While Husqvarna Team Manager and lead rider Glenn Kearney has his heart set on a second KTM Hattah Desert Race win, the team‰Ûªs two Hattah rookies, Scott Keegan and Lachlan Stanford are preparing for the first runs at the famous event, 70 kilometres south of Mildura, in north-western Victoria.
Hattah is an important stop on the calendar for Australia‰Ûªs pro cross country teams and racers, one which challenges newcomers with its intimidating reputation for outrageously high top speeds and rough, whooped-out terrain.
The race entails eight laps of the 38-kilometre course, a challenge which will take approximately four hours to accomplish for the fastest, and likely necessitate three fuel stops along the way.
‰ÛÏThe testing we did with Apro in the sand before the last AORC carried across well to this stuff so we were solid on setup." Kearney explained. "We‰Ûªve all been riding down here since Tuesday just getting familiar with the terrain and the speeds, and going through gearing and setups with steering dampers and whatnot that you need for these sorts of races.
"It‰Ûªs a bit dry, but hopefully once the sand turns over there‰Ûªll be a bit of moisture underneath. The boys are both looking forward to it and looking really fast in the sand.
"Hopefully I‰Ûªll get back to the form I had when I won this race! I‰Ûªm definitely shooting for the top spot; the bike is perfect for this sort of race, the setup is good and cross country on rough tracks suits my style, so I‰Ûªll try to be solid and upright and be there for the whole time and try to take a win.‰Û
