YAMAHA SUCCESS AT AUSENDURO KEMPSEY

The newly-minted Australian Enduro Championship thundered through the hills behind Kempsey, New South Wales where over 300 riders tackled the dry and hot conditions to get the 2025 championship under way.

With a new name, some new things behind the scenes and a renewed focus on Outright standings – with the E1, E2 and E3 class riders battling for the title of “Pro Enduro Champion”– as well as their own class championships, the weekend kicked off with all the big guns in big form. In other words, it looks to be a promising season ahead with long battles at the top.

The opening weekend saw two full days of racing, for the opening two rounds of the championship. The AusEnduro season will see out 12 rounds over six weekends, and with several different racing formats including the Sprint format showcased this past weekend, where riders raced the clock over a pre-determined test track for around 10-15 minutes.

ShopYamaha Off-Road Team

Wil Ruprecht made a triumphant return to racing in Australia after five years, with an impressive opening round victory on Saturday. With the dry conditions in the area, the Cross-Country format was scrapped, and in its place was the Sprint that saw Ruprecht come out on top with an eight second gap over Milner in the Pro Enduro class and the E2 division (450cc). Sunday saw the tables turned as the duo elevated themselves from the rest of the pack and traded test wins throughout the day, with Milner coming out on top with a three second victory margin.

Ruprecht:
“The weekend was good for me and a great way to start the championship. There were a few nerves to start the weekend and some refamiliarisation to racing here in Australia and how things are run, but all up, it was a good weekend, and I feel we are well placed to have a good crack at the championship. It was also the first weekend with the ShopYamaha team and things went well. While, we have spent time together testing, racing is always a more intense environment, but everything went well, the bike was good on both days and I leave here pretty confident about where we are at and that we can still improve.”

Will Dennett finished the weekend with 3-4 finishes in the E2 class and 3-4 Outright. The majority of the tests saw Dennett within a handful of seconds of his teammate, and riding with plenty of speed and intensity to run at the front of the pack.

Dennett:
“I worked pretty hard over the off-season with my technique on the bike as well as my fitness so to see it make a difference at the first round of the year is rewarding. I still have a bit to go to be right at the front and a little more consistency but now I feel like I can ride that pace a little more comfortably and on a variety of different surfaces. The bike was awesome all weekend so not need for changes there. I will continue to put in the work leading up to the next round and hopefully I can keep closing the gap on the guys up the front as the championship progresses.”

Yamaha BLU CRU Support
The three-pronged attack faced off against each other in the E1 class (250cc) and finished in 2-3-4
formation all weekend. Cooper Sheidow proved to be the pick of the bunch finishing second on both days behind class winner, Jonte Reynders. Jett Yarnold and Fraser Higlett had mirrored results with Yarnold, taking a 3-4 while Higlett snared a 4-3 in class. Yarnold started the championship strongly and posted top 10 outright times, while Higlett improved as the weekend went on as he settled back into racing environment.

Yamaha JGR Ballard’s Off Road
Jess Gardiner, aiming for another AEC championship, and despite suffering from a cold, started her
campaign well in the heat at Kempsey. With Danielle McDonald racing in the US, many thought Gardiner
would have an easier time in 2025, but WBR Yamaha’s Madi Simpson, fresh out of the Juniors class, took to the queen of off-road with the pair swapping round wins.

In the JGR team, McDonald’s replacement Lorna Lock showcased plenty of skill and determination in the bush. At just 12 years of age and on a YZ85, Lock made her debut with the team on the weekend and finished a respectable third in the Junior Girls on Saturday and took the class win on Sunday.

It was also a welcome return to form for Jeremy Carpentier. After two injury riddled years, Carpentier entered this year with a clean bill of health and was able to run inside the top five in the highly competitive E2 class and top 10 in Outright honours.

GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing
Marcus Nowland took victory in the J4 class on his 250cc machine while being the fastest junior on both days and racking up a 20 second lead on the very first test. Harley Hutton raced his YZ125 in the J3 class for the first time on the weekend, after finishing off 2024 on a YZ85. The move to the 125 has been a good one and he finished the weekend with a 3-2 result in class.

AEC Outright Championship Standings (Post-Round 2)
1. Daniel Milner – 47
2. Wil Ruprecht – 47
3. Andrew Wilksch – 38
4. Will Dennett – 38
5. Korey McMahon – 31
6. Jonte Reynders – 31
7. Jye Dickson – 28
8. Cooper Sheidow – 25
9. Jeremy Carpentier -23
10. Jett Yarnold – 21