Can a 450, or even a 250, claim outright victory in 2017?
Back when the Open, 450cc and 250cc classes (E3, E2 & E1) were combined in order to declare a single ‘outright’ winner of the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship there was some debate as to whether the 250 and 450 classes would lose their status in the amalgamation. Certainly that seemed to be the case when Toby Price won back-to-back Championships on his KTM500 in 2014 and 2015. Even more so when Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders took his KTM300 2-stroke to outright victory in 2016.
Price has since parlayed his off-road skills to win the Dakar and Sanders is off to Europe to contest the 2017 EnduroGP. Tye Simmonds, who came second outright – and won the 450 class – in 2016, has forsaken the AORC in favour of defending his Hattah title and a full tilt effort at the Finke Desert Race. Chris Hollis, third in 2016, has hung up his race boots, as has perennial podium threat Glenn Kearney; who’s taken over management of the KTM Off-Road Team.
The surprise for 2017 was the return from the USA of former AORC outright winner and four time A4DE champion Daniel Milner who, after many years with Yamaha, has switched to KTM. And elected to ride a KTM450EXC; clear indication that Milner believes a 450 will be this year’s outright AORC winner. Milner will be joined by Lyndon Snodgrass who hopes to emulate Daniel Sanders’ performance on the volatile KTM300 2-stroke.
The KTM Off-Road Team won’t contest the 250 class, hoping Jack Simpson can repeat his 2016 victory and sixth outright. It was Simpson’s rookie year on the Peter Stevens sponsored KTM250EXC, however this year he’ll be up against Wil Ruprecht on the Active8 Yamaha WRF250. Ruprecht is current Transmoto 19 and Under Champion and has a long list of priors. Simpson is on Ruprecht’s target list; as are Husqvarna’s Lachlan Stanford and Active8 team-mate Beau Ralston. This pair of 450 class contestants finished but a whoop or two in front of Simpson in 2016 and will be hard pressed again this year.
Josh Green, the only rider to score an outright Championship podium on a 250, returns on a WR450F and Broc Grabham – Husqvarna FE450 – has been elevated to a full factory ride after his seventh outright in 2016.
The only prediction that seems certain is that the eventual outright AORC winner will need to score points in every one of the twelve rounds. And whilst it’s improbable a 250 could be the outright winner nothing is impossible. The three main titles will be contested – along with Womens, Veterans, Masters and Juniors – starting on 8 April at Dungog – the spiritual home of Enduro.
By Peter Whitaker
Photos: Mad Dog images
2017 AORC Calendar
Round 1 & 2: Dungog, NSW 8-9 April 2017
Round 3 & 4: Rawson, VIC 22-23 April 2017
Round 5 & 6: Miva, QLD 13-14 May 2017
Round 7 & 8: Renmark, SA 24-25 June 2017
Round 9 & 10: Kyogle, NSW 22-23 July 2017
Round 11 & 12: TBA, VIC 5-6 August 2017