AEC Kempsey Wrap
We are right down into the business end of the 2026 Australian Enduro Championships with just two rounds remaining in September.
The weekend past saw the penultimate weekend of the championship take place at a dry and dusty Kempsey with around 300 hundred riders converging on a picturesque property about 15 kilometres out of town.
To view the Yamaha BLU CRU Review of the weekend:
The weekend proved to be a good one for the Yamaha teams and riders and many are now well placed in the championship. The two days of sprints at Kempsey were pivotal in setting up a big Yamaha charge for the final weekend in South Australia.
Wil Ruprecht continued his impressive season with two strong days in the dust. Ruprecht won both the Pro Enduro and the E1 classes on Saturday, then return on Sunday to finish runner up in Pro Enduro and victory in the E2 class. He now needs nothing more than a solid weekend of racing at the final rounds to secure both the Pro Enduro and E2 championships.
Cooper Sheidow and Jeremy Carpentier swapped wins in the E1 class, and both were deep inside the top 10 Outright over the weekend. Carpentier won E1 on Saturday, Sheidow won on Sunday and Sheidow holds the class lead with two rounds to go.
Harley Hutton has upped his game in 2026 and is taking all before him in the J4 class. Hutton was dominant over the weekend and won nearly every test over the two days in his division, some by as much as 20 seconds. He increased his lead in the J4 championship to over 30 points so he can wrap it up on day one in SA.
Jess Gardiner is on track for another championship in the EW (women’s) class. She had an up and down weekend, winning on Saturday, but finishing third on Sunday yet she has been able to maintain a comfortable gap over main rival, and fellow Yamaha rider, Madi Simpson. Simpson finished with 2-2 results at Kempsey and combined with her recent form at ProMX, she looks to be making good strides in her racing.
The wild card in the Women’s event on the weekend was Danielle McDonald. McDonald is currently back in Australia during a break in her US campaign and elected to keep her skills sharp by racing at Kempsey. She had a small fall on Saturday which caused a front brake issue, but was back to her best on Sunday, winning the day in style.
Lorna Lock is a lock for the Junior Girls class. She is a weapon on her YZ85 and gets better with every outing. Yes, she is winning the Junior Girls division with ease, but she now has the boys looking over their shoulder as Lorna piles the pressure on.
The class that is on a knife edge is the EJ (under 19) division. Three riders are a handful of points apart going into the final rounds in SA and if this class is one thing, its inconsistent. GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing’s Marcus Nowland finish the weekend with 3-2 results and is now in third, just six points from the series leader and we are headed for a winner take all show down in a few weeks’ time.
Beaton In the US
Reigning ProMX MX1 champion, Jed Beaton is currently in the US and preparing to contest the final three rounds of the AMA Pro Motocross series.
He flew out just days after the final round at QMP, where Yamaha US have two YZ450F’s ready and waiting for him. He has gone across with his CDR mechanic Jesse Irvine and brother Ross, where they will be based in Florida and spending plenty of time with the Lawrence brothers during their stay.
Beaton will be comfortable on his ride, as many of the parts used on his race bike in Australia were shipped over to give Beaton the best chance of success. His motor and suspension are already in the US and after quickly getting set up, he will line up at Unadilla, Budds Creek and Ironman.
“I haven’t done a lot of riding or racing in the US and it’s something I always have wanted to do, but things didn’t always line up. This year, we have been able to put something together that works and I get to stay in the US for about a month, do some riding with Jett and Hunter as well as do the final three rounds of their championship, so I’m really looking forward to it.
“I don’t have any major expectations, so it will be interesting to see how I stack up. I feel like I have been riding pretty well at home, so I hope to do well, and learn a bit from the Lawrence’s.
“Thanks to the Monster Energy CDR Yamaha team at home as well as Yamaha US for working with me to make this happen and I can’t wait to get behind the gate at Unadilla,” Beaton said.
BLU CRU at MXON
For the last few years, Yamaha Racing hosts the BLU CRU YZ Superfinale in conjunction with the Motocross of Nations and invited Yamaha riders from around the world. Australia was invited in 2024 to the MXoN In Matterly Basin when we sent over Blake Bohannon (65cc) and Levi Townley (125cc) who happened to turn heads and finish 1-2 in their respect classes.
2025 and we sent Bohannon on the YZ85 with young guns Hudson Francis and Stella Harding on YZ65cc machines to the Ironman event in the US and again achieved some impressive results.
Blake Bohannon – YZ125
Jaggar Townley – YZ85
Hudson Francis – YZ65.
With the Townley’s already in Europe, the Aussie boys will fly over the Monday prior to the event, spend a day shaking down the GYTR High-Performance kitted bikes, then get down to business on Saturday in front of a massive audience.
The BLU CRU Supefinale is a massive event for Yamaha and its riders around the world. Thousands of riders are whittled down to just three per country and the get the chance to race on the world's biggest stage with the best riders and teams looking over them. It’s a money can’t buy experience and something that only Yamaha can provide.
A host of European nations are joined by Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, and the United States and to see over 120 Yamaha’s YZs line up in dedicated Yamaha tents, with full catering and support is a sight to behold and one the riders and families never forget. And like previous years, the Anzac team of 2026 will be wearing the colours with pride. Let’s go boys!