Canadian Hatton to ride in Morocco

From Team Destination Dakar

Duncan, BC motorcycle racer Don Hatton has entered the 2009 Morocco Rally, set to start Monday (Oct. 19).

This will be Hatton's first competition since he was severely injured on stage 5 of the 2009 Dakar race held in Argentina in January.

“I’m glad to be racing again,” Hatton said. “I just recently got my medical clearance from the FIM – the governing body for motorcycle rally racing including the Dakar – and I am ready to get back racing.”

Hatton competed in the 2008 Morocco Rally, successfully completing the seven-day endurance event in 127th place.

He will be racing for England’s Patzy Quick race team aboard a KTM690. Quick is famous for being the first English woman to complete the grueling Paris Dakar Rally and by being featured in the TV series Race to Dakar.

Hatton is planning to compete in the upcoming Dakar race, which starts Jan. 1. He will be riding a specially prepared KTM motorcycle which will be built in the showroom of Duncan Motorsports, a local motorcycle dealership which Don and his wife Natalie purchased earlier this year.

“We are inviting the public to come and see Bernie my mechanic build the bike to race specifications right in the showroom," Don said. "For anyone interested in motorsports, not just motorcycle racing, it should be very interesting and informative.”

For more information check out www.destinationdakar.com.