Off Road

New Look Husqvarna Team Kicks off 2016 at Clipsal 500

Posted:

Thursday, March 3rd, 2016

6:57 PM

Multi-Aussie enduro champ Glenn Kearney and top contender Lachy Stanford will lead a new-look Husqvarna Australia Enduro Racing Team when the first shots are fired in anger at tomorrow's New Holland Enduro-X, held in conjunction with the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.

The team made a phenomenal debut when it first appeared on the national scene back in 2014, winning two Australian Enduro Championships and two Australian Off-Road Championship titles in its very first year, before last year adding the InsureMyRide Enduro-X Nationals series to its trophy case.

For 2016 several changes have meant the team will take on a new appearance, starting with the team's core riding personnel, Kearney and Stanford, who will race in the vibrant new Acerbis riding gear, and on different Husqvarna machinery, with Stanford assuming the E3 duties on a Husqvarna FE 501.

‰ÛÏThis year I'm going to E3, mainly because of how I went on the bigger bike in Slovakia," Stanford explained.

"I‰Ûªm confident with how I‰Ûªm riding, and I've had a really good off-season. I plan to get some outright wins this year. Glenn suits the 250, I remember him in the red Husky days on a 250 and he was really fast on it, which I think will bring the pace up even more in our team. I‰Ûªve started doing a bit of preseason racing and getting the feel of the bike. I feel like I'm riding really fast but still smooth, so until the first round of the off-road I‰Ûªll be focusing on sprint speed with every ride. I've got all my endurance and strength now.‰Û

Glenn Kearney (right), and Lachy Stanford. Pics: iKapture

Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team Manager Glenn Kearney (FE250) said, ‰ÛÏWe have the same core team as last year with Lachy Stanford and myself, but Lachy will step up to the FE501 and I‰Ûªll step down in capacity to the FE250. We want to get somebody back into E1, and I always thought Lachy was a better big bike rider anyway. After his performance at the six-day, I pretty much decided over there, that it was time to start riding the bike and he agreed. My biggest issue for the last year has been my rear braking imitations with my ankle, and the size and weight of the 250 has meant that it‰Ûªs easier to pull up into corners, which is helping.

Mitcham Harper will ride enduro-cross and selected races because he's a bit of a hard enduro specialist. The young gun Fraser Higlett is going to be up in Under 19, and he‰Ûªs going to be the real standout I think. He‰Ûªs already showed how fast he‰Ûªs going against the big guns up in Queensland a fortnight ago.

Then there‰Ûªs Broc Grabham, who‰Ûªs a real big bore specialist, and Lyndon Snodgrass from Victoria, so across the board there's a heap of representation for Husky with good quality young riders and my aim is to sort of mentor them a little bit across the nationals. They‰Ûªve all got the tools in themselves to do the job, so maybe I can just direct them in the easy ways to do things. The track here at Clipsal is really gnarly and technical ‰ÛÒ it‰Ûªs going to be good to watch!‰Û