News 8 Mar 2018

Active8 Yamalube Yamaha outlines AORC roster

Green, Ruprecht and Styke form three-rider national championship squad.

Image: Supplied.

Active8 Yamalube Yamaha has confirmed its final roster for the 2018 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC), to be led by Enduro2 (E2) contender Josh Green.

Green will be WR450F-mounted in search of E2 and outright honours, to be joined in the factory team by Wil Ruprecht and newcomer Luke Styke.

“The off-season has been good for the team and myself and we have really had the time to take a good look at things and make some improvements to the way we go about it,” Green explained. “I feel fitter and fresher than I ever have as I have made changes to my training and diet, as well as the bike is awesome.

“We had a hit-out at the first round of the Queensland series a couple of weeks ago and I was able to get the win there and rode well so its time now we put all this behind the scenes work into practice and start chasing another championship.”

Reigning Enduro1 (E1) champion Ruprecht will line-up alongside Green in E2 this season, but will miss the opening rounds in Gympie, Queensland, this weekend with a shoulder injury. He’s expected to return within four to six weeks.

Ruprecht’s position in the E1 ranks has been taken up by former motocross and supercross championship winner Styke, who will be aboard a WR250F in his first season of off-road competition, completing the three-rider AORC program for 2018.

Another former motocross regular, Beau Ralston, has turned his attention to desert racing this year, focused upon the high-profile Finke and Hattah events following an injury-affected last season.

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