Image: John Pearson.

Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team has signed Broc Grabham to join the returning Lachlan Stanford for the 2017 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) season.

With former team manger/rider Glenn Kearney taking up the role of KTM team manager, Husqvarna’s effort is now managed by previous head technician Christian Horwood.

Last year Stanford finished fourth outright and second in the E3 division aboard the potent FE 501, primed to content for the championship as he takes on the lead-rider status.

“Definitely happy to be a part of the Husqvarna enduro team this year,” Stanford said. “It’s great to work with Christian again – he and I have worked together since the beginning and he’s going to step up into the role of managing this year, so it will be good.

“With the AORC and the Four-Day this year I’m definitely going in hard and we’ll definitely be in with a fighting chance. I’ve stepped up the training looking for any kind of cross-training advantage – every day is just flat out doing something new. I never thought for a moment about changing from the 501, because I really love being on that bike and it suits me, so there was no question about it.”

Grabham, meanwhile, graduates from a satellite Husqvarna deal to the factory team in place of Kearney after finishing seventh outright and third in the E2 standings last season.

“There are no words to describe how excited I am to be in the factory team,” Grabham commented. “Growing up I’ve watched all my brothers do it at some point or another, so it’s good to have done enough to get that sort of support.
I started doing a bit more last year and the results in competition came.

“The 450 is a great all-round bike and I prefer it because it’s not too big or too small – I can throw it around nicely. I’m excited to work with Christian and the great group of guys we have, so it’s going to be very positive. The goal with every race is to go out there and win it, but I want to be in that top three all year. I know there will be a lot of quick guys, but I’ll do my best.”

In addition to the 12-round AORC campaign, both Stanford and Grabham will represent the factory Husqvarna team at the annual Australian Four-Day Enduro (A4DE).