RUPRECHT SECURES PRO ENDURO CROWN

Here’s the class-by-class wrap-up from the final rounds of the 2026 Australian Enduro Championship, held at Coonalpyn over the weekend…

Wil Ruprecht has completed a stunning season in the 2026 Yamaha Australian Enduro Championship presented by MXstore (AusEnduro), clinching the Pro Enduro title after an eventful Sunday in Coonalpyn (SA) on September 6.

After main rival Korey McMahon (DM31 Racing KTM), who had dominated Saturday’s three-hour cross-country race, crashed heavily early on Sunday and was forced to retire, the spoils were already Ruprecht’s.

The ShopYamaha Off Road Team was then able to dial back the intensity and just enjoy the ride, wrapping up the ‘best of the best’ title after leading from the very first round of the season.

Although the in-form McMahon had some Yamaha nerves jangling in Coonalpyn, ultimately it was Ruprecht’s speed and consistency across the 11 AusEnduro rounds which were his ticket to success as he claimed the gold medal by 28pts (249 to 221) over McMahon, followed by Jye Dickson (DM31 Racing KTM, 210pts), Cooper Sheidow (BLU CRU Yamaha, 177pts) and Kogan Lock (GASGAS, 174pts).

Wil Ruprecht: “I hope Korey is okay and congratulations to him on a great season. He was riding well this weekend and unfortunately went down in the first test, so it’s not the way I wanted to win it. For me, it certainly wasn’t my best weekend in terms of riding as Saturday was a real fight to get any flow in my riding and I used a lot of energy. But I got up Sunday and ready to go as Korey was always going to be fast. Once he was out of racing, there was no point doing anything silly, so I rode at a comfortable pace and worked my way through the day. My goal at the start of the year was to win both classes (E2 and Pro Enduro), and it feels good to make that a reality. The team has done an enormous amount of work and supported me well, throughout the season and thanks to them for showing up and putting in 100 per cent every week. It’s been a while since I have won an Australian Championship, so we will enjoy this one.”

Sheidow (E1), Ruprecht (E2) and McMahon (E3) were among seven riders to wrap up AusEnduro titles in what was a Super Saturday in South Australia, while on Sunday Jess Gardiner (EW) and Kai Austin (EJ) completed the catalogue of 2026 champions.

PRO ENDURO

McMahon’s mastery of the Coonalpyn sand in Saturday’s cross-country – in similar conditions to the Hattah Desert Race, which he won in 2026 – set the scene for a pulsating Sunday, but the sting soon went out of it after McMahon’s heavy crash in the first of the sprints.

McMahon did remount to finish the stage before calling it a day, but the Pro Enduro title was now Ruprecht’s regardless of how the balance of the day transpired.

Ruprecht finished the sprints in fourth behind Dickson, Lock and Jake Henderson (KTM), and on Saturday it was Dickson who followed home McMahon in the cross-country with Lock third ahead of Liam Mason (KTM) and Ruprecht.

E1

Sheidow (261pts) and Jeremy Carpentier (JGR Yamaha, 226pts) were the class acts in E1 all season, winning nine of the 11 rounds between them, while the battle for third went down to the wire with Luke Chellas (KTM, 172pts) just edging out Stefan Granquist (Triumph, 171pts) for bronze.

Chellas went 4-6 in Coonalpyn compared to Granquist’s 5-8 scorecard, while Jackson Versteegen (KTM) and Jett Yarnold (Yamaha) were the other podium finishes behind Sheidow (1-1) and Carpentier (2-2).

It was Sheidow’s second E1 championship, with the first one coming in 2023.

E2

Ruprecht only had to keep his powder dry on Saturday to wrap up E2 – his first AusEnduro championship since E1 in 2017 – as he finished with 4-4 results in Coonalpyn while Dickson (1-1) and Lock (2-2) were the pacesetters.

Dickson had the bit between his teeth on both days, while Lock produced his most impressive outing in a sizzling rookie season – which has been rewarded with Team Australia selection for the 2026 International Six Days Enduro.

Mason and Henderson were third on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Ruprecht finished on 258pts ahead of Dickson, Lock (218pts), Oliver Paterno (Yamaha, 167pts) and Henderson (166pts).

E3

As well as putting a dent in his Pro Enduro aspirations, McMahon’s Sunday crash also scuppered his chances of going through the E3 season undefeated.

His explosive form on Saturday – a nearly 13-minute victory over Max Midwinter (KTM) as he wrapped up the championship in style – showed all was on track for a whitewash, but the fairytale wasn’t to be as Riley Graham (KTM) took full advantage of McMahon’s DNF to win the final battle of the season.

Graham (3-1) was the overall winner in Coonalpyn from Midwinter (2-2) and Harrison Baker (GASGAS, 4-3), while McMahon won his fourth AusEnduro title on 250pts ahead of Midwinter (234pts), Broc Grabham (148pts), Max Rikys (142pts) and Trent Puddy (122pts).

EW

Gardiner’s road to a 10th EW title wasn’t all plain sailing after a big crash and bike troubles on Saturday saw fellow Yamaha rider Madi Simpson close to within 16pts.

But the tireless veteran quickly shut down any talk of an upset on Sunday when she slotted straight into second behind Rachael Archer (JGR Yamaha). And that’s where she remained, as she closed out another successful season on 251pts from Simpson (231pts) and Madison Healey (KTM, 192pts).

Archer (1-1) again stole the show as the New Zealander completed another clinical cameo, while motocross star Emma Milesevic (Honda, 2-3) and Simpson (3-4) were also in the thick of the action.

EJ

Celebrations for Austin, whose 2-3 results saw him clinch the title in his first season in the 16-U18 class.

Austin finished on 217pts ahead of Marcus Nowland (Yamaha, 196pts), turning the tables on last year’s J4 result where Nowland was the victor. Bjorn Cardenas (KTM, 194pts) finished third.

Jackson Rossi (KTM, 3-1) was the top scorer in Coonalpyn from Austin and Oscar Harris (KTM, 1-5).

And that’s a wrap on the E2 and E3 classes as we know them. From 2027, AusEnduro switches to a revamped all-powers Pro Enduro class and E1 becomes Pro Lites – which means Ruprecht and McMahon are the last riders who’ll ever be crowned Australian E2 and E3 champions. Not a bad line to have on the CV.