MANI TO RACE 2024-MODEL KTM 300EXC?

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s 25-year-old Manuel Lettenbichler will kick off his title defence of the seven-round FIM Hard Enduro World Championship this week, when racing gets under way at Round 1 in Serbia. And is that a 2024 KTM 300EXC he’ll be aboard? It sure looks like it, complete with a TBI (Throttle Body Injection) EFI system, electronic power-valve and all-new frame, subframe and bodywork – along with a smorgasbord of KTM Powerparts and a WP XPLOR Pro fork and shock, that is!

Here’s an excerpt from KTM’s PR about Lettenbichler kicking off his HEWC campaign…

This week, Manuel Lettenbichler will get his 2023 season underway with the first round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship (HEWC) – the Xross Hard Enduro Rally in Serbia. The event marks the first race of this year’s seven-round series, which concludes with the young German’s home race, GetzenRodeo in November. Among the championship’s highlights, both Red Bull Erzbergrodeo and Red Bull Romaniacs will take center stage – two of Mani’s favorite events and races he will be fired up to win this year.

After Lettenbichler’s 2022 HEWC season started late due to injury, he soon made up for it by winning all but two of the races he entered, completing the season with a seven-point advantage. Heading into the start of the 2023 championship, Mani is ready and focused on getting his year off to the perfect start with success at round one in Serbia.

Manuel Lettenbichler: “Last year started tough – I missed the first round due to injury and came into the championship with little in the way of expectations, I just wanted to get back to racing. To then complete the season and go home with a world title was a really special moment – one that will always remind me to never give up. Now, looking ahead at this season, I’m definitely better prepared and that really helps my confidence, but I also have a lot more experience now, too. I might only be 25, but I already feel like an old guy in the paddock, and I think it’s that experience that helps me to overcome any unexpected challenges through each season. Anything can happen in racing, especially in hard enduro, so being able to stay focused is key, no matter what. The team I have working alongside me are great, and that’s really important when you are racing and traveling like we do. Everyone works so hard towards a common objective, and it feels great when it all pays off. The goal for this year is simple – go out, have some fun, and try and repeat what we did last year. Hopefully we can win the title again, but as always, my plan is to take things race by race and above all, enjoy it.”