Battle for the 2010 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) has reached fever pitch, with the final rounds of the series being held at Cherrabah Resort (near Warwick, Queensland) this weekend.
While the Motorex KTM Off-Road Team have all but tied up the Championship E1, E2 and E3 Class titles, war is still being waged for several of the coveted Outright top-10 positions as well as the Championship Women's, Expert E1 and Junior Class 1, 2 and 4 honours.
Last minute entries for the race, dubbed the Boxing Roo Yamaha AORC, will still be accepted. To enter ring Denise Hore on 0400 946 943.
Toby Price, from Singleton (NSW), has a 34-point lead in the Outright and a 37-point lead for the Yamaha Championship E2 Class.
Teammates, Jarrod Bewley (North Richmond), and Ben Grabham (Bathurst), are ahead by 54-points and 46-points in Championship E1 and E3 respectively.
In Championship Outright, Bewley sits second to Price followed by Grabham.
Ballard's Wellard Yamaha's Stefan Merriman sits fourth, seven-points behind Grabham.
Only one-point separates Queenslanders AJ Roberts (Honda) and Kirk Hutton (Yamaha) for fifth Outright - Roberts currently holding the advantage.
Another mere point is keeping Yamaha rookie Ben Burrell from the top-five. Burrell is two-points back from Roberts, in seventh.
KTM riders Mitcham Harper and Mitchell Bowen are tied for eighth Outright, both on 63 points.
Just one-point back is Daniel Milner (Christensen's Off-Road), on 62.
Battle for the Motul Championship Women's Class is just as heated, with Cairns rider Tanya Hearn ahead of Ballard's Wellard Yamaha's Jessica Gardiner by three-points.
In Expert E1, South Australians Ivan Long and Rhyce Ahola continue to lock horns, with Long in the front by four-points with two rounds to go.
And in the Junior stakes, Graydon Lindsay leads the J1 Class by three-points over Shey McKerlie.
Todd Barry has a 15-point lead in J2, while Nicholas Lean and Mitch Kellner hold sizeable advantages of their respective classes: Lean 70-points in J3 and Kellner 131-points in J4.
Rounds 11 and 12 of the 2010 AORC are being held at Cherrabah Resort (near Warwick) this weekend.
Queensland Enduro Champion, Kirk Hutton, said he was looking forward to racing in his home state.
"I'm glad the Queensland AORC is gonna be at Cherrabah. It's awesome to stay in a nice motel and have a really good meal and then only have a two-minute drive to the pits the next morning," Hutton said.
"Cherrabah is a great spot. It's easy to get to, all bitumen and a short drive from Warwick, and the riding is good, it's got a bit of everything.
"I'm looking forward to racing this weekend. I finished in the top-three Outright at the Cherrabah rounds last year, so hopefully I can get a similar result and get enough points to finish in the top-five."
The AORC are fantastic for spectators, with nail-biting action and the chance to get up close and personal with the stars of Australian enduro racing. Gates at Cherrabah Resort (map at http://www.cherrabah.com.au/) will open to the public at 9am September 4th and 5th. Admission is just $5.00/adult, children under 14 are FREE.
The Yamaha AORC includes the following Australian Championship classes: GP Industries E1, Yamaha E2, Pirelli E3, RK Chains Veteran's, Master's, Motul Women's and Junior Class 1,2,3,4 & 5 (see supp reg's for more info), as well as the following support classes: Polisport Expert E1, Endura Expert E2/E3, Clubman E1, Clubman E2/3 and Clubman Veteran's.
The finale of the 2010 championship, the Boxing Roo Yamaha AORC, will be held September 4th and 5th at Cherrabah Resort (near Warwick, QLD). For more info visit www.aorcracing.com.au
Yamaha AORC Top-10 Outright
Toby Price Points: 172
Jarrod Bewley 138
Ben Grabham 132
Stefan Merriman 125
AJ Roberts 75
Kirk Hutton 74
Ben Burrell 73
Mitcham Harper 63
Mitchell Bowen 63
Daniel Milner 62
