Dan Auricht is to make a return to Off Road Racing at the ARB Pinjarra Engineering Hyden 450, Round 1 of the 2010 Australian Off Road Championship, to be held over the Easter weekend.

Auricht from Alice Springs last raced in 2006 when he drove for the Peter Kittle Motorsports Team. He was the outright winner of the ARB Statewide Group Hyden 400 that year. Since his last race at the Sunraysia 500 in August 2006, Auricht has been very busy with his business and family.

He married Olivia (Liv) in October 2006 and now they have a two year old daughter Mia. Auricht has not been totally void of Off Road as living in Alice Springs it is hard not to be involved with the Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race. Prior to racing there in 2006 in a buggy Auricht had taken part in the Tattersall's Finke Desert Race as a "Bike Rider" seven times, with the best results being a fourth place in the bike category.

Unable to resist the urge to continue Off Road Racing, Auricht purchased a new Jimco chassis from Jimco in America and has been building it up into what he believes will be a very competitive vehicle. The Jimco has been fitted with a Chev SB V8 6litre engine prepared by Craig Carrison Race Engines of Mount Gambier. To manage the engine an Autronic ECU has been fitted along with a Motec Dash Unit and a Motec PDI Module to look after all the fans and pumps.

Auricht commented “we mid mounted the engine to enable us to keep an even balance of weight on all four corners of the Jimco. Craig has done a very good job with the engine, it produces good power across all the range and it feels very strong and drivable. In fact, after the testing we have done at the Alice Springs Off Road Club’s track, I would say that it is easy to drive than the previous V6 turbo I drove.”

“We've completed many miles of testing over several test days without any major problems. At each test we made small adjustments to the Jimco which resulted in improvements every time. Chris Coulthard helped out at some of the test days and drove the car which provided valuable feedback. It's so easy to drive that I just want to keep on driving it. I am seriously looking forward to Hyden and the first race of the Jimco. I plan on having a major attack of the 2010 Australian Off Road Championship, but I also intend on enjoying it and having fun.”

Auricht will be partnered in the Jimco by Grant Connelly as navigator for the 2010 season.  Connelly is an "ex" bike competitor and recently navigated for Hayden Bentley at last year's Tattersall's Finke Desert Race.

Support for the return of Auricht to Off Road Racing comes from Tru Build Constructions, Craig Carrison Race Engines, Auto Sparky, Sporties Cafe and Restaurant, Holcim, GGS, Alice Tinting Signwriter and Alice Paint and Panel.