HQVA press release:

It was a stellar showing for Husqvarna Enduro Racing at the 2018 Australian Four-Day Enduro (A4DE) in Cessnock, New South Wales, as Daniel Sanders captured the E2 class title, while teammates Lachlan Stanford and Fraser Higlett earned podiums in their respective categories.

Putting on a dominant display in the E2 class all week long aboard the FE 450, Sanders was rewarded with the crown on Saturday’s fourth and final day. The only rider to challenge eventual Outright victor Daniel Milner, Sanders fell shy of the top spot to be granted a well-deserved second in the overall standings.

In the E3 division, Stanford pieced the puzzle together, positioning himself second overall in the class, adding to the team’s podium success at the prestigious event. In the Outright standings, Stanford was an impressive fifth, making it two Husqvarna’s within the top five fastest times.

E1 rookie Higlett put in one of the most impressive performances of the week, seeing himself inside the top five Outright for much of the week until a one-minute penalty demoted him to seventh. Nonetheless, he was able to pilot his FE 250 to second in the E1 class, finishing just a fraction off the number one position.

In addition to the team’s incredible effort, Husqvarna stood atop of the Manufacturer standings thanks to a list of exceptional results. The team will now shift its attention towards rounds three and four of the AORC, set for 5-6 May at Hedley in Victoria.

Christian Horwood – Team Manager, Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team: “I’m really happy with the whole effort from the team this week, it’s a fantastic result for Chucky to be battling with Daniel Milner for the Outright lead all week, and there were a few days where it was really close in tests between the two, and fantastic for him to get a class win in E2. Fraser got a second in E1 and battled with the top guys in his class, and it came down to the final moto. Lachy also had an improvement over his last A4DE, he was second again in E3, but he moved to fifth Outright, improving on his last result. It was a fantastic team effort from everyone, and it looks like we’ve won the Manufacturers class as well, which is unreal.”

Lachlan Stanford – Husqvarna FE 501: “I started the week off a little slower than where I wanted to be, so that put me behind on day one. From there we changed a few little things, started building and getting faster. My FE 501 went really, really good – I definitely put it through its paces this week with the dusty conditions and really technical, rocky terrain – it was
really torturous on the bikes actually, but it didn’t miss a beat. I couldn’t have done it without all the team and supporters who helped out, it was awesome.”

Daniel Sanders – Husqvarna FE 450: “It was good to win the E2 class and lead every day, unfortunately, I didn’t get the Outright win, which was the ultimate goal. The bike was good and I didn’t have any faults with it all week, I was just trying to keep the body in one piece as much as I could. It was very gruelling, especially later on in the week – each day we just got through it. The trail and the amount of track we were able to ride out here was just awesome.”

Fraser Higlett – Husqvarna FE 250: “It was an awesome week, it was good to be in the top five Outright for two days, which was pretty cool. I got a fair few top threes Outright in the tests throughout the week too, and obviously I got second in E1 – I’ve taken a bit of confidence from the week and know that I can be up at the top end of the field.”

2018 Australian Four Day Enduro – Cessnock, NSW Outright Championship
1. Daniel Milner, KTM, 2h00:48.454 min
2. Daniel Sanders, Husqvarna, +1:09.3 min
3. Josh Green, Yamaha, +4:02.1 min
4. Luke Styke, Yamaha, +4:26.0 min
5. Lachlan Stanford, Husqvarna, +5:13.2 min
E3 Category
1. Daniel Milner, KTM
2. Lachlan Stanford, Husqvarna
3. Broc Grabham, Gas Gas
4. Tom Mason, KTM
5. Kane Hall, Yamaha
E2 Category
1. Daniel Sanders, Husqvarna
2. Josh Green, Yamaha
3. Will Ruprecht, Yamaha
4. Chris Hollis, Suzuki
5. Stefan Granquist, Yamaha
E1 Category
1. Luke Styke, Yamaha
2. Fraser Higlett, Husqvarna
3. Michael Driscoll, Yamaha
4. Jack Simpson, KTM
5. Jeremey Carpentier, Yamaha