Motorcycling Australia press release:

Motorcycling Australia is pleased to announce that Western Australian company Wellard, will be the official naming rights sponsor of the 2009 Australian International Six Day Enduro Team.

Wellard, a Perth-based rural and resources company, has signed on as the naming rights partner for the Australian Senior, Junior and Women’s Trophy Teams at the 2009 event, to be held at  Figueira da Foz Portugal from 12-17 October.

The announcement of the Australian Team squads will take place later this week, and Wellard Chairman, Mauro Balzarini expressed his delight with the sponsorship arrangement.

“I am extremely excited that Motorcycling Australia has awarded Wellard the naming rights of our Australian teams,” Mr Balzarini said.

“Wellard is a great Australian company which aims to be the best at everything it does. Supporting the national ISDE team is reflective of that aim.

“Passion, commitment and the courage to innovate encompasses Wellard’s company ethos. These attributes are inherent in the riders who will compete for Australia at the 2009 ISDE.”

CEO of MA, David White, said that he was rapt to have Wellard come on board to support the Australian ISDE Team.

“It really is a wonderful show of commitment and support from Wellard to jump on board and sponsor our Australian Senior, Junior and Women’s Trophy Teams,” Mr White said.

“It reflects a long-standing support that Wellard has thrown behind Enduro riding in this country, and will hopefully propel the Team to greater feats.

“We welcome Wellard, and hope that together we can forge a strong partnership in the future, as we battle it out with the best racing countries in the world!”

In addition to the National Team naming rights, Wellard will be supporting the first ever Australian Women’s Team to contest the event – providing funding, logistics and technical support.

“I have every confidence that the Wellard Australian Women’s Trophy Team could be on the podium at the ISDE, such is the quality of the riders who have applied for the team,” Mr Balzarini said.

Supporting the Australian National Trophy Teams is a natural progression of Wellard’s previous assistance of their own Club Teams in the last two ISDE’s.

Last year in Greece, the Wellard Yamaha Team, consisting of young Western Australian riders, finished in the event’s Top 10 Club Team division, despite needing to borrow all of its race gear, including motorcycles, when their Team container failed to arrive in Greece after a European shipping strike.

“The International Six Day Enduro is the Olympics of Off Road motorcycle racing,” Mr Balzarini said.

“It is fantastic that Wellard will support Australia’s best riders in the greatest Enduro event in the world.”

Background – Wellard

Wellard is a Perth-based company, which is largely involved in the rural and resources industries.

Its subsidiary, Wellard Rural Exports, is Australia’s largest livestock exporter. It has supplied quality Australian dairy and beef cattle, sheep and goats to the world for 30 years, using the largest and most modern fleet of vessels in the world.

Wellard Agri owns and operates seven large broadacre farming properties in Western Australia. Wellard Technologies provide technical solutions to some of the world’s largest mining companies.

The company has extensive involvement in Australian Enduro and Motocross racing, largely due to the passion for motorcycling, particularly Enduros, from Wellard Chairman Mauro Balzarini. Mr Balzarini is a former multi-Italian champion who has won international Enduro events and competed in five ISDE’s.

Wellard Yamaha Enduro Teams have successfully contested the last two ISDE’s in Chile and Greece at Club level, all the while supporting young Western Australian riders competing in the event.

While not limiting their support of the sport, Wellard Yamaha’s Junior Motocross team currently boasts a national champion as well as four State title holders. In 2008 and again in 2009 Wellard has also been the major sponsor of the powerful Ballard’s Yamaha Team as it competes in the Australian Off Road Championships.

For more information about the company visit: www.wellardgroup.com.au.

For more information about the Wellard Yamaha ISDE 2008 Team visit the team’s e-garage at www.wellardgroup.com.au/isde2008.