Waters dominates AORC Rounds 5 & 6 in Mendooran

AORC 2022

Rounds 5/6 – Mendooran, NSW

After a three month break  the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship presented by MXstore (AORC) roared back into action for Rounds 5 & 6 of the 2022 racing season in Mendooran, New South Wales (NSW).

Kicking off with Round 5 in Mendooran’s sandy conditions, a long, solid day of racing saw Husqvarna’s Todd Waters (Husqvarna Offroad Racing Team) claim the overall win as well as the E2 victory.

Other class victors included Kyron Bacon (Shop Yamaha Offroad Racing Team) in E1, Andy Wilksch (Simford Racing, Husqvarna) in E3, Kodi Stephens (True Painting, KTM Newcastle) in EJ, Jess Gardiner (Yamaha JGR Ballard’s Off Road Team) in EW, Kane Hall in 2T, Damian Smith in EM and Lee Stephens (True Painting, KTM Newcastle) in EV.

For the Juniors, Seth Burchell (Yamaha Junior Racing Team) won J4, alongside Levi Stephens (True Painting, KTM Newcastle) in J3, Kai Austin in J2, Chase Weston (Tdub, ProCoat Aus) in J1, Danielle McDonald (Yamaha JGR Ballard’s Off Road Team) in JG and Jack Travis Kearney (Climate King, Beard Bros Motorcycles) in JJ.

It was a similar story for AORC Round Six, with Todd Waters again taking the overall win, as well as the E2 victory. Bacon made it a double with another E1 win, Wilksch topped E3, Stephens won EJ, and Taylor Thompson was the EW victor. Kane Hall topped 2T, Damian Smith the EM and Lee Stephens (True Painting, KTM Newcastle) the EV.

Over in Juniors, the victors were Burchell in J4, Ollie Gear (Sinclair Electrical Naracoorte, Limestone Coast Newcastle) in J3, McDonald in JG, Marcus Nowland in J2, Harley Hutton (Yamaha Motor Australia) in J1 and Kye Kinsela (Kinsela Plant Repairs) in JJ.

2022 AORC Round Five – Top 25

2022 AORC Round Six – Top 25

E1 – Round 5

Early leader Kyron Bacon had to overcome a fuel issue, dropping down to near fifth place, before pushing his bike to the absolute limit to regain first place, winning with a total time of 1:44:50.853.

Sam Pretscherer scored himself a well-deserved runner-up result, a minute back from Bacon, while Gas Gas’s Korey McMahon was mere seconds behind Pretscherer.

E1 – Round 5 Top 10

E1 – Round 6

With a total time of 1:08:01.785, Kyron Bacon rode into first place for Round 6, less than two-seconds ahead of Korey McMahon, with consistency and persistence proving the key to success.

Rounding out the podium was Sam Pretscherer, only 17-seconds behind McMahon.

Korey McMahon – P2

“Looking at the big picture it was a pretty good weekend, but it’s bittersweet too. Yesterday I was running comfortably in first until a technical issue cost me. By the time I got going I lost a lot of time, but I was happy to work my way back onto the day’s podium. Today I felt like I rode really strongly and won four of the five tests on one track, but I had transponder issues on the second track and was given a manual time that was 15 seconds slower than Kyron [Bacon] – it was frustrating as I felt I was closer than that. The fast, rough conditions were gnarly today, but I enjoyed it and think it’s great to visit a new venue that sorts everyone out.”

Bacon holds the E1 lead on 150-points to Korey McMahon’s 124, while third placed Blake Hollis is on 110.

E1 – Round 6 Top 10

E1 Standings

E2 – Round 5

Todd Waters was at home on the sandy tracks and it showed, winning Round 5 in E2 as well as the fastest overall time for the day. Josh Green was second in the E2 class, with the final podium spot won by Jye Dickson, who fought off Sherco’s Callum Norton for the bronze.

E2 – Round 5 Top 10

E2 – Round 6

It was another fantastic day for Todd Waters but that doesn’t mean it was easy. Josh Green put on the pressure every single lap, breathing down Waters’ neck. After eight laps and about 128 kilometres though, Waters pushed ahead to win with a total time of 1:05:13.128.

Green was a minute off in second, clocking a 1:06:14.410. The final podium spot went to Jye Dickson over a minute behind Green, but well clear of fourth placed Travis Silk.

Todd Waters – P1

“I’m over the moon with this result! I haven’t had any wins this year, which has been frustrating, so to get two back-to-back wins in off-road is a real achievement as it’s not my natural discipline. Coming off the Hattah Desert Race, we found a very comfortable sand set-up and I felt confident coming into the weekend. Having lived in Lommel, Belgium, for three years during my MXGP career also gave me plenty of experience on how to handle big sand whoops, as well as everything we’ve tackled this year as we get used to the off-road scene. Another big thing is we’ve got a truck now, so the team set-up is definitely building around me and that’s showing in the results. I’ve now got a fire in my belly and confidence in my riding that I’ll carry into the ProMX this weekend, as I try and step up every aspect of my 2022 campaign.”

Fraser Higlett – P5

“It was a tough weekend for me, we weren’t quite as prepared as we needed to be for the sand as it was our first full sand event for the team. Particularly in the tyre selection not running a full sand tyre was a disadvantage as well as not knowing that the track would get as rough and rutted as it did and we had some struggles with suspension set up due the conditions worsening.”

Todd Waters has narrowed down Josh Green’s lead to just 10-points over the weekend, 144-134-points now, with third placed Fraser Higlett on 101-points.

E2 – Round 6 Top 10

E2 Standings

E3 – Round 5

After Jonte Reynders (Motul Pirelli Sherco Team) pulled the rug out from Andrew Wilksch’s feet back in Mackay, Wilksch had a point to prove, taking the win and extending his standings lead. Reynder was runner up ahead of Stefan Granquist who completed the podium.

E3 – Round 5 Top 10

E3 – Round 6

Andy Wilksch screamed across the Mudgee MX and WR450F tracks to claim another E3 win at Round 6, almost 40-seconds faster than Jonte Reynders, with Luke Bunnik a much more distant third.

Stefan Granquist suffered a hard crash while in podium contention, unfortunately resulting in a broken tibia and fibula.

Stefan Granquist

“It was a really up and down weekend. Like a lot of riders, I initially struggled in yesterday’s tighter, sandy loops, but really felt like I was able to put that behind me and put in some good times in the afternoon and finished strong. I came into today feeling good and I was riding really well – I wasn’t taking risks and everything just seemed to be working for me – but got swappy in some fast, sandy whoops and hit a tree really hard. I’m not sure if it was hitting the tree or landing 10m away from my bike, but I broke my tibia and fibula, so I’m currently in hospital getting it checked out. It’s a really disappointing way to finish the weekend, especially as I was right in the zone today and felt like I could’ve pushed for a really good result.”

Wilksch now holds the E3 lead on 147-points, to Jonte Reynders 133, while third placed Granquist is on 116.

E3 – Round 6 Top 10

E3 Standings

EJ – Round 5

Kodi Stephens was the EJ Round 5 winner by over a minute, ahead of Riley McGillivray and Billy Hargy who were separated by 12-seconds.

EJ – Round 5 Top 10

EJ – Round 6

Kodi Stephens won again in the EJ class for Round 6, extending that gap to over a minute and a half, from Bill Hargy and a more distant Riley McGillivray, respectively.

Riley McGillivray now holds a seven-point lead in the EJ standings, over William Dennett’s 122, and Bill Hargy is third on 115-points.

EJ – Round 6 Top 10

EJ Standings

EW – Round 5

Jess Gardiner had her work cut out for her in the EW class, with Meghan ‘Mad Meg’ Rutledge offering plenty of competition. Gardiner clinched the top spot ahead of Mad Meg by six-seconds and KTM’s Emelie Karlsson completed the podium.

EW – Round 5 Top 10

EW – Round 6

Taylor Thompson was the dominant force in the EW for Round 6, winning by almost three-minutes ahead of Round 5’s winner Gardiner, with Karlsson completing the podium.

Emelie Karlsson – P3

“Yesterday I had some really good tests and some proper downers where I had a few crashes, but I was happy to still finish the day on the podium. Today’s courses were really rough and fast, with square edges and roots hiding in sand whoops. It caught a lot of guys out and I just couldn’t get my head around it! I didn’t feel good and was off the pace all day, but I was still able to hold on for another third-place result. When you look at it on paper it was a pretty decent weekend, but I did struggle a lot, especially on today’s stages. I’m looking forward to Nowra in a few weeks time.”

Jessica Gardiner leads the Women’s class 147-points to Emelie Karlsson’s 126. Ebony Nielsen is third on 82.

EW – Round 6 Top 10

EW Standings

2T – Round 5

With a total time of 1:53:26.840, Kane Hall finished well clear of second-placed Brad Hardaker in the Two-Stroke Cup, with Nicholas Stockwell rounding out the top three.

2T – Round 5 Top 5

2T – Round 6

Kane Hall took the Round 6 2-Stroke Cup win from Brad Hardaker once again, with over five-minutes separating the two.

Topping the 2-Stroke Cup standings is Kane Hall with a significant lead, on 150-points, while Brad Hardaker is on 86 in second, and Tom Poole on 65-points.

2T – Round 6 Top 5

2T Standings

EM – Round 5

Damian Smith clocked up an impressive total time of 1:30:32.073, over seven gruelling laps, almost 10-minutes clear of Peter Rudd, who was followed home by Jason Pearce.

EM – Round 5 Top 5

EM – Round 6

It was Damian Smith’s weekend, dominating the Masters field once again, this time creating a solid near nine-minute lead from second placed Jason Pearce. Peter Rudd rounded out the top three.

John Baker leads the Masters standings on 133-points to Peter Rudd’s 125, while Ian Jenner is third on 107.

EM – Round 6 Top 5

EM Standings

EV – Round 5

First place in the Vets class was clinched by household name, Lee Stephens, with a total time of 1:30:17.762. Stephens remained comfortably ahead of the pack all day, the final two podium spots going to Christopher Thomas and Jason Hackett.

EV – Round 5 Top 5

EV – Round 6

Lee Stephens claimed another EV class win thanks to a total time of 1:06:18.984, two-minutes faster than Jason Hackett, who moved on up from third place in Round 5. Christopher Thomas completed the top three, 30-seconds off Hackett.

Leading the Vets standings is Lee Stephens, tied on points with Christopher Thomas, both at 137-points, while third placed Jason Dywer is on 86.

EV – Round 6 Top 5

EV Standings

J4 – Round 5

Leading the Juniors, Seth Burchell claimed first place in the J4 with a total time of 45:03.812, with Davey Gear and Max Locock rounding out the top three.

J4 – Round 5 Top 5

J4 – Round 6

Mendooran clearly offered J4 racer Seth Burchell ideal conditions for success, claiming a consecutive class win, with a total time of 38:55.304. That was almost a minute clear of Davey Gear, with Max Locock a more distant third.

Topping the J4 standings after Round 6 is Davey Gear on 135-points, leading Tate Young (113) and Jett Yarnold (110).

J4 – Round 6 Top 5

J4 Standings

J3 – Round 5

Levi Stephens won the J3 with a 46:26.579, ahead of Ollie Gear and Lachlan Metcalf in the J3 class.

J3 – Round 5 Top 5

J3 – Round 6

Round 6 in the J3 class saw Ollie Gear come out on top for the win, regulating Round 5 winner Stephens to second, while Lachlan Metcalf was again third.

Levi Stephens now leads the J3 class on 137-points from Ollie Gear (130) and Lachlan Metcalf (110).

J3 – Round 6 Top 5

J3 Standings

J2 – Round 5

Kai Austin took the top spot on the J2 podium for Round 5, eight-seconds clear of Marcus Nowland, while Jesse Ryan claimed the final podium spot, 16-seconds further back.

J2 – Round 5 Top 5

J2 – Round 6

Marcus Nowland claimed a hard-fought win in the J2 class for Round 6, finishing the day with a 43:59.984. Round 5 victor, Kai Austin, had to settle for second place 30-seconds in arrears, while the final podium spot was awarded to Oscar Phillips only a second behind Austin.

Marcus Nowland now leads the J2 class (139) from Mason Phillips (118) and Jesse Ryan (112).

J2 – Round 6 Top 5

J2 Standings

J1 – Round 5

Chase Weston won the J1 ahead of Harley Hutton at Round 5, with a total time of 58:08.100 to Hutton’s 58:21.802. Riley Delaney rounded out the podium, half a second clear of Clancy O’Connor.

J1 – Round 5 Top 5

J1 – Round 6

The J1 class saw Round 5’s victor Chase Weston fall to third, while Harley Hutton came out victorious after six laps, finishing with a total time of 47:18.097. Second place went to Riley Delany, who maintained a 30-second lead over the finish line from Weston.

Hutton extended his lead to 147-points in the J1, Weston now sitting on 120-points in second, and Drake Hutton third on 106.

J1 – Round 6 Top 5

J1 Standings

JG – Round 5

Danielle McDonald blasted ahead of the JG competition, with a total time of 50:31.931, claiming first place by almost four and a half minutes. Madi Simpson rode into second with a total time of 55:06.229 and Mia Tongue was third.

JG – Round 5 Top 5

JG – Round 6

Danielle McDonald dominated the JG class at Round 6 too, finishing almost three-minutes clear of second placed Madi Simpson, with Mia Tongue a further three and a half minutes back in third.

Danielle McDonald now leads the JG standings on 150-points, to Madi Simpson’s 132, with Jade Chellas third on 108-points.

JG – Round 6 Top 5

JG Standings

JJ – Round 5

Jack Kearney claimed a comfortable win in the JJ, with a time of 1:11:37.769. Riley Akers and Kye Kinsela (Kinsela Plant Repairs) claimed the remaining podium spots.

JJ – Round 5 Top 5

JJ – Round 6

Kye Kinsela was the dominant JJ force for Round 6, claiming first place with a total time of 56:43.934, and keeping Jamie Madafiglio and Riley Akers at bay by 30-seconds.

Cooper Clarke now holds the JJ standings lead on 133-points, well clear of Alex Burow on 78 and Leo Tripcony on 76-points.

JJ – Round 6 Top 5

JJ Standings

2022 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship

Round 1 & 2: Cherrabah, QLD 19– 20 March, 2022
Round 3 & 4: Mackay, QLD 8 – 9 April 2022
Round 5 & 6: Mendooran, NSW 16 – 17 July 2022
Round 7 & 8: Nowra, NSW 6 – 7 August 2022
Round 9 & 10: Kingston SE, SA 17 – 18 Sept 2022
Round 11 & 12: Wynyard, TAS 8 – 9 Oct 2022