Josh Green clinches outright AORC Championship for 2023

2023 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC)
Rounds 11/12 – Dungog, New South Wales

Images by Troy Pears

Round 11 of the 2023 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship presented by MXstore (AORC) was run under blue skies, in hot weather with plenty of dusty, technical tests for the timecard Enduro.

Dungog’s epic scenery on the opening day was the backdrop for the crowning of six new 2023 AORC Champions: Josh Green (Shop Yamaha Offroad Racing Team) in E2, Will ‘Wonka’ Dennett (Yamaha Australia) in EJ, Jess Gardiner (Yamaha JGR Ballard’s Off Road Team) in EW, Rowan Pumpa (Kessner Motorcycles, Motorex) in EM, Leigh Bentley (Yamaha) in EV and Danielle McDonald (Yamaha JGR Ballard’s Off Road Team) in JG.

Round 11 Senior winners included Kyron Bacon (Shop Yamaha Offroad Racing Team) in E1, Jonte Reynders (Motul Pirelli Sherco) in E2, Stefan Granquist (Husqvarna) in E3, Gardiner in EW, Damian Smith (Husqvarna) in EM, Darren Lloyd in (Husqvarna) EV, Stephen Matheson (Bite Me Bakehouse, SMW Hornsby) in EL and Blake Scott (KTM) in 2T.

For the Juniors, Round 11 winners included Dennett in EJ, Riley Crimmins (KTM) in J4, McDonald in JG, Bradley Rayner (KTM Newcastle, Dungog MCC) in J3, Harley Hutton (GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing) in J2, Darcy Huston (Citycoast Motorcycles, Holeshot graphics) in J1 and Ryder Burchell (McDonald’s Racing Team) in JJ.

The fastest rider of the day, taking the overall was Jonte Reynders 23-seconds clear of Kyron Bacon, who had another 30-seconds on Josh Green.

Racing returned for Round 12, with riders having to endure high heats and dusty, dry tracks,  but when that dust settled Cooper Sheidow (Yamaha) had been crowned the 2023 AORC Champion in E1, Riley McGillivray (Shepparton Motorcycles, KTM) in E3, Craig Treasure (Husqvarna) in EL, Riley Crimmins (KTM) in J4, Bradley Rayner (KTM Newcastle, Dungog MCC) in J3, Mitch Ford (Rynopower Rival Ink DnR Motorcycles) in J2, Chase Weston (Tdub, ProCoat Aus) in J1 and Ryder Burchell (McDonald’s Racing Team) in JJ.

Senior class winners for the day included Kyron Bacon (Shop Yamaha Offroad Racing Team) in E1, Jonte Reynders (Motul Pirelli Sherco) in E2, McGillivray in E3, Jess Gardiner (Yamaha JGR Ballard’s Off Road Team) in EW, Damian Smith (Husqvarna) in EM, Darren Lloyd (Husqvarna) in EV, Stephen Matheson (Bite Me Bakehouse, SMW Hornsby) in EL and Blake Scott (KTM) in 2T.

For the Juniors, the day’s Round 12 winners included Will Dennett (Yamaha Australia) in EJ, Crimmins in J4, Jade Chellas (KTM) in JG, Rayner in J3, Ford in J2, Weston in J1 and Ryder Lambing (GasMoto, Monza Imports) in JJ.

Jonte Reynders made it another overall victory, leading home Kyron Bacon by almost 20-seconds, while Riley McGillivrat rounded out the top three, just clear of Fraser Higlett.

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Who took home the Senior AORC overall victory for 2023? That honour went to Yamaha’s Josh Green, finishing the season on 200-points, fellow Yamaha rider Kyron Bacon the runner up, just two-points clear of Jonte Reynders, 185-183-points. Top-10 below:

Josh Green

“This has been a long time coming and after so many attempts, it’s awesome to finally win an Outright championship. This year has had its challenges with injury after injury and there were even times when I thought me winning Outright just wasn’t meant to be in my career, but the team and I kept working and here we are with the number 1 plate. There are so many people that work behind the scenes to get me on the track and keep me there and they have all played a part in helping me achieve this result. It was cool to have my family here as well as my partner as they don’t go to many races. It was also a good feeling to get it done with AJ. We have been together for a long time as rider and manager and still have a great working relationship. Together we have enjoyed a lot of round and series wins, but I think this is the one we both wanted.”

2023 AORC Outright Results

Read on for more results, standings and the class leaders from each round:

Round 11

Kyron Bacon was on a mission in the E1 class, and claimed the Round 11 E1 class win, while GASGAS rival Korey McMahon just couldn’t quite meet Bacon’s blistering speeds, dropping valuable seconds to finish third. The star of the show was Yamaha’s Cooper Sheidow, who head into Dungog in the E1 lead and looked well placed to clinch the title if he played his cards right at Round 12. He finished Round 11 second in E1.

In the Tefol E2, Green’s consistency all year, battling it out with the likes of Reynders, Andy Wilksch (KTM Australia, Alpinestars) and Jye Dickson (GASGAS), saw him crowned as the 2023 AORC Tefol E2 Champion.

Josh Green – E2 Champion

“I’m just stoked to do it again and be a back-to-back Champion. E2 is always one of the strong classes and this year Jonte, Andy, Fraser and Jye really pushed me. It was a really tough year for me! I want to give a huge shout out and thank you to my Shop Yamaha team, my whole crew, my team back at home, my sponsors and everyone who helped me get to this moment.”

Winning the Round 11 Tefol E2 class was Reynders. The speed demon created a whopping lead ahead of Green, to claim an undisputed first place. Green rode happily into second place, ahead of Dickson.

In E3, less than two seconds separated Granquist and Riley McGillivray (Shepparton Motorcycles, KTM) from the top step. Granquist managed to fight off McGillivray in the heat and the dry track conditions to claim gold. Simford Motorsport Group’s Sam Pretscherer clinched third. Round 12 would be the decider for the class in E3.

Claiming her eighth Australian Championship title, Gardiner won the show with another EW class victory. Ebony Nielsen (Beta) finished second ahead of Husqvarna’s Emelie Karlsson.

Jessica Gardiner – EW Champion

“I’m 30 years old now and to get my eighth title is pretty special. It’s been a big year, especially after just coming back from Portugal and wrapping up another Aussie title. Thank you to everyone who supports me, you’ve all become like family to me. Today was quite dusty and the club did an awesome considering all the conditions. It was really fun to do a traditional Enduro to cap off the season.”

The man of the moment in EJ was William Dennett as he celebrated both the 2023 EJ Championship title and the Round 11 class win. Dennett beat Billy Hargy (Husqvarna Offroad Racing Team) to the punch, putting a sizeable distance between them to win. Rounding out the podium in third was Jett Yarnold (Yamaha Australia, Yamalube).

William Dennett – EJ Champion

“I would like to thank my dad in particular, he’s always been there to support me, help me and I believe he’s the reason I’m here today celebrating my first Australian Championship title. Today’s racing was great. The tracks got rougher throughout the day and as it got rougher, I felt more comfortable. Tomorrow I’ll go and have fun and definitely still aim for the win.”

He may have finished second for Round 11 but Bentley’s consistency all season long won him a deserved 2023 AORC EM (Masters) championship title. Winning the round was Smith, Sam Miller (Hartley Service Centre, KTM), rounding out the podium.

In the Veterans class, Pumpa settled for second for the round, but his steadfast presence on the podium all season saw him win the 2023 AORC EV Championship. The round win went to Lloyd, Brett McDonnell (KTM) rounding out the podium.

Matheson just couldn’t be beat in Enduro Legends class, creating a near one-minute lead from Craig Treasure (Husqvarna). Rounding out the podium was Jason Pearce (KTM).

Scott claimed the top step in 2T, ahead of Tim Newman.

The Enduro Women’s Development class saw Shaylynne Kuhnke (Yamaha) top the class after six tests.

Crimmins won J4, beating Jackson Versteegen (Savage Motorcycles, Michelin) and Ryan Jordan (NW Motorcycles D Signs).

In JG, McDonald claimed her second title as well as the JG round win. Jade Chellas (KTM) finished second and Amity Cork (Corkys Electrical, Beta) completed the podium in third.

Danielle McDonald – JG Champion

“I had a crash on Saturday and gave my knee a bit of a jolt, so we elected to sit today out. With races in Argentina and the US coming up and the championship already won, we felt it was best to give it some rest and not risk hurting it more. Luckily, I was able to win the championship yesterday and it was nice of the team and my family to celebrate with me. They all make so many sacrifices so my brother and I can race and they put so much effort in to help in our success.”

Rayner protected his position in J3, bringing the success from Kyogle down to Dungog, mere seconds ahead of Dylan McDonald (McDonald Racing). Rounding out the podium was Cooper Boyd (Port Macquarie Motorcycles, Mid Coast Bearings Taree), fighting off Oscar Harris (Simford Group Motorsport) for the final step.

Yamaha’s Hutton claimed a strong win in J2, with more than a minute ahead Harry Hubbard (Tdub, QB4), who led home Kai Austin (Wauchope Concrete, RSM Motorcycles).

Huston claimed the round J1 victory, ahead of Phoenix O’Brien (Inix Group, Montdami Bongiorno). Rounding out the Round 11 J1 podium was Chase Weston (Tdub, ProCoat Aus), managing to fend off Levi Rossi (Paint Tech SA, Kessner Motorcycles) and Cooper Clarke (Maiden Homes, KTM).

It was action-central in JJ, as Burchell tangoed with Ryder Lambing and Maxi Harris for the top step. Like Groundhog Day, you might remember that this is the same podium from Kyogle from Round 10. Burchell clinched first, Lambing second, Harris third.

Round 11 Senior Top 20

E2 (220cc-250cc 2/ & 275cc-450cc 4/) Results

E1 (100cc-200cc 2/ & 150cc-250cc 4/) Results

E3 (290cc-500cc 2/ & 475cc-650cc 4/) Results

EW (Women) All Powers Results

EJ (16 to U18) All Powers Results

Round 12

Finishing third for Round 12 was enough to see Sheidow crowned 2023 AORC E1 Champion, while the round win went to Bacon, ahead of GASGAS’s Korey McMahon.

Cooper Sheidow – E1 Champion

“I’m a bit speechless at the moment, this is the first national championship I have ever won,” he said. “I made a change to Yamaha at the start of this season and it’s been unreal as they have supported me in racing and the assistance AJ has offered has been amazing. Korey and I have had a great battle all year and it’s been good racing him. We both got a bit lucky when Kyron Bacon got injured but we kept in the fight all year and I finished nearly every round on the podium and my bike didn’t miss a beat. Thank you to the AORC people for putting the series together, WSB distributors, Yamaha, AJ as well as my family for all the effort they put in. It’s cool to win it for them as well as me.”

Korey McMahon

“I struggled a lot this weekend. I had a decent get-off early on Saturday and banged the body up a little bit, so that made it a tough day on the bike. Neither day was much chop, but I was able to finish second in class today, and finish second in the championship. While that was better than Saturday, it wasn’t what I was chasing. The weekend wasn’t much to rave about, but it is what it is, and it was generally a really positive year for us.”

With the Tefol E2 Championship decided the day prior, you’d think the heat would have died down but that was not the case. Reynders was on fire as he pushed his Sherco to the limit, clocking in the fastest overall time for the day and the Round 12 win.

Finishing second was Fraser Higlett (Beta Motorcycles Australia) just beating Andy Wilksch (KTM Australia, Alpinestars) and Jeremy Carpentier (Yamaha JGR Ballard’s Off Road Team).

It came down to the sixth and final test to decide who would come away with the coveted 2023 AORC E3 Championship title. and congratulations went to McGillivray, taking both the Championship and Round 12 victories. Stefan Granquist (Husqvarna) fell mere seconds short of the glory in second, Sam Pretscherer (Simford Motorsport Group) third.

Riley McGillivray – E3 Champion

“It was a stressful weekend here for the final rounds, as I needed at least a first and a second to win. After finishing second yesterday, it came down to the wire, with just one point in it. I was a bit frustrated yesterday that I wasn’t quick enough, so I made sure I came out of the gates swinging today! I put some good tests in and built a gap, and was able to maintain that to the end. It blows me away to think that the title came down to a matter of seconds after a full year of racing, but I couldn’t be happier to take the win.”

The tough and technical tracks suited eight-time EW Champion Gardiner, who seemed at home in the dusty, dry and hot conditions as she came away with another class win. Ebony Nielsen (Beta) rode into second, Husqvarna’s Emelie Karlsson took out third.

Jess Gardiner – EW Champion

“I need a rest, we spent the last couple of weeks racing in 30-degree heat in Portugal, returned home to hot conditions here and had to race all weekend in Dungog, so I think I’m done. It’ s been a hectic year for myself and Jeremy with racing in Europe and Australia and to finish the year with another AORC championship to add to my second place in the World Championship makes it all worthwhile. We have some great people behind us that support what we do and it’ s not over yet. I will take a couple of days off before we get ready to head over to Argentina for the ISDE and hopefully we can get another World Women’s Title to really make 2023 a year to remember.”

After eight tests EJ Champion Dennett managed to hold off Billy Hargy (Husqvarna Offroad Racing Team) to clinch another class victory. Rounding out the podium was Yamaha’s Jett Yarnold.

Wil Dennett – EJ Champion

“I’m pumped to get the win. I worked really hard in the pre-season, and I just love riding the YZ450F and I think those two things were what elevated me this year. Each round I was able to get a little bit closer to the guys at the front and I was able to learn as the year went on as well. Having Josh Green and Kyron around us when we walk the tests has been cool and all the Yamaha guys get on well, so it’s a fun environment to go racing. Thanks to my Dad for all the work he puts in as well as Yamaha for their support his year as its really helped us to keep racing after the floods in Lismore did so much damage last year.”

Smith once again claimed an undisputed first place finish in EM, nearly two-minutes ahead of 2023 EM Champion, Leigh Bentley (Yamaha). Finally, Sam Miller (Hartley Service Centre, KTM) earnt himself bronze.

It was a battle of consistency and perseverance in EV, as Lloyd and Rowan Pumpa battled it out for gold. After six tests Lloyd just couldn’t be beat. Rowan Pumpa (Kessner Motorcycles, Motorex), our 2023 EV Champion, settled for silver, third clinched by Brett McDonnell (KTM).

It was a repeat of Round 11 in EL, Matheson claiming the top step ahead of Craig Treasure (Husqvarna) and Jason Pearce (KTM).

Scott once again took out the top step in 2T ahead of Tim Newman (Clearview Innovations, GASGAS).

The heat was palpable in J4 as Crimmins fought tooth and nail to ensure he claimed the 2023 AORC J4 Championship title. Right behind was Jackson Versteegen (Savage Motorcycles, Michelin), Tomas Porto (Empire Kawasaki, Onpoint Suspension), settling for third.

Round 12 looked a little different in JG – Chellas on the top step to cap off a strong 2023 season for the KTM rider. Rounding out the podium was Sinead Maher (Simford Group Motorsport) and Amity Cork (Corkys Electrical, Beta).

It came down to the wire in J3 for the Championship title, as Rayner and Dylan McDonald (McDonald Racing) tangoed for the top step. The win going to Rayner. McDonald second, Ollie Gear (Limestone Coast Motorcycles, Yamaha Australia) flew up the leader board today to claim third place.

2023’s AORC J2 Champion took out both first place in Round 12 and the 2023 season title, congratulations going to Mitch Ford on the great weekend of racing. Harley Hutton (GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing) settled for second ahead of Harry Gilbertson (Brandt John Deere, Sears Electrical).

Weston Chase took out the top step of the Round 12 podium and after eight tests also collecting the J1 title, beating Phoenix O’Brien (Inix Group, Montdami Bongiorno), while Levi Rossi (Paint Tech SA, Kessner Motorcycles) rounded out the podium.

In JJ the Champion of the hour was Burchell who finished another hard slog of timecard Enduro racing to win himself the 2023 JJ title. The Round 12 podium was clinched by Burchell’s familiar rival, Lambing. Lambing blitzed a trail all day, behind Lambing in second was Maxi Harris (Morgans Financial Port Macquarie, KTM). Harris managed to protect his silver place finish for Round 12 ahead of the 2023 Champion by less than 10-seconds.

Final Championship Standings after Round 12

As a quick recap and run-down of the final standings of the 2023 AORC, we saw Josh Green taking out the overall, ahead of Kyron Bacon and Jonte Reynders.

Cooper Sheidow was the E1 champion, Korey McMahon and Kyron Bacon only four and six-points off respectively. Josh Green also took out the E2, ahead of Jonte Reynders and Jye Dickson.

The E3 title went to Riley McGillivray, Stefan Granquist second and Samuel Pretscherer third. Jessica Gardiner was well in the clear in taking the EW title, followed by Emelie Karlsson and a more distant Ariana Collins.

Stefan Granquist – E3 P2

“It’s pretty heartbreaking to come so close to claiming the E3 title this year. I came into the weekend confident and had a great day on the bike yesterday, but today I came up just seconds short. If nothing else, it’s really lit a fire in me to make sure I go one spot better next year. For now, we’ll enjoy a break after what’s been a pretty tough – and rewarding – year of racing.”

Emelie Karlsson – EW P2

“Second in points was a good result for this season, even though two third-place finishes at Dungog isn’t where I wanted to be. I had a comfortable points gap over third in the championship, so I just tried to stay smooth and keep the mistakes to a minimum this weekend. Conditions were dusty and technical, and usually I enjoy that type of riding, but I struggled to find a consistent rhythm over both days this weekend.”

The EJ title went to William Dennett, Bill Hargy and Jett Yarnold second and third respectively.

Chase Weston took out the J1 Championship, ahead of Levi Rossi and Darcey Huston. In J2 the title went to Mitch Ford just a point clear of Harry Gilbertson, with Kai Austin third.

Bradley Rayner took out the J3 class by three-points from Dylan McDonald, Ollie Gear a more distant third. Riley Crimmins is the J4 champ for 2023, Jackson Versteegen second and Davey Gear third.

Danielle McDonald won the JG class, Jade Chellas second and Madi Simpson third. Shaylynne Kuhnke took out the Women’s Development class, Jessica Mifsud second, Gemma Rankine third.

Ryder Burchell took the JJ overall win, Ryder Lambing second, and Zain Lennon a distant third.

Top of the Legends class was Craig Treasure, Jason Pearce second and Stephen Matheson third. Leigh Bently won Masters, Loui Stylianou second and Damian Smith third. Rowan Pumpa was well out in the lead in the Veterans class, Josh Murphy second and Darren Lloyd third.

Finally Tim Newman took out the Two-Stroke Cup, Blake Scott second and Ben Bertinazzi third.

Round 12 Senior Top 20

E2 (220cc-250cc 2/ & 275cc-450cc 4/) Results – Top 10

E1 (100cc-200cc 2/ & 150cc-250cc 4/) Results – Top 10

E3 (290cc-500cc 2/ & 475cc-650cc 4/) Results – Top 10

EW (Women) All Powers Results – Top 10

EJ (16 to U18) All Powers Results – Top 10

2023 AORC Standings after Round 12

E1 Standings – Top 10

E2 Standings – Top 10

E3 Standings – Top 10

EW Standings – Top 10

EJ Standings – Top 10