The setting for Round 9 of the 2023 Australian Off-Road Championship in Kyogle, NSW, offered plenty of action scorching sun and a parched dusty landscape.
After a gruelling day on the track, the standout performers on the WR450F test were Kyron Bacon in E1, Jonte Reynders in E2, Stefan Granquist in E3, Jess Gardiner in EW, Will Dennett in EJ, and Riley Crimmins in J4.
On the challenging Offroad Advantage test, Damian Smith emerged as the victor in EM, while Darren Lloyd conquered EV. Michael Byrnes triumphed in EL, and Ben Bertinazzi secured the win in 2T.
Turning to the junior categories Danielle McDonald shone in JG, Bradley Rayner impressed in J3, Harley Hutton showcased his skills in J2, Levi Rossi dominated in J1, and Ryder Burchell took the spotlight in JJ.
The fastest overall time of the day was claimed by Kyron Bacon, completing the course in a total time of 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 39.485 seconds. A special mention goes to Will Dennett, who finished a mere 0.077 seconds behind Bacon.
E1
Just like in Round 8, Kyron Bacon just couldn’t be beat in E1. The Tasmanian was quite clearly unfazed by the hot weather and tricky tracks, utilising his invaluable patience to win gold. With a total time of 1:03:39.485, Bacon finished in first with a lead on second place by nearly one-minute.
Korey McMahon took out second place, fending off Cooper Sheidow for silver. Although an NSW local, McMahon couldn’t find the right groove to knock Bacon off the top step in time. Sheidow settled for third place, beating the likes of Kawasaki’s Will Price and Yamaha’s Scott Keegan for the final podium spot.
Tefol E2
Motul Pirelli Sherco’s Jonty Reynders carried over his success in Keyneton into Kyogle as he clinched another coveted Tefol E2 win! The Tasmanian local was on fire today, screaming across the seven-kilometre test to absolutely blitz the competition.
Reynders finished in first place today, with just over 20-seconds up his sleeve.
Current Tefol E2 Championship leaderboard holder, Josh Green took out second place today. Thanks to the challenging heat and slippery tracks, the Shop Yamaha Offroad Racing Team rider finished today with a total time of 1:04:23.474.
Rounding out the Tefol E2 podium was Andy Wilksch. Wilksch secured his third place position thanks to a total time of 1:04:41.072. Wilksch beat the likes of Fraser Higlett and Jye Dickson for the final podium spot.
E3
Stephan Granquist has enjoyed a fantastic win in Kyogle for E3 thanks to a total time of 1:05:43.031. An NSW local, the conditions and weather clearly suited him for Round 9.
Behind Granquist by just over 10-seconds, in second place today was Riley McGillivray. With a total time of 1:05:53.214, McGillivray demonstrates his pure prowess in Enduro racing as he continues to grow. We’re all waiting now to see how fierce the competition will be tomorrow, as McGillivray works to dethrone Granquist. Sam Pretscherer secured bronze, thanks to a total time of 1:06:55.758.
EW
True to form and continuing her winning streak, Jess Gardiner took out the Round 9. Although it featured super technical sections and dust aplenty, Gardiner comfortably stayed at the front all day long. The Yamaha boarded racer finished today with a total time of 1:15:14.251.
Behind Gardiner in second was Queensland’s Ebony Nielsen. With a total time of 1:15:49.832, Nielsen seemed very at home in the dusty, tricky and slippery conditions. Rounding out the EW podium today was Emelie Karlsson. Clinching bronze thanks to a total time of 1:16:32.145.
EJ
It was Will Dennett who claimed the EJ victory in what was a sight to see, proving that you can absolutely demolish the competition even if you’re over six feet [and counting]. Dennett clocked off today with a total time of 1:03:39.562, fronting EJ with a lead of just under three-minutes.
Billy Hargy had a fantastic day, jumping up into second place with a total time of 1:06:28.273. Another NSW local, Hargy has been a solid presence at the front of the EJ pack all season long.
Finishing in third today was up and comer, Jett Yarnold. It’s no surprise the Yamaha riders finished in third. Yarnold clocked off today with a total time of 1:07:07.828.
EM (Masters)
It was Cool Runnings for Damian Smith, as he claimed the EM Round 9 win on the Offroad Advantage test. With a total time of 43:04.925, Smith lead the charge all day as he clocked in red hot test after test. After six tests, Smith finished more than two-minutes ahead of second place.
It was familiar favourite, Leigh Bentley who finished in second. With a total time of 45:54.427, Bentley just couldn’t get past Smith for the top step, conceding instead for silver. Rounding out the EM podium today was Sam Miller, thanks to a total time of 46:41.990.
EV (Veterans)
NSW’s Darren Llyod claimed an exciting victory in EV. After six tests and a total time of 43:03.355, he separated himself from the pack to lead by more than one minute.
Ben McDonnell rode into second place for Round 9, keeping current EV leader board holder, Rowan Pumpa at bay by just shy of 15 seconds. Pumpa conceded for third place, retaining valuable points to protect his standing. McDonnell and Pumpa clocked off today with respective total times of 44:21.699 and 44:36.045.
EL (Enduro Legends)
It was action packed in EL, with seconds separating most of the top five line-up! Coming out victorious after six goes of the Offroad Advantage test was Michael Byrnes, who finished with a total time of 46:04.552.
Behind Byrnes in second place was Zac Williams. With a total time of 47:19.950, Williams just made it onto the second step, with just over three seconds to spare. Grant O’Brien conceded for third place behind Williams, with a total time of 47:23.037. O’Brien also fought off the likes of Craig Treasure and Robert Dummer for the bronze.
2T
Over in 2T, Ben Bertinazzi utterly smoked the competition. With a total time of 43:44.751, Bertinazzi finished six tests with a huge lead of just over seven minutes. Blake Scott claimed silver, ahead of Tim Newman in third. Their respective total times were 51:15.787 and 51:47.391.
EWD (Enduro Women’s Development)
The EWD class tackled a hard day on a super technical test. After six test laps though, Shaylynne Kuhnke clocked in the fastest time of 55:18.829. She was followed by Gemma Rankine and Emily-Rose Higgs for the second and third fastest times, respectively.
J4
Carrying his glory from Keyneton into Kyogle, Riley Crimmins has once again claimed the J4 win. With a total time of 1:10:15.302, Crimmins comfortably led the charge in J4, clocking off after five tests with a lead of over two minutes!
Behind Crimmins in second place was Jackson Vertseegen, who has jumped up from his third-place finish back in Keyneton. Rounding out the podium for Round 9 was Tomas Porto, thanks to a total time of 1:13:32.603.
JG
She just seems unstoppable, Danielle McDonald has taken out another JG class win, finishing the round with a total time of 57:01.275. Clocking in blistering test times all day, McDonald just couldn’t be beat as she created more than a two-minute lead from her competition.
Madi Simpson once again claimed second place. Simpson clocked off five tests with a total time of 59:19.562. Her determination all day ensured she kept well ahead of the remaining JG pack. In third was Jade Chellas. After five tests, Chellas clocked off with a total time of 1:06:41.837.
J3
It was a battle right up until the fifth test in J3. After a long, hot day, Bradley Rayner claimed the victory with a total time of 56:41.936. Just 5.159 seconds in front, Rayner had his work cut out for him all day as he tussled with Ollie Gear.
Gear conceded for second place today, with a total time of 56:46.777. Considering that Gear has consistently sat in first place all season long, we’re expecting Gear to come into Round 10 with a point to prove. Dylan McDonald claimed the third and final podium spot. After five goes across the tests, McDonald clocked off with a total time of 57:38.134.
J2
It was a fierce battle in J2 for Round 9 glory! After five hard laps under the hot NSW sun, Harley Hutton claimed glory by a mere .535 second lead ahead of Mitch Ford. Ford claimed second place thanks to a total time of 59:29.574.
The third and final spot was clinched by Harry Gilbertson, who rode in right behind the feisty duo in first and second. Gilbertson clocked off with a total time of 1:00:07.041.
J1
Levi Rossi has jumped up into first place, knocking rival Chase Weston off the top step! With a total time of 1:04:07.606, Rossi led an impressive charge in J1 with a lead of just under one minute!
He currently leads the Championship leader board for J1, with Rossi in third overall but today, Weston conceded for second place. With a total time of 1:05:00.523, Weston just couldn’t beat Rossi to the gold. Last but certainly not least was Cooper Clarke . Clarke clocked off after five tests with a total time of 1:05:20.161.
JJ
Once again, Ryder Burchell dominated the JJ competition to clinch another first place finish. With a total time of 1:09:39.142, the McDonald Racing Team racer managed to hold off Maxi Harris by nearly 20 seconds. Harris settled for second place for Round 9, ahead of Ryder Lambing in third. Respectively, their total times were 1:09:56.834 and 1:10:31.939.
Racing continues tomorrow for Round 10, featuring another edition of Sprints.
2023 AORC Round 9 Results:
2023 AORC Round 9 E1 Top 5 Provisional Results:
1 Kyron Bacon (Shop Yamaha Offroad Racing Team) 1:03:39.485
2 Korey McMahon (GASGAS Australia, Motorex) 1:04:30.492
3 Cooper Sheidow (Yamaha) 1:05:06.554
4 Will Price (Empire Kawasaki Off Road Team) 1:05:21.992
5 Scott Keegan (Yamaha) 1:07:56.647
2023 AORC Round 9 E2 Top 5 Provisional Results:
1 Jonte Reynders (Motul Pirelli Sherco) 1:04:03.035
2 Joshua Green (Shop Yamaha Offroad Racing Team) 1:04:23.474
3 Andy Wilksch (KTM Australia, Alpinestars) 1:04:41.072
4 Jye Dickson (GASGAS) 1:04:57.930
5 Fraser Higlett (Beta) 1:05:21.251
2023 AORC Round 9 E3 Top 5 Provisional Results:
1 Stefan Granquist (Husqvarna) 1:05:43.031
2 Riley McGillivray (Shepparton Motorcycles, KTM) 1:05:53.214
3 Sam Pretscherer (Simford Motorsport Group) 1:06:55.758
4 Patrick McGillivray (Shepparton Motorcycles, Tunetech Suspension) 1:12:01.063
5 Thomas Henry (Beta) 1:13:31.593
2023 AORC Round 9 EW Top 5 Provisional Results:
1 Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha JGR Ballard’s Off Road Team) 1:15:14.251
2 Ebony Nielsen (Beta) 1:15:49.832
3 Emelie Karlsson (Husqvarna) 1:16:32.145
4 Taylor Thompson (GASGAS Australia, Motorex) 1:22:26.380
5 Courtney Rubie (KTM) 1:23:43.719
2023 AORC Round 9 EJ Top 5 Provisional Results:
1 Will Dennett (Yamaha Australia) 1:03:39.562
2 Billy Hargy (Husqvarna Offroad Racing Team) 1:06:28.273
3 Jett Yarnold (Yamaha Australia, Yamalube) 1:07:07.828
4 Jackson Horley (MPE, GASGAS) 1:09:26.985
5 Luke Chellas (Northbound Driver Training, KTM) 1:10:02.110
2023 AORC Round 9 EM Top 5 Provisional Results:
1 Damian Smith (Husqvarna) 43:04.925
2 Leigh Bentley (Yamaha) 45:54.427
3 Sam Miller (Hartley Service Centre, KTM) 46:41.990
4 Jamie Armstrong (Alpine Motorcycles, Yamaha) 47:10.476
5 Raymond Groves (KTM) 47:14.296
2023 AORC Round 9 EV Top 5 Provisional Result:
1 Darren Lloyd (Husqvarna) 43:03.355
2 Brett McDonnell 44:21.699
3 Rowan Pumpa (Kessner Motorcycles, Motorex) 44:36.045
4 Terry Hopmans (Yamaha) 45:23.366
5 Daniel Welsh (Hunter Moto, Yamaha) 45:34.568
2023 AORC Round 9 EL Top 5 Provisional Result:
1 Michael Byrnes (All Parts & Accessories, GASGAS) 46:04.552
2 Zac Williams (Husqvarna) 47:19.950
3 Grant O’Brien (Beta) 47:23.037
4 Craig Treasure (Husqvarna) 47:47.158
5 Robert Dummer (MotoLab Coffs, Husqvarna) 48:30.884
2023 AORC Round 9 2T Top 5 Provisional Result:
1 Ben Bertinazzi (KTM) 43:44.751
2 Blake Scott (KTM) 51:15.787
3 Tim Newman (Clearview Innovations, GASGAS) 51:47.391
4 Mahdi Green (Clearview Innovations, KTM) 52:01.636
5 David Wagner (Yamaha) 58:02.336
2023 AORC Round 9 EWD Top 3 Provisional Result:
1 Shaylynne Kuhnke (Yamaha) 55:18.829
2 Gemma Rankine (KTM) 58:11.767
Emily-Rose Higgs (Yamaha) 1:33:35.672
2023 AORC Round 9 J4 Top 5 Provisional Results:
1 Riley Crimmins (KTM) 1:10:15.302
2 Jackson Versteegen (Savage Motorcycles, Michelin) 1:12:21.397
3 Tomas Porto (Empire Kawasaki) 1:13:32.603
4 Levi Stephens 1:13:42.903
5 Davey Gear (Sinclair Electrical Naracoorte, Limestone Coast Motorcycles Naracoorte) 1:14:35.176
2023 AORC Round 9 JG Top 5 Provisional Results:
1 Danielle McDonald (Yamaha JGR Ballard’s Off Road Team) 57:01.275
2 Madi Simpson (Honda Ride Red, Fly Racing) 59:19.562
3 Jade Chellas (KTM) 1:06:41.837
4 Sinead Maher (Simford Group Motorsport) 1:09:39.649
5 Amity Cork 1:10:07.496
2023 AORC Round 9 J3 Top 5 Provisional Results:
1 Bradley Rayner (KTM Newcastle, Dungog MCC) 56:41.936
2 Ollie Gear (Limestone Coast Motorcycles, Yamaha Australia) 56:46.777
3 Dylan McDonald (McDonald Racing) 57:38.134
4 Beau Tripcony (Husqvarna Motorex) 58:24.300
5 Cooper Boyd (Port Macquarie Motorcycles, Mid Coast Bearings Taree) 58:24.554
2023 AORC Round 9 J2 Top 5 Provisional Results:
1 Harley Hutton (GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing) 59:29.039
2 Mitch Ford (Thrila Furnikation Rynopower Rivalnink) 59:29.574
3 Harry Gilbertson (Brandt John Deere, Sears Electrical) 1:00:07.041
4 Kai Austin (GASGAS) 1:00:45.008
5 Harry Hubbard (Tdub, QB4) 1:01:14.581
2023 AORC Round 9 J1 Top 5 Provisional Results:
1 Levi Rossi (Paint Tech SA, Nicolai Farms) 1:04:07.606
2 Chase Weston (Tdub, ProCoat Aus) 1:05:00.523
3 Cooper Clarke (Maiden Homes, KTM) 1:05:20.161
4 Darcy Huston (Citycoast Motorcycles, Holeshot graphics) 1:05:38.121
5 Phoenix O’Brien (Inix Group, Montdami Bongiorno) 1:05:57.725
2023 AORC Round 9 JJ Top 5 Provisional Results:
1 Ryder Burchell (McDonald’s Racing Team) 1:09:39.142
2 Maxi Harris (Morgans Financial Port Macquarie, KTM) 1:09:56.834
3 Ryder Lambing (GasMoto, Monza Imports) 1:10:31.939
4 Sonny Lister (Husqvarna) 1:14:46.630
5 Zain Lennon (GASGAS) 1:19:38.402
