ShopYamaha Off Road rider, Wil Ruprecht, produced a scintillating weekend of racing at rounds three and four of the Yamaha Australian Enduro Championship (AEC), held at a dusty Dungog, over the weekend.
Dry conditions in the lead-up and the two-day Enduro format meant conditions were going to be dusty and slippery as over 280 riders worked their way through the bush in central NSW, but right from the get-go, it was plain to see that Ruprecht was going to be the man to beat.
The 27-year-old picked up where he left off at the opening weekend in Roma, romping to a clear first test win and setting the tone for the weekend. He went on to dominate the day, taking each special test win to take victory in the Pro Enduro and E2 (450cc) classes by nearly one minute over his nearest rivals.
But the weekend wasn’t over, and they all rolled up on Sunday to do it all again. The course had taken a pounding from the day before, but that didn’t stop Ruprecht as he rose above his rivals in the challenging conditions to claim another double victory and assert his authority on this year’s championship.
“The weekend went well with the bike and the team all putting in a big effort to ensure we were well prepared coming into this weekend,” Ruprecht shared. “We lost a round at Roma, due to the rain up there, so it’s a slightly shortened series, and mistakes can be costly when there is no time to make them up.
“Not only was it important to get through the weekend cleanly, but also to make the most of these conditions, as this is what I grew up on and feel most at home at.
“Getting the win on both days is a great result, and one the guys should be proud of. The bike worked well, and we had no issues over the weekend. The tests got super rough and technical during Sunday, but I enjoy the challenge of thinking my way through a test and not just pin it through the bush.
“Thanks to the team and the Dungog club for the event, and let’s see if we can do it again at QMP in a few weeks’ time,” Ruprecht concluded.
Unfortunately, the weekend didn’t go as well for Maximus Purvis. Contesting the E1 class for the ShopYamaha team, the unique off-road conditions proved a huge challenge for the motocross-oriented Purvis, and he raced below his best.
The dry and dusty conditions had him well out of his comfort zone, and then a series of crashes throughout the weekend left him battered, bruised and fighting to make the finish line on Sunday afternoon.
He battled through both days to finish eighth in the E1 division, nursing a sore knee for his troubles but vows to learn from it and be better next time he faces those conditions.
“I have never raced anything like that before,” Purvis said at the end of racing. “The dust made it tough to see, the trails were hammered, and I think my problems came because I was trying to attack it like a motocross racer and not get into a flow. It was slippery out there as it was so dry, and I just made so many mistakes, which resulted in some pretty big crashes.
“I was able to get through, and I’m sorry to the team for not doing better, but the experience of doing a round like this will only help, and I now have a better understanding of what to do and how to approach it,” Purvis ends.
Purvis will get to put his new knowledge to use at the next round of the Australian Enduro Championships, as QMP in Queensland will have very similar conditions, and it will be a chance to make amends.
Rounds five and six will be on May 16 and 17 at QMP.
