AORC Rider Profile: Wil Ruprecht

The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) is brimming with talented youngsters, thanks largely to the series’ ongoing support for Junior enduro racers. Assisting with the often-difficult transition for riders going from a 16-year-old Junior-class hero to a Pro-class zero, the Transmoto 19 & Under class has again attracted solid entry numbers for season 2016 – two of whom (Lyndon Snodgrass and Wil Ruprecht) finished on the series podium last year.

Seeing as Ruprecht recently signed with the Motul Pirelli Sherco Factory Team, we spoke with the likeable, Taree-based 17-year-old in the lead-up to this weekend’s opening rounds of the 2016 AORC series to get an insight into his deal with the new-look Sherco team, his aspirations for a maiden Senior AORC title, and his big-picture plans beyond that.

TM: You won a couple of consecutive Junior class titles in the AORC, right?
WR: Yep, I won the AORC’s premier Junior-class title in 2013 and 2014 – on an RM125 and RM-Z250, respectively. They were my last two years in Juniors.

We heard your old man was a water-skiing champ and that your family had an oyster farming business? So how’d you get into dirt bikes initially?
Yep, that’s right. My dad was a really good barefoot water-skier and my parents used to oyster-farm, and I’m really into my watersports, too – surfing and waterskiing mainly – as we live only 10 minutes from the coast. But I’ve also been around bikes since the early days. I got my first bike, an XR50, as a Christmas present when I was three. Like every kid, I started off riding around in the back paddock, and then it just grew from there. I then became interested in racing, got into club-level motocross, and progressed from there. Then in 2011, when I was 12, I got an offer from Trent Lean to ride for his Suzuki-backed AORC team. At that age, it was a really good opportunity. I grabbed it with both hands and had a successful five years with the team. Trent’s a guy with a lot of off-road experience, so I learned a lot from him over that five-year period. My dad has also been a huge support with my racing.

Were you ever torn between racing MX and enduro?
Up till the offer I got in 2011, I was mainly racing motocross – the East Coast MX series, and some club racing down around Newcastle. I was also doing a few state enduro rounds at the time, and it’s something I found I really loved because of the amount of bike-time you got and because, compared with MX, everyone in the sport is so laid back and so happy to help out. Five years on, I’m really happy that I made the decision to focus on racing enduro.

^ Wil contested the gruelling 2016 Transmoto 12-Hour at Batemans Bay in February… 

You did really well at your first Australian 4-Day Enduro late last year in Tasmania, too.
Yeah, I ran third in the E1 class – behind Josh Green and Tye Simmonds – and 11th Outright. I didn’t have any expectations coming into my first 4-Day so I was stoked with that. It’s a really complicated event because it’s about much more than being able to ride the bike fast. You have to be mechanically sound and switched-on with following the arrowed course. The guys in Tassie put on a great event. It was run in picturesque terrain and the whole experience was a lot of fun.

And how did the opportunity to sign with the Motul Pirelli Sherco Factory Team arise?
Late last year, it became apparent that Suzuki wouldn’t be supporting any AORC teams for 2016. Then, after the good result I got down in Tasmania at the 4-Day, a few bike brands approached me to offer support for 2016. Sherco was the standout offer among them. I’m really looking forward to working with this new team. Unfortunately, I’ve had a few niggling injuries early this year, which has limited the amount of pre-season testing we could do.

Sherco’s program means you’ll be involved with both enduro and desert racing, right?
That’s right. I’ll be racing the AORC, A4DE and state enduro rounds, plus the Hattah Desert Race. A few individual riders will be racing Finke on Shercos, but I’ll only be doing Hattah. I’ve never raced Hattah before, but I’m really looking forward to racing some fast, open terrain, even though sand has probably been my weak point in the AORC. I’ve been working on that, so Hattah’s will be a good test.

Why did you settle on Sherco’s 450cc four-stroke? We heard you were actually faster on the 300cc two-stroke in pre-season testing. True?
I did test a few of Sherco models, and the 300 two-stroke and 450 four-stroke were the two standouts bikes for me right from the get-so. Which bike I was faster aboard depended on the terrain and track. But after dialing-in both bikes, the 450SEF-R was the obvious choice. It’s so light and nimble for a 450 and has such a broad, powerful motor, and that makes it a really versatile package. And I believe versatility in a bike is really important for a series like the AORC, where you race in a wide variety of terrain. My mechanic, Dave Suter, has had a lot of experience in Pro racing circles, so I’m really looking forward to working with him.

How do you fit in racing commitments and all the study involved with your final year at school?
It’s not easy, and I’m already feeling the pressure (laughs). But I really had to take this opportunity now because it may never be offered to me again. I’ve had a few mates who’ve managed to juggle their HSC and racing national-level events, so I’ve leant on them for a bit of advice on how to approach it. It won’t be easy, but I’m up for the challenge. Having a full-time mechanic to prep the bikes before race weekend will certainly help. That means I can still train in the week leading up to the race, rather than having to prep my race bike. Training also takes up a lot of my time, so I’ve made sure I’ve got some good people behind me this year to help with training, nutrition and recovery.

Last season, the 19 & Under class showcased a real ding-dong battle between you, Tom Mason, Lyndon Snodgrass and Peter Daniel Allen. For 2016, who do you see as your biggest opposition?
Lyndon Snodgrass is a gun in the sand and very quick on hardpack too, so you can never let your guard down with him. Then there’s Nic Tomlinson, who’s come back from Pro E1 into the 19s class. He’s showed good pace on the 250F in the past two seasons and has looked pretty strong on his 300cc two-stroke at the state rounds at the start of this year. He’ll definitely be a tough contender. Then you’ve got a couple of younger guys who are stepping up from Juniors – guys like Ben Kearns and Fraser Higlett – who are starting to show some really good pace aboard their 350cc bikes. My teammate, Jai Wedlock, might surprise a few people with his pace and consistency, too. So it looks like there’ll be plenty of depth in the class, and a good mix of machinery, too.

^ Wil (left) pictured with his 2016 teammate, Justin Carafa (right).

Why opt for the Transmoto 19 & Under class again, rather than step up into the Pro classes?
While I’m still developing as a racer, it was a no-brainer for me to stay in the 19s class this year because it’s such a good stepping-stone between the Juniors and Pro classes. I did discuss it with my parents, team manager and sponsors, and they all leant in the same direction. In the 19s, you can still see where you place Outright against the Pros and still peg yourself against their lap times, but you can also offer better value to sponsors by placing further up in the class results. It means amateur riders don’t have to bang their heads against the wall for a few years before being able to run with the top guys in the Pro classes. It’s great that Transmoto is supporting the 19 & Under class and giving me, and other guys like me, the opportunity the follow in the footsteps of this country’s top Pros; guys who’ve gone on to win the ISDE and Enduro World Championships.

Your former team manager, Trent Lean, reckons you took big steps forward in understanding bike set-up last year. How crucial is that for the AORC?
It’s very important because the terrain you get over the course of an AORC season varies massively. You need to be making the right call with things like tyres, but getting your suspension set-up right to suit each track is the primary thing. Seeing as I’ve raced a motocross bike for the past five seasons, being aboard a purebred enduro machine this year will definitely help. The Sherco 450 comes with a suspension package that’s purpose-built for the job to begin with. It surprised me how quickly I got comfortable on the Sherco, too. Usually, it takes me a few rides to gel with a European bike, but with the Sherco, I felt at home right way. I’ve still got a lot to learn with bike set-up, but I feel that the team support I’ve got this year will help accelerate that learning.

What are your big-picture plans – both for this season and beyond that?
Obviously, I’d like to win the 19s class. I figure that the top eight riders in the AORC’s Outright standings are all paid athletes. So my ambition is to get into that top eight Outright and put myself in a position to get a paid ride for 2017. I know that’s a pretty big ask, but I feel fit and I reckon it’s achievable with the bike and team I’ve got behind me now.

Good luck on the weekend, Wil.
Thanks, Andy.