    |
 |
|
|
|
Contributor: Dougy Herbert.
Three weeks after wrapping up the national open motocross championship, KTM Australia has added two Australian Enduro Championship Titles to its vast collection, at this year’s Australian Four-Day Enduro at Harvey, WA (May 30 to June 3).
Pouring rain for Monday’s final motocross special test added a final challenge for Australia’s best enduro racers, topping off an event that was well-accepted, with good organisation and plenty of open, flowing trail and special tests.
Defending Australian Open Two-Stroke Enduro champion Brad Williscroft (Dave Fraser Motorcycles) made it four successful title defences in a row, while fellow New South Welshman Rob Mather (ProRider KTM) took out the 400cc four-stroke crown.
At the end of four days of racing, Williscroft’s speed and consistency also gave him second position outright, less than five seconds behind overall winner Ben Grabham (Yamaha), and over a minute clear of third placed Kirk Hutton (Yamaha).
Riding a KTM300EXC, Williscroft’s class lead was never threatened, the Helensburgh NSW rider topping the sheets on all four days to win by more than 200 points from Matthew Parkinson and Jason Stone.
In the 400cc thumper ranks, Mather got the best of a see-sawing battle with Craig Douglas (Yamaha), to win by 14.47 seconds.
The KTM contingent was unlucky not to come away from the event with a third title, after Open Four-Stroke Class contender Stuart Bennett dropped from contention with an unusual mechanical failure, while he was comfortably leading the class on Day Two.
“I did an ignition stator on Day Two that lost me thirty-three minutes of trail time at 60 points a minute,” said Bennett, “so that basically put us from first in class and fourth outright… to out of event.”
“It was just one of the unforeseen things,” said a philosophical Bennett. “When I told Jeff (KTM General Manager Jeff Leisk) he said they just never see that happen!”
With the part replaced Bennett soldiered so that both the KTM Australia Trade team and NSW Trophy team could register a finish, crossing the line 18th of 19 finishers.
New Zealander Paul Whibley (Husqvarna) went on to win the class from Tim Jackson and Stuart McFerran.
Bennett’s other KTM Australia team mates, Victorians Ian Price and Matt Fish, both featured prominently in the race, Fish finishing fourth behind Grabham, Kirk Hutton and KTM-mounted Graeme Dewez in the highly competitive 250cc 2-stroke class.
In the 200cc 2-stroke class, Price finished third behind veteran David Flemming (Gas Gas) and Moorooka KTM-mounted Michael Oliver.
