Release from 23.04.2023
Granquist and his 2023 Husqvarna FE 501 took control of the series' first Enduro of the year at Queensland Moto Park by winning three of the four rocky, dusty special tests, to finish with a memorable 20-second victory over his nearest rival.
Round four in the hills of QMP threw up more of the same technical conditions, and after crashing into a tree on the second test of the day, AORC mainstay Granquist elected for a more consistent approach on his way to a hard-fought P2 result.
Simford Motorsport Group’s Sam Pretscherer made sure Husqvarna was well represented on the E3 podium with a consistent 3-3 performance over the two rounds, continuing his convincing start to the season.
In the EW class, Karlsson suffered a big crash prior to the Saturday’s timed special tests and pressed on to a P5 result. Despite still feeling the effects of her crash, Karlsson rebounded strongly on the Husqvarna FE 350 to claim a satisfying runner-up position in round four.
Elsewhere, in the EJ field, Husqvarna Motorcycles-backed young charger Billy Hargy put in two consistent days of racing to lock down a pair of runner-up results across the weekend.
Edenhope in Victoria will host rounds five and six of the AORC on 22-23 July.
Stefan Granquist: “This was my first-ever win and it felt great to finally get that one! I’ve always finished second or third, so to come away with the victory at such a technical round is really satisfying. On today’s second test I had a scary moment where I high-sided and went into a tree... I lost some time, but the tracks were so gnarly that it was difficult to try and make up the ground, as there was no margin for error. Overall, though, it’s been a really good weekend and I’m happy with how everything panned out.”
Emelie Karlsson: “I was really excited for this round as I like the technical riding, but I had a bad crash yesterday morning before any of the timed tests. A rock threw me into a tree on a fast section and I hurt my knee, the whole right side of my body and I lost my front brake. QMP has a lot of long, steep hills, so riding them without a front brake was really scary! To bounce back today and finish second feels like a massive win and I’m stoked with that. Next up is the Australian Four-Day Enduro in WA and I’m really looking forward to it.”
2023 Australian Off-Road Championship – Queensland Moto Park, QLD
Round three results:
E3
1. Stefan Granquist (Husqvarna)
2. Riley McGillivray (KTM)
3. Sam Pretscherer (Husqvarna)
4. Patrick McGillivray (GASGAS)
5. Ruben Chadwick (Beta)
EW
1. Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha)
2. Ebony Nielsen (KTM)
3. Ariana Collins (Husqvarna)
4. Courtney Rubie (KTM)
5. Emelie Karlsson (Husqvarna)
Round four results:
E3
1. Riley McGillivray (KTM)
2. Stefan Granquist (Husqvarna)
3. Sam Pretscherer (Husqvarna)
4. Patrick McGillivray (GASGAS)
5. Luke Bunnik (Beta)
EW
1. Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha)
2. Emelie Karlsson (Husqvarna)
3. Ebony Nielsen (KTM)
4. Ariana Collins (Husqvarna)
5. Courtney Rubie (KTM)