YAMAHA’S ENDURO-SCENE RUNS DEEP

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Australia’s off-road racing scene wouldn’t be anywhere near as healthy as it is today if Yamaha Motor Australia (YMA) hadn’t committed so much support to it – especially over the past two decades. Of all the motorcycle manufacturers, YMA has been by far the biggest contributor for the last 20 years and, in many ways, has financially underwritten the Australian Enduro Championship (formerly known as the AORC) and the Australian 4-Day Enduro (A4DE). That support has come by way of cash and/or logistical assistance to event promoters, to host clubs and to a large cross-section of teams and riders, and via the race contingency program YMA recently announced would be expanded to all riders, regardless of whether they’re on a Yamaha-supported team or simply racing on a Yamaha.

Last week, Yamaha revealed the rider line-up for its ShopYamaha team who, for 12 years, has headlined Yamaha’s presence in off-road racing circles. And now, Yamaha has confirmed the other off-road riders and teams they’ll be supporting in 2026. Here’s an excerpt of YMA’s PR about those blue-backed teams and riders…

YAMAHA JGR OFF-ROAD TEAM

At the end of the 2025 season, off-road riding legend and multiple time Australian and World Enduro Champion, Jess Gardiner, contemplated her future. She had a massive year competing in all kinds of races in all kinds of places and found herself exhausted and drained. The thought of stopping crossed her mind.

But all it took was a couple of weeks off the bike, and suddenly she was rejuvenated and ready to race again. Since that decision, she has spent every minute of her spare time working on the team or riding her bike as she prepares for another crack at the Australian Enduro Championship in 2026.

She will be back to headline the Yamaha JGR Off-Road Team again; with Jeremy Carpentier tackling the E1 class and assisting with the upkeep of the bikes, while Lorna Lock will fly the flag for the team in the Junior Girls class.

With the departure of Danielle McDonald at the end of the 2024 season (as she took up a ride with Yamaha in the US), Gardiner was out to find a like-minded replacement and Lorna Lock captured her eye. On board a YZ85 and in her first year of doing the compete AEC season, Lock was a revelation taking round win after round win, regardless of the conditions and showed she has a huge future in front of her in racing. Gardiner enjoys the mentoring role she plays with Lock and believes if this young charger continues with the hard work, she will maintain Australia’s place as one of the best female off-road riding nations in the world.

For Gardiner, she knows her racing days are numbered, but whether this is the final year or not is yet to be decided. She will take on an ‘enjoy-the-moment’ attitude for the 2026 season.

“I want to focus on all the good things about racing this year – the joy of riding my bike in some amazing terrain, the satisfaction of working with Lorna and seeing her grow as a rider, and making the team the best it can be,” Gardiner explains.

“Having said that, I have no intention of taking it easy. I still want to win; I still want to put in the work, and I’m preparing as well as I can because this still means so much to me. There are always plenty of challenges to face and every year the level of competition gets better, so I have to be on the top of my game if the championship success is to continue.”

YAMAHA SUPPORT

Yamaha will again offer support to a range of riders competing in the AEC. The Yamaha BLU CRU Support team of Cooper Sheidow, Jett Yarnold and Fraser Higlett will continue for 2026 with all three riders more than capable of pulling off a class win.

With these guys all contesting the E1 division (along with ShopYamaha’s Maximus Purvis), the class will be a sea of blue, and the chance of a Yamaha podium lock-out in the class is a viable option.

Madi Simpson will also work double-time as she does both the WMX and ProMX, as well as the EW class at the AEC. Simpson, the 2024 Junior Girls Champion, stepped up to the Senior Women’s class last year and instantly gave Jess Gardiner something to think about. Now with the full year of experience under her belt, Simpson will be out to dethrone Gardiner in 2026.

GYTR YAMAHA JUNIOR RACING

The YJR duo of Marcus Nowland and Harley Hutton are back in action for the new year. Nowland, who has won several AEC Junior Championships, now moves into the Senior division and will contest the EJ (U19) class. The 16-year-old from Parkes in NSW has stepped up his commitment to racing in 2026 as he will contest not only the AEC, but also other high-profile events such as the Hattah and Finke Desert Races.

Harley Hutton will handle the J4 duties for YJR in his final year of Junior racing. Hutton has moved from racing the YZ125 he was on last year to the YZ250F, and has already seen improvements in his speed and consistency. He will be out for a big year to finish his Junior racing in style.