Australian Off-Road Championships decided in South Australia
Champions have been crowned over the weekend in South Australia, as rounds nine and 10 of the 2012 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) wrapped up the season of competition.
Toby Price on his way to the Outright title at Kapunda over the weekend. Image: Russell Colvin.
Champions have been crowned over the weekend in South Australia, as rounds nine and 10 of the 2012 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) wrapped up the season of competition.
During Saturday’s round nine of action, Ballard’s Yamaha Off-Road’s Daniel Milner clinched his maiden Outright victory, while Motorex KTM Off-Road star Toby Price sealed his third championship title in a double thriller at the penultimate round of the series.
20-year old Milner delivered a determined performance throughout the testing and technical two-hour Cross Country to edge out seasoned campaigner and series points leader Price and take the Outright round win.
The victory also catapulted Milner to his eighth E1 class victory of the season, picking up class honours ahead of rivals Josh Green (Active8 Yamaha Yamalube) and Tom McCormack (Yamaha).
Despite having been squeezed out of round honours by Milner, Price continued his blinding dominance of the E3 class to wrap up the E3 championship title and lock in Outright series points honours.
South Australia delivered thrills and spills for the hotly contested E2 class, with leader Matt Phillips (Ballard’s Yamaha Off-Road) forced to retire just two laps in to the race due to mechanical issues.
Glenn Kearney (Husqvarna Racing Team) swept to an impressive victory on his practice bike, just days after having his race bike stolen, to beat out Mitch Harper (Yamaha) and Chris Hollis (Motorex KTM Off-Road).
Come Sunday’s finale, Price sailed through four fast-paced Sprint races to stitch up his eighth Outright victory of the series and further extend his winning margin in the E3 class.
“Both days are done and dusted here at Kapunda, the last rounds of the AORC, and everything went really well,” Price said after racing wrapped up.
“I’m stoked I came out with the championship and got a second and then a first for today, so it’s been a great weekend and a massive big thanks to the Motorex KTM Off-Road Team, they’ve done a great job and we’re stoked.”
Price was followed home in the E3 class by series rivals Stefan Merriman (Ballard’s Yamaha Off-Road) and Scott Keegan (Motorex Force Husaberg), who picked up the class championship silver and bronze plates.
Phillips lost Sunday’s’s E2 class round honours to Kearney and Chris Hollis (Motorex KTM Off-Road), but collected enough points to seal his maiden Australian championship title. Kearney and Hollis collected second and third for the series after posting strong results throughout the season.
Also collecting his first Australian championship title on Sunday was Milner. The rising star continued his blistering form to take out the E1 round win and championship title ahead of Josh Green (Active8 Yamaha Yamalube) and Ben Burrell (Motorex KTM Off-Road).
New champion Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha) sprinted her way to another convincing victory in the Women’s class, once again edging out rivals Emelie Karlsson (Yamaha) and Tayla Jones (KTM). The performance consolidated Gardiner’s spot as 2012 Women’s champion, ahead of Karlsson and last year’s winner Jemma Wilson (Yamaha).
Recent
