2016 AORC: The Battle Rages On

The seventh and eighth rounds of the 2016 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) will take place at Hedley in Victoria this weekend, and with the first half of the season locked away, the Transmoto 19 & Under Class has been nothing short of exciting so far.

Jai Wedlock (Motul Pirelli Sherco Factory Team, pictured) and Matthew Zygarlicki (Privateer) are two Victorian riders who are looking to record their personal best finishes as they prepare to head to the remote Victorian location this weekend. Wedlock, who currently holds down eighth in the Transmoto 19 & Under Class, says that he’s looking forward to a home-round.

“I had a crash at the start of the season which has set me back, but I have still managed to get some okay results,” Wedlock said. “Everything is going pretty well leading up to the next two rounds in Hedley. I’m looking forward to the cross country round on Saturday, as I really enjoy riding them. This weekend I’ll just have to pace myself and do the best I can the whole way through the race. It’ll be great to be in the sand and be at home. These days, if you make one little mistake, it can cost you the whole day basically, and it’s pretty tough competition out there with everyone being quick.”

Hailing from Yarram, Zygarlicki has had a slow start to the season, but is preparing to come to the seventh and eighth rounds stronger than ever with a top-ten finish in his sights.

“I had to miss the first two rounds because of my work commitments, but the second round at Portland was much better,” said Zygarlicki. “I was able to get some fast times in the sprints and got a few top-fifteen Outright finishes. In South Australia I was able to finish in the top-fifteen for both rounds, so I was pretty happy with my results. This is my first time doing the Australian Off-Road Championship, so at the beginning of the season I was looking at top-twenty Outright positions, so I was pretty happy to get inside the top-fifteen.”

“I think I will do really well in the cross country this weekend; I was able to get a first in similar conditions at my state round, which gives me a lot of confidence,” Zygarlicki continued. “I want to focus on continuing to ride consistent throughout these next two rounds, and am looking for a top-ten finish as I think it’s achievable based off my results from the last rounds.”

Visit the Motorcycling Australia website to stay up to date with the 2016 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, and the Transmoto 19 & Under Class.