If you needed any more proof that Yamaha is all-in on Australian off-road racing, look no further than what they’ve assembled for the 2026 Australian Enduro Championship. From title sponsorship to factory-backed teams to junior development, the BLU CRU presence this year is serious.
ShopYamaha Off Road: The Team to Beat
Managed by former champion AJ Roberts, the ShopYamaha Off Road team has long been the benchmark in Australian enduro, and 2026 looks no different. Wil Ruprecht is back in the E2 saddle, and he’s got unfinished business.
The 2022 World Champion returned to Australia at the end of 2024 and wasted no time making his mark, winning the opening round of the 2025 AEC before getting locked into a season-long battle with Daniel Milner. The pair traded wins deep into the season, but when racing moved to the softer, sand-based tracks, Ruprecht found himself on the back foot. He knows it, and he’s done something about it.
“I was fit, but I wasn’t versatile,” Ruprecht admits. “I’ve incorporated a few different things into my preparation this year and hope that it will reward me at the end of the season.”
Joining Ruprecht is a fascinating wildcard — New Zealand motocross champion Maximus Purvis. He made a guest appearance at the Kyogle round last year with zero enduro experience and still managed to drag himself onto the E1 podium. That was enough to convince both Purvis and AJ Roberts that a full-season crack was worth a shot. He’ll finish up the NZ MX1 championship in February before switching disciplines entirely. A proper baptism of fire, and one that’s going to be very fun to watch.
Yamaha JGR Off Road: Gardiner Is Back
At the end of 2025, Jess Gardiner — multiple Australian and World Enduro Champion — genuinely contemplated walking away. The season had taken everything out of her. But a couple of weeks off the bike later, she was back in the shed and back on the tools. That tells you everything you need to know about her.
Gardiner headlines the JGR squad again, with Jeremy Carpentier in E1 and exciting junior Lorna Lock flying the flag in the Junior Girls class. Lock was a revelation in 2025 — riding a YZ85 and winning rounds regardless of conditions in her first full AEC season. Gardiner is clearly invested in her development, and the mentor-protégé dynamic within that team is one of the more compelling storylines heading into the new year.
As for Gardiner herself, don’t expect her to take the foot off the gas. “I still want to win, I still want to put in the work,” she says plainly.
The Wider BLU CRU
The depth of Yamaha’s program doesn’t stop there. The BLU CRU Support trio of Cooper Sheidow, Jett Yarnold and Fraser Higlett return for another crack, all legitimate class-win contenders. With Purvis also in the E1 mix, a Yamaha podium lock-out in that class isn’t just possible — it’s a realistic expectation.
Madi Simpson will pull double duty across WMX, ProMX and the EW class at the AEC. After pushing Gardiner hard in her first senior season last year, she’ll be coming for the championship in 2026 with a full year of experience behind her.
In the juniors, Marcus Nowland graduates to the U19 EJ class and will also contest Hattah and Finke, while Harley Hutton wraps up his junior career on the YZ250F — a step up from the 125 that’s already showing dividends.
Yamaha Reaffirms as Title Sponsor
Underpinning all of it, Yamaha has recommitted as the naming rights partner of the AEC for 2026 — continuing a relationship that stretches back over 20 years. And for the first time, they’re opening up their BLU CRU Bonus Bucks contingency program to all Yamaha off-road riders in the AEC, with serious prize money on offer for podium results across all major classes.
| AEC | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Championship Outright | $25,000 | $5,000 | $2,000 |
| Championship Class | $20,000 | $3,000 | $2,000 |
| Per Round Outright | $5,000 | $1,000 | $500 |
| Per Round Class | $3,000 | $1,000 | $500 |
| EJ (u19) | $1,500 | $750 | $250 |
| EJ champs | $5,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 |
The 2026 season kicks off at Roma, Queensland, on March 7-8. It’s going to be hot, sweaty, and one to watch. Find out more about the AEC series HERE
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