WILL DENNETT: THE QUIET ACHIEVER

As YMA’s Motorsport Division Manager, Scott Bishop, recently pointed out, “The slogan for this year’s AORC ought to be: ‘IT’S ON FOR YOUNG AND OLD!’,” astutely pointing out the swag of young-punk versus old-vet battles that are set to play out across this year’s Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) classes.

He’s right too. Think about it. For the AORC’s Outright, there’s the Kyron Bacon versus Daniel Milner showdown. In the Women’s class, you’ve got Danielle McDonald versus Jess Gardiner. In E3, there’s the battle between reigning champ, Riley McGillivray, and a host of older big-bore pilots. And in what’s arguably the premier class, E2, we’ll see 18-year-old Will Dennett stepping up to take on vets such as Daniel Milner, Jonte Reynders and 2016 E2 champ, Beau Ralston.

The AORC has been the platform for many Australian riders to establish themselves and go on to have successful racing careers at the elite level, both here in Australia and internationally. The likes of Stefan Merriman, Matt Phillips, Chris Hollis, Toby Price, Daniel Milner, Daniel Sanders, Josh Green and Wil Ruprecht are all products of the AORC over the years. And one rider looking to add his name to that list is 18-year-old, Will Dennett, from Lismore in NSW – the AORC’s reigning EJ (Under 19) class champion.

Dennett has been a long-time competitor in the AORC through his Junior years. But the past two seasons have seen the tall, politely spoken kid from Lismore become a force to be reckoned with, and now – with the full support of the powerhouse ShopYamaha Team – this likeable young bloke is hoping to make the next step in his career in 2024.

Here’s what Dennett had to say in the lead-up to this weekend’s 2024 AORC season opener in Queensland…

Tell us a bit about yourself, Will.
I live near Lismore in NSW and like most young guys in my area, love riding bikes and found I really enjoyed off-road. I did and still do some motocross, but off-road and enduro riding is what I like best and have been racing the AORC for the past few years as a Junior and then in Under 19s.

I did okay in 2022 in the Under 19s. Then last year, I was able to win the class, which was cool and a great reward for my family as things had been pretty tough. We had the floods go through my dad’s business twice in the past 12 months and we lost a lot of stuff, but we managed to keep things going. So, to win last year’s championship was pretty special and huge for my family as they had made plenty of sacrifices to keep me racing.

How does it feel to be on the premier ShopYamaha Off-Road team this year and representing Yamaha in the E2 class?
I have raced Yamaha for some time and AJ Roberts from the ShopYamaha team has always tried to help where he could. I have raced everything from a YZ250F to a YZ250 two-stroke, and then when I got on the new 450 last year, I really felt good on the bike. I found I could ride it faster for longer. I loved riding it!

Yamaha gave me some assistance last year via the bLU cRU support team they started, and I was in the support truck with Cooper Sheidow [the 2023 E1-class champ] and Jett Yarnold [third in the EJ class in 2023] and we had a great time. My results improved and I became more competitive with the guys in the Senior classes. And with Josh Green [the 2023 E2-class and Outright champ] retiring and a spot becoming available in the E2 class, AJ called late last season and asked if I would be interested.

Of course, I was. And now I’m on the team. It’s awesome. My bike is amazing, the team is so supportive, and Yamaha included me in their 2024 WR450F launch a couple of weeks ago, where I got to ride with the media, Yamaha staff some Yamaha dealers. That was a really cool experience.

What are your expectations this year?
I would love to win the E2 class and be in the top-three Outright at the AORC, but I also know there are some really talented riders in the championship and I will need to continue to get better as the year progresses. Last year, I was around the top-five Outright at most of the rounds – apart from the Kyogle weekend, where I was on the podium just behind Kyron – so I know I can do it. I just have to make that happen at every round this year.

Dennett’s not wrong. This year’s AORC promises to serve up great battles. The rider depth is as good as it has been for some time, with up to six riders more than capable of winning a round on any given weekend.

YAMAHA & THE AORC…

For season 2024, Yamaha Racing will again show up in force at the AORC with a range of riders and teams in attendance and competing across a wide range of classes.

• ShopYamaha Off-Road Racing: Kyron Bacon (250cc) / Will Dennett (450cc)
• Yamaha Ballard’s JGR Off-Road: Jess Gardiner and Danielle McDonald (Women) / Jeremy Carpentier (450cc)
• bLU cRU Support: Cooper Sheidow (250cc) / Jett Yarnold (Under 19)
• GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing: Harley Hutton (85cc) / Marcus Nowland (Junior 250cc)

Yamaha also hold the naming right for the championship, a relationship that has continued for over 20 years.