Strong Husqvarna showing at North Brisbane Cup

Husqvarna Australia’s diverse band of racers made the most of their visit to the North Brisbane Cup, grabbing their fair share of the podiums at the exciting season-ending event at Northgate.

The event attracted a quality field from across motocross, enduro, dirt track, and speedway disciplines of motorcycle sport on a track which differed slightly from the traditional with the addition of a tight chicane and a single jump.

Husqvarna’s crew included English and Polish league speedway professionals Josh Grajczonek and Jake Allen, the latter an eleventh-hour inclusion.

Twenty-year-old Allen rides for the league-winning Somerset Rebels in the top tier of British Speedway, as well as Polish club, Rybnik, and finished second with team Australia in the World Cup Under 21 team.

The pair was joined by motocrosser Kaleb Barham, enduro ace Lachy Stanford and junior dirt track wunderkind Billy Van Eerde.

Despite his very limited experience in the discipline, Stanford made the podium in the night’s main event, powering his Husqvarna FC 450 to third in the Gear Factor North Brisbane Cup behind Kayden Downing and Jarred Brook.

The Australian Enduro 3 Vice Champion finished just 15 seconds away from the win after 20 laps, while Jake Allen, riding his first dirt track event in two years, was just four seconds further back in fourth place.

Despite his Husqvarna FC 350 giving away a little bit in cubic capacity, Kaleb Barham finished seventh in the main event in what was his first-ever dirt track event.

In the Senior Pro Open category, Townsville’s Josh Grajczonek rode a Husqvarna FC 450 to third behind Downing and Brook, while in the Senior Pro 450, Jake Allen finished just a point behind multiple Aussie dirt track champ Jarred Brooke for second on his Husqvarna FC 450.

Billy Van Eerde and his Husqvarna FC 250 were in devastating form at Northgate, winning the Junior 250cc 4T 13–U16 from Max Whale and Harry Maxwell.

The 14-year-old from Singleton was looking just as dominant a board his TC 125 in the Junior 100-150cc 2T until he lost the front end over and exposed water pipe – salvaging third for the night.

Van Eerde capped the evening off nicely in the 8-lap Junior Lites Challenge, winning by over eight seconds from Maxwell and Cyshan Weale.

In the Supermoto category, Andrew McLiesh won ahead of Paul Ellis and Adam Griffin.

Jon Hafey (HQVA National Brand Manager) – “We had a great team here and they all enjoyed themselves immensely. This is a fantastic way to end the season in a way that is not only low-key, relaxing a lot of fun for everybody, but it’s a fantastic skill to brush up on once in a while too.
We didn’t get the results we hoped for here tonight, but that’s only part of the reason we came, and we’ll be back again next year.”

Lachy Stanford (FE450) – “It was great fun, real tight racing. I finally got a heat win, which was awesome! I was getting so annoyed because I knew I had the speed to win, I just couldn’t get off my start.  In the 20-lapper I had an average start and was working through when Kirkness fell and I hit his back wheel and went over the bars. I hit hard and the race got red flagged. I had bent bars and levers and lots of gravel rash so I was heading to the pits, when I thought I might just go to the gate and see how I felt.

“I got there and I fired up so I decided I would just ride. I had another average start and was sitting in fourth or fifth behind Jake, and then I got to third, which was pretty cool. It’s a bit of an adrenaline rush, leaning on each other and stuff. It’s good fun. The riders are good, I got to know Andy McLeish the Husky Supermotard rider, and he is a really cool guy. Husky had a heap of riders there so it was cool to hang out with Kaleb and the two speedway guys as well.”

Jake Allen (FC450) – “My involvement only came together Friday afternoon, when Jon (HQVA National Brand Manager Jon Hafey) and I met up and had lunch. We got talking and I ended up racing his bike. He had to drive home and get it and I called a sponsor to sort out a tyre for the meeting. I had to get a few people to pull some strings for me which I’m very grateful for, and I had a really good time mixing it up with the regular dirt trackers. I haven’t ridden dirt track since this event two years ago, so it was good to ruffle some feathers, and just be riding with no pressure on the outcome. It’s good to be able to just relax and laugh and joke around with your friends, and sometimes when you’re riding that way you have your best results anyway!”

Josh Grajczonek – “I had a ball, even though I ended up on the ground a few times which ruined my chances to have a good crack at it. I crashed in the Pro Open final when I clipped Andy McLeish in the air, and in the 450 I didn’t really get a good start, you have to because everyone is so quick. I don’t really get a chance to do dirt track so it was good for a change and I really enjoyed myself – 100% keen to come back.

“The FC450s were awesome! Those things …straight out of the box, to have so much power that we can do third gear starts with them, it’s awesome! You wouldn’t get the jump, but as soon as the thing hit the dirt the thing would just take off and you wouldn’t have to worry about changing gears until halfway down the track!”

Billy Van Eerde (TC125, FC250) – “It was a fun event; I only really race Max Whale and Kyshan when they come down for open meetings or titles, so when we go to Queensland we race them on their home track and they are all fast there so it’s a lot of fun – we have good battles!

“During the day we had the 125 and 250 events like a regular meeting, except the 125s didn’t have a final. I won the three 250 heats and the first two on the 125, and I was winning the third but I crashed. I qualified fastest in the night-time qualifying session for the 12-lap 250 final, and ended up winning that too. ”

For more information on Husqvarna motorcycles visit www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com

Gear Factor North Brisbane Cup results:
1. Kayden Downing, 2. Jarred Brook, 3. Lachlan Stanford, 4. Jake Allen, 5. Kye Thomson, 6. Billy Harth, 7. Kaleb Barham

Senior Pro Open:
1. Kayden Downing, 2. Jarred Brook, 3. Josh Grajczonek, 4. Lachlan Stanford, 5. Andrew McLiesh, 6. Jake Allen

Senior Pro 450:
1. Jarred Brook, 2. Jake Allen, 3. Kayden Downing

Pro 250cc:
1. Jarred Brook, 2. Kye Thomson, 3. Tyson Snow

Junior 250cc 4T 13–U16:
1. Billy Van Eerde, 2. Max Whale, 3. Harry Maxwell

Junior 150cc 2T:
1. Bailey Spencer, 2. Max Whale, 3. Billy Van Eerde

8-Lap Junior Lites Challenge:
1. Billy Van Eerde, 2. Harry Maxwell, 3. Cyshan Weale