AUSENDURO HEADS TO KEMPSEY

Six rounds down, two to go, and the margins are getting smaller by the weekend. The 2026 Yamaha Australian Enduro Championship rolls into Kempsey for Round 9 and 10 with the Pro Enduro title fight between Wil Ruprecht and Korey McMahon still refusing to settle down. With Kempsey marking the penultimate weekend of action on the 2026 AusEnduro calendar, there’s a lot at stake as the pressure continues to ramp up – for not only those looking to consolidate leads but also riders desperate to make up lost ground, setting the scene for an action-packed weekend with plenty of twists and turns. The challenging terrain will also push the riders to the limits as they compete in both cross-country (Saturday) and sprint (Sunday) formats over two days of racing. Here’s the full lowdown heading into Kempsey…

PRO ENDURO

The flagship Pro Enduro outright class has been tantalising, with former world champion Wil Ruprecht (Shop Yamaha Offroad Team) and Korey McMahon (DM31 KTM Racing Team) locked in a mouth-watering battle reminiscent of the 2025 Ruprecht and Daniel Milner arm wrestle. Ruprecht eventually finished second to Milner, but his 2026 response has been outstanding: six successive wins in a row, with McMahon only snapping his golden run at the last round in Casterton. Outside of his breakthrough victory, McMahon’s consistency has been his calling card in 2026 – one more podium than Ruprecht – which is why he heads into Kempsey only 17pts (168 to 151) adridt of his rival.

Jye Dickson (DM31 KTM Racing Team, 121pts), Cooper Sheidow (BLU CRU Yamaha, 114pts) and rookie Kogan Lock (GASGAS, 101pts) also remain in mathematical contention – with Kempsey to decide whether their challenges will be formally extinguished or continue into the season finale in Coonalpyn (SA) on September 5-6.

One rider who has a real X-factor is former ProMX rider Maximus Purvis (Shop Yamaha Offroad Team), who seemingly unlocked the enduro code in Casterton with a bullocking third place on the Sunday. Emboldened after such a standout performance, he could be a real fly in the ointment for riders like McMahon and Dickson.

E1

Sheidow has arguably been the man of the E1 moment in 2026, winning on four occasions with a perfect podium record as he strives to go one better than 2025. It’s a consummate body of speed and defensive work that only Jeremy Carpentier (JGR Yamaha) can lay a glove on, and the pair is separated by 29pts (164 to 135) with four rounds remaining. Stefan Granquist (Triumph, 113pts) and Luke Chellas (KTM, 105pts) are next in a tight battle for third, with Purvis (91pts) also in the scrum.

E2

Ruprecht (172pts) has been the class heavyweight, and if results fall his way in Kempsey there’s a possibility he will leave with an early crowning. Of course, Lock (136pts), who has been selected to make his debut for Team Australia in the 2026 International Six Days Enduro alongside fellow rookies Max Midwinter and Madi Simpson, will be doing all he can to break Ruprecht’s resolve, as well as trying to keep Dickson (128pts) behind him.

Such has been the speed and intensity in 2026, only four riders have finished on the E2 podium across four weekends of racing, with Lyndon Snodgrass (DM31 KTM Racing Team) joining Ruprecht, Lock and Dickson after the Aussie international made a blazing cameo in Casterton.

E3

He may not be making public pronouncements just yet, but McMahon will privately have his sights set on going through the E3 season undefeated, with Kempsey providing the next opportunity to strengthen that claim. On form, Midwinter (KTM) and Broc Grabham (Stark) are the only riders capable of causing a McMahon boilover in Kempsey, with the pair trading second and third places in Roma (Qld), Dungog (NSW) and Queensland Moto Park before Grabham was a Casterton absentee.

EW

Jess Gardiner (JGR Yamaha) just keeps on keeping on, and she’s now on the cusp of her 10th AusEnduro women’s title if she can keep her powder dry. Simpson (BLU CRU Yamaha) continues to be Gardiner’s toughest opposition, and the gap between the pair is only 17pts (166 to 149), while Emelie Granquist (Triumph, 125pts) and Madison Healey (Yamaha, 123pts) are locked in a fierce battle for third.

But one rider who could upset the applecart in Kempsey is the giant spectre of 2024 champion Danielle McDonald (Yamaha Australia), who is making a one-off return before she heads back to America where she leads the Grand National Cross Country Series after a brilliant, hard-charging campaign.

EJ

The race for EJ honours in 2026 has been a cracker, with five separate round winners making for a logjammed leaderboard. Just 21pts separates Bjorn Cardenas (KTM) from sixth-placed Beau Tripcony (Husqvarna), with Marcus Nowland (Yamaha Australia), Mason Phillips (Kawasaki), Kai Auston (Empire Kawasaki) and Oscar Harris (KTM) filling the sandwich – although the absence of Phillips and Tripcony from Kempsey should open things up.