Image: Foremost Media.

Husqvarna’s Todd Waters has been ruled out of the remaining races in the 2022 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) due to injuries sustained in the International Six-Days Enduro (ISDE).

While representing Australia in the prestigious event at Le Puy En Velay, France, Waters fell on day four which broke his left humerus and caused his shoulder on the same side to be dislocated for over three hours.

Before the injuries, the FE 450 rider stared at rounds five and six of AORC to take the E2 victory both days in Mendooran, NSW, impressively fastest outright on each occasion also. Waters is just 10 points from leading the E2 standings entering the final four rounds of the season but will turn his focus to recovery and use the disappointment as motivation to come back stronger.

Shoulder surgery could be a possibility once the bone is healed, but Waters expects to be riding again by the beginning of 2023.

“I’m pretty gutted with what has happened because we weren’t far outside of the lead and on the off-road bike we did a lot of testing with suspension for the ISDE, going a lot softer in the settings,” Waters said. “My feeling on the bike was really good during the six-day, so I was in for a good shot with the AORC championship, especially going into a sand round at Kingston SE, which we clean-swept the last time outright.

“I was excited for that, but unfortunately, that’s racing and these things happen. I’ve got to thank Husqvarna Motorcycles Australia for the support and everything they have done and I’m disappointed to let the team down. It has definitely given me some motivation for next year to come back stronger and go hard for the double-header again!”

It was a commendable 2022 campaign for Waters, performing ‘double duties’ to finish third in the Penrite ProMX Championship while achieving podium success at the Hattah Desert Race and the Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE).