20 straight wins in 2026 puts Wil Ruprecht on top in ProEnduro
Happily settled back in his hometown Taree, and reunited with the Shop Yamaha Off-Road Team, former World EnduroGP champion Wil Ruprecht has taken a commanding lead in the 2026 Australian ProEnduro Championship.
At the opening round in Roma, Queensland, Ruprecht blitzed the first test by 18 seconds then, despite increasingly sloppy conditions, consistently increased his lead over each of the ensuing tests to take the round win; before local flooding ended proceedings.
Conditions were the complete opposite at Dungog, NSW, where a long hot summer meant there was no traction at all on the steep, dusty hillclimbs between the gum trees. The host club (Dungog MCC) had made a great effort to reconfigure the International Six Day Enduro (ISDE) into a single weekend format, incorporating a willing landholder’s property and surrounding State Forests.
The format was simple. A torturous timed-to-the-split-second special test, followed immediately by a 40 minute arrowed trail ride through the countryside, then another special test to round out the hour. Repeat this four or five times over the day, hit the timed control points on the appointed minute, then relax and roll out the swag: as long as you’re fortunate enough to have someone else to clean the air filter and adjust the drive chain.
From the outset, Ruprecht set the pace, taking the lead in the first special and – despite the test times becoming marginally slower as the track got more rutted – Ruprecht remained untouchable. KTM teammates Korey McMahon and Jye Dickson completed the Saturday podium.
“Aussie enduro tracks are totally unlike those in Europe and the culture is entirely different,” Ruprecht told AMCN, “but this is the type of country I grew up in and I certainly feel at home.”
Ruprecht then demonstrated just how comfortable he was by taking control in the first test and constantly increasing his winning margin despite the efforts of McMahon and Dickson; currently second and third in the 2026 championship.
While the Seniors battled for the ProEnduro and various class titles, some 150 Juniors – loosely defined as those not old enough to hold a road licence – took to the softer paddocks in search of fame and glory.
At this stage it’s pointless attempting to pick who might become the next Jack Miller, Troy Herfoss or Chucky Sanders, but pleasing to know they are in there somewhere.
GARDINER STILL QUEEN OF THE ROAD
Jessica Gardiner commenced the 2026 Off-Road Championship in much the same manner that has taken her to a total of eight AORC Titles in the past decade. Following the win in Roma, Gardiner completed the threepeat in Dungog and, based on the margins, appears set to wear the Women’s crown for as long as she wishes. Madi Simpson, Emilie Grandquist, Courtney Rubie and Madi Healey may well have to wait another season.
