Image: Russell Colvin.

Reigning E1 class Yamaha Australian Off-Road Champion Josh Green stormed to the E2 class win at Kilkivan’s opening rounds of the 2016 series over the weekend, now second Outright upon debut with the 2016 WR450F.

Active8 Yamaha Yamalube’s Green has moved up to the latest generation WR450F for this season and although KTM’s Daniel Sanders won both days overall, Green took seven special test wins out of the 14 contested.

“I felt pretty good on the bike all weekend but just pushed a bit hard in a couple of tests each day and that cost me,” Green explained. “I just needed to stay calm and get the job done instead of over- riding it and going down.

“The WR450F proved to be awesome over the weekend and the extra step up in power made for a pretty exciting weekend. “But to be in second place after the weekend and know that my speed and fitness is good and I’m 100 percent healthy leaves me well placed and looking forward to the next rounds.”

Following rounds one and two Green leads the E2 title chase, also just eight points behind E3 leader Sanders in the Outright standings following 3-2 results. He missed victory on Sunday by less than a full second.

Green’s teammate and last year’s E2 champion Beau Ralston sits fifth Outright (third in class) following two rounds on board the big-bore WR480F, while CDR Yamaha duo Chris Hollis and Tom McCormack were sixth and 11th (third and fourth in E2) on the WR450F.