Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship 2019
Rounds 5 & 6 – Kyogle, NSW Preview
The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) returns from a three-month break this weekend, heading to Kyogle in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, with rounds 5 and 6 to be held over July 20-21.
Much of the AORC field made the trek to the iconic Hattah Desert Race, which took place on the first weekend of July, but heading into this weekend let’s take a quick gander at everything you need to know in terms of the state of play of the championship across all classes.
With riders like Daniel Sanders, Daniel Milner, Kyron Bacon, Blake Hollis, Lee Stephens and Jessica Gardiner all holding perfect 100-point scores, competitors will be itching to end their streaks and mix up those standings. Here’s a look at how the AORC stands heading into the weekend.
E3
In the E3 category, Daniel Sanders holds a clean 100 per cent scorecard having won all four rounds this year. He sits on top of the championship with 100-points locked away as he continues his march towards a second E3 Championship.
Sanders’ victory last time out marked his fifteenth round win in the E3 class and his twenty-eighth podium finish in the category. The last time Sanders raced at Kyogle was back in 2015, when he finished second to his then KTM teammate, Toby Price in both rounds on the Saturday and Sunday.
Fourteen points behind the Victorian rider is Beau Ralston, who has found himself finishing on the podium in four of the rounds with three second positions, at Rounds 1, 3 and 4, while at Round 2 it was third place, when he finished 20.651 seconds behind Andrew Wilksch, who finds himself in fifth place in the championship standings.
In third place and not to be over looked is Jesse Lawton with 72-points, while in fourth place is Matt Murry.
E3 Standings – Top 5
- Daniel SANDERS 100
- Beau RALSTON 86
- Jesse LAWTON 72
- Matt MURRY 68
- Andrew WILKSCH 62
E2
Just like in E3 class, Daniel Milner has made the E2 class his own in 2019, taking line honours in all four rounds proving he is the man to catch this year. Fresh from his recent Hattah Desert Race win, Milner will be looking to extend his championship lead this weekend.
Milner’s closest rival and last year’s E3 champion Josh Green has a question mark on if he will compete this weekend. Green suffered small fractures, a lot of bone bruising and damaged ligaments in his wrist after he fell at the Hattah Desert Race.
With Green potentially out of the game this weekend, Milner will have to focus on keeping Frenchman Jérémy Carpentier at bay, as he sits 22-points behind Milner. A steady start to the year, with three thirds and one fourth, sees the rider eight points ahead of Broc Grabham, while Brad Hardaker completes the top five with 59-points in the bag.
E2 Standings – Top 5
- Daniel MILNER 100
- Joshua GREEN 88
- Jeremy CARPENTIER 78
- Broc GRABHAM 70
- Brad HARDAKER 59
E1
The E1 championship is boiling up nicely with the top four riders covered by nineteen points. At the top of the charts is Luke Styke. The former motocross and supercross ace has taken out all rounds bar Round 2 when he was defeated by Lyndon Snodgrass.
While Snodgrass may be doing the attacking when it comes to trying to chip away at Styke’s championship lead, he is also doing some defending as Michael Driscoll is breathing right down his neck just one point behind in third place.
One slip up this weekend from either Snodgrass or Driscoll, and Fraser Higlett could find himself possibly leaving this weekend in second place in the championship as he only sits four points behind Driscoll and a further five points behind Snodgrass.
E1 Standings – Top 5
- Luke STYKE 97
- Lyndon SNODGRASS 83
- Michael DRISCOLL 82
- Fraser HIGLETT 78
- Jonte REYNDERS 63
EJ
Kyron Bacon has proven that he is the man to hunt down in the EJ division. Bacon has scored four wins four starts in the 2019 season. Playing the second fiddle to Bacon so far has been Joshua Brierley, while Korey McMahon sits in third place in the championship fight after finishing third in all four rounds so far.
The fight is on for fourth place in the championship. Three points separate Cooper Sheidow, who sits on 66-points ahead of Nathan Howe on 65, with Riley Nancarrow in sixth place on 63-points.
EJ Standings – Top 5
- Kyron BACON 100
- Joshua BRIERLEY 88
- Korey MCMAHON 80
- Cooper SHEIDOW 66
- Nathan HOWE 65
Juniors
Moving to the Juniors and first off Blake Hollis has simply crushed his rivals in quest of his J4 championship crown. He heads into this weekend with 100-points to his name after winning all of the first four rounds.
Twelve points behind is Mackenzie Johnson, who has finished second to Hollis in all of the rounds. If Johnson wants to win this year’s title, he has to come up with some sort of plan to put a stop to Hollis… fast.
Rounding out the top five is Cody Chittick, Zac Perry and Oscar Collins. Leading the championship in the J3 class is Riley McGillivray, while Max Phillips holds a one-point lead over Campbell Hall in the J2 class.
J2 Standings – Top 5
- Max PHILLIPS 85
- Campbell HALL 84
- Billy HARGY 70
- Jett YARNOLD 65
- Luke CHELLAS 60
J3 Standings – Top 5
- Riley MCGILLIVRAY 97
- Kodi STEPHENS 82
- Will DENNETT 78
- Maxwell LIEBEKNECHT 65
- Jack BITHELL 61
J4 Standings – Top 5
- Blake HOLLIS 100
- Mackenzie JOHNSON 88
- Cody CHITTICK 70
- Zac PERRY 67
- Oscar COLLINS 65
Womens
Jess Gardiner leads the charge in the Women’s championship, and while it’s still early days in the season she looks like she is on course to claim her record breaking fifth championship title. Playing the bridesmaid to Gardiner at this current stage of the championship is newcomer Emma Milesevic, while snapping at heels is the 2013 champion in Emelie Karlsson.
Womens Standings – Top 5
- Jessica GARDINER 100
- Emma MILESEVIC 82
- Emelie KARLSSON 80
- Ebony NIELSEN 74
- Danielle FOOT 68
Veterans & Masters
Lee Stephens will look to continue his winning ways in the Veterans class. Stephens is yet to be defeated in the 2019 season. Chris Thomas and Paul Chadwick round out the top three respectively.
Leading the merry way in the Masters Championship is Kirk Hutton, who wrapped up round wins in the opening three rounds, but finished second to Brad Williscroft at the fourth round. Hutton heads into this weekend with a healthy thirty-one-point lead over Peter Rudd, with Ian Jenner in third, two points behind Rudd.
Veterans Standings – Top 5
- Lee STEPHENS 100
- Chris THOMAS 78
- Paul CHADWICK 60
- Luke ABLITT 54
- Scott DUNN 44
Masters Standings – Top 5
- Kirk HUTTON 97
- Peter RUDD 66
- Ian JENNER 64
- Craig TREASURE 58
- John BAKER 55
Source: MCNews.com.au