Former World Enduro Champion and multi-time AORC winner, Wil Ruprecht, has returned to Australia to contest the newly rebranded Australian Enduro Championship with The ShopYamaha Off Road Racing Team.
After leaving Australian shores at the end of 2018 as the E1 AORC Champion, Ruprecht has enjoyed a successful stint racing the World Enduro Championships, highlighted with a world Championship in 2022, one of only four Australian racers to do so.
But the desire to return to Australia was strong and, Ruprecht has reconnected with his former team, the one that assisted in launching his international career, and will race alongside Will Dennett in the ShopYamaha Off Road Team.
Ruprecht, now 26, will be 450cc mounted and contest the E2 division and will go head-to-head with Daniel Milner in a mouthwatering rivalry for the Australian Enduro Championship.
“I have remained in contact with AJ over the years, and he has been a bit of a sounding board for my career during my time in Europe, so when I mentioned to him that I was thinking of coming home, he was quickly able to get something together for me.
“Europe and racing the World Enduro Championships has been an amazing experience where I have met and worked with some great people and I wouldn’t change it, but the time was right to come back to Australia. AJ always told me something would be here for me when I came back, so I’m excited to work with him again.
“It’s also come at a good time as MA is revamping the Australian Championship with a new look and some changes to the racing, and hopefully, I can assist them in achieving a higher profile for off road racing in Australia.
“So far things are going well and I’m settling back into the Australian way of life, but the opening rounds aren’t too far away so it’s time to get serious and get after it,” Ruprecht ends.
Will Dennett will partner Ruprecht in an all-E2 team for 2025. Dennett continues to develop as a rider, and in only his first year of pro-level racing, Dennett snared third in the E2 division and was a regular top-five outright rider. Still just at the tender age of nineteen, Dennett has youth and speed on his side and will only improve with more experience racing at the top level.
“2024 was a solid first year in E2 and showed that I was capable of racing with the top guys,” Dennett begins. “I still have a lot to learn, but I’m up for the challenge and have set higher goals for 2025.
“Having Wil on the team will also benefit me as I can lean on him and his experience, so I can’t wait to get started and look forward to another great year working with the ShopYamaha crew,” Dennett said.
One name missing from the 2025 lineup is Kyron Bacon. Bacon has been working hard behind the scenes to get an opportunity to race internationally for the 2025 season and has secured a deal that will allow him to take that step.
“Firstly, I would like to thank Kyron and his dad, Andrew, for their efforts over the past few years, and we hope that we have been able to provide him with a platform to race successfully at the highest level,” explains ShopYamaha Team Manager AJ Roberts. “It’s been a long-time goal of Kyron’s, and we are proud to have assisted and supported him on that journey. We know he will do his best and will always be welcomed at our team.
“But it’s team Will for 2025, and we are ready for an exciting year. The rebranding of the championship, plus having Ruprecht back, will only enhance off road racing in Australia, and already, he has been an asset to the team with testing and knowledge.
“We are also looking for big things from Will Dennett. He is just finding his feet in the E2 class and enters 2025 with some much-needed experience and a little more maturity in his riding and training.
Yamaha bLU cRU Support
Yamaha Australia have again put together the bLU cRU Support program for 2025 that will assist off road riders and a vital component of the ‘Step-Up’ program within racing.
The 2025 year will see Cooper Sheidow return, as well as Jett Yarnold, make the transition up from the Under 19 class into E1.
Sheidow, the 2023 E1 champion, had an injury-riddled season that started early in the season and lingered all year. He dealt with two serious injuries, one to his wrist, the other to his foot, but is now hoping he is on top of them and can regain the form that took him to the 2023 Championship.
“Last year was a huge disappointment for me as I missed a lot of racing and was never able to ride at 100% when I could,” Sheidow begins. “But my injuries are getting better, and I have been able to resume a more consistent training program that I will continue to ramp up as the season gets closer.
“But happy to be back with Yamaha and always grateful for the support AJ and the ShopYamaha team provide me,” he said.
Jett Yarnold will take the next step in his career and graduates from the EJ division (U19) to the E1 class for 2025. The 2024 EJ champ showed he will be super competitive in the E1 class based on his 2024 speed and is looking forward to the chance to race at a higher level.
“It’s a big step in speed between the U19 class and the pro classes, but Will Dennett proved that it is possible to be up the front right away. He was the 2023 EJ champ and then went straight into the E2 class and landed on the podium, so I know it’s possible, and I just have to do the work to make it happen,” Yarnold said.
JGR Yamaha Ballards Off Road
Multi Time AORC and ISDE winner, Jess Gardiner and her team are back for 2025 and looking to bring through more female talent. Danielle McDonald will ply her trade in the US next season after being under the guidance of Gardiner for the past few seasons and now she hopes to unearth another undiscovered talent in young female racer, Lorna Lock.
Lock will contest the Junior Girl’s class on a YZ85 and will pit with the JGR team where she will be surrounded by people willing to steer and guide her in the right direction.
Gardiner will also continue her racing and look to another national off-road crown and again be alongside Jeremy Carpentier who assists with testing and machine preparation as well as racing.
Racing combined with a busy schedule of riding schools, campouts and an ambassador role with Yamaha will see the JGR wide open over the next 12 months and flying the Yamaha flag in all parts of the country.
“It’s awesome to be locked in for another 12 months and continue the very successful relationship with Yamaha Australia. Danielle has progressed to race in the US with Yamaha for 2025 and we couldn’t be prouder of her and the role we have played in her success to date but know that this is just the start for her, and she will see a lot more success over the coming years.
“Her moving on has allowed us to bring in Lorna and start the process over again where hopefully she can make her path to success in racing. She is from a committed off-road family and desires to race and win so we look forward to helping her reach the goals she has set for the future.
“And my role within Yamaha continues to grow with coaching, working with the YZ65 Cup, assisting with the Kids Come and Try program at major events as well as my racing. It’s been a great partnership and 2025 already looks like being a super busy year,” Gardiner signs off.
Yamaha will also have further representation in the Women’s and junior divisions for 2025. Madi Simpson will contest the Australian Enduro Championship in the Women’s class with the support of the WBR Yamaha team that will see her compete in both the ProMX and the AEC championships.
Simpson was the winner of the 2024 Junior Girls division and will now go head-to-head with Gardiner in the senior Women’s class.
And the GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing duo of Marcus Nowland and Harley Hutton will be back for 2025 chasing the J4 and J3 championships respectively.
On top of that, Yamaha are again the major sponsors of the newly branded Australian Enduro Championship and have worked closely with Motorcycling Australia to deliver an improved and invigorated off road racing scene.
2025 Yamaha AERC Calendar
Rounds 1-2: March 1-2, Kempsey, NSW
Rounds 3-4: April 5-6, Traralgon, Vic
Rounds 5-6: May 31-June 1, TBA, SA
Rounds 7-8: June 28-29, Casterton, Vic
Rounds 9-10: September 13-14, Kyogle, NSW
Rounds 11-12: October 11-12, Gympie, Qld
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