson (Yamaha)
5. Courtney Rubie (KTM)
Round six results:
E1
1. Kyron Bacon (Yamaha)
2. Korey McMahon (GASGAS)
3. Sam Pretscherer (Husqvarna)
4. Blake Hollis (Yamaha)
5. Cooper Sheidow (KTM)
E2
1. Todd Waters (Husqvarna)
2. Joshua Green (Yamaha)
3. Jye Dickson (KTM)
4. Travis Silk (KTM)
5. Fraser Higlett (Beta)
E3
1. Andrew Wilksch (Husqvarna)
2. Jonte Reynders (Sherco)
3. Luke Bunnik (Sherco)
4. Hayden Keeley (KTM)
5. Patrick McGillivray (KTM)
EW
1. Taylor Thompson (Yamaha)
2. Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha)
3. Emelie Karlsson (KTM)
4. Courtney Rubie (KTM)
5. Julie Denyer (Husqvarna)
