KTM riders Emelie Karlsson and Jye Dickson have finished the 2022 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) on a high at the final two rounds in Wynyard, Tasmania.
In the EW class, Emelie Karlsson was able to master Saturday’s greasy, tricky conditions and break through for her first win of the season as she surged to the victory by more than 1m30s.
Sunday’s racing proved to be a tougher affair for Karlsson, with multiple crashes – including one that hurt her hand – seeing her settle for P2 to complete the season.
After a roller-coaster year, Karlsson’s impressive, consistent results saw her comfortably claim second in the Women's championship standings.
Off-road newcomer Jye Dickson, 22, continued to impress as he tackled his first-ever enduro format in what was his second appearance aboard the 500 EXC-F in E3.
Wet, slippery conditions with big mud-holes and a mass of tree roots made for a steep learning curve, but Dickson shined with third-place results in the ever-competitive E3 class on both days.
Dickson’s consistency has been remarkable after he was called into the KTM team to fill in for the injured Stefan Granquist in the latter stages of the series – the Newcastle resident has finished P3 in each round that he’s been with the team.
The strong results of KTM didn't end there, as Riley McGillivray captured the 2022 EJ crown, Travis Silk was third in the final E2 class standings and Cooper Sheidow finished fourth in the E1 standings after claiming a runner-up result in round 11.
Jye Dickson: "This was my first-ever enduro, so it took a bit to get used to the format and the amount of riding – we rode about four hours both days – but I really enjoyed it and we got to see some really cool country along the way! The tests were really tricky, with bog-holes, slippery uphills, deep ruts and tree roots everywhere, but I felt I improved a lot over the weekend. I’m certainly not unhappy about getting another two third-place results and I’m already considering giving the AORC another crack again next year as I’ve really enjoyed the six rounds I’ve done - I’m having fun learning something new."
Emelie Karlsson: "After everything that I’ve been through this year with two knee injuries and a mystery illness, it felt amazing to take the victory on Saturday. It’s a shame that I wasn’t able to back it up again on Sunday, but I struggled with the rougher tracks and had three big crashes that banged me up a bit. The tests were so technical – I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many tree roots – and it was very easy to make mistakes, so it was all about trying to stay smooth, not riding over your head, and minimising the errors. I’m still having a lot of fun with my racing, so I’m definitely keen to line up again next year and have another shot at the championship."
2022 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) – Wynyard, TAS