Image: John Pearson.

Former Australian motocross champion turned off-road racer Luke Styke has captured victory in the 250cc Four-Stroke class on debut at the 2018 Penrite Hattah Desert Race.

Styke, who only transitioned to off-road racing with the Yamalube Yamaha Active8 outfit this year, finished almost three minutes clear of his nearest competitor in the class while charging to 14th position in the outright standings.

“It’s been a while since we have raced but after speaking with a lot of the off-road guys, I knew Hattah was tough so I put in plenty of hours on the bike to be fit enough to handle it and I’m so glad I did,” Styke explained.

“Four hours racing a bike at high intensity is hard on your body and my legs, arms, hands and back all feel pretty weak at the moment but without that lead up work, there was no way I would have been able to finish as well as I did.

“My bike was bullet proof again today and the team must take huge credit for that. To prepare a bike for a race as tough as this isn’t easy and to keep it running as strong as it was after four hours of abuse is a credit to them. We all deserve a well-earned day off tomorrow.”

The 250cc Four-Stroke podium was completed by Mark Grove (Honda Desert Racing Team) and Michael Driscoll (Yamalube Yamaha Active8), while the outright victory was awarded to Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team’s Daniel Sanders.