The Yamaha Australian Enduro Championship presented by MXstore arrived at Casterton for rounds seven and eight, bringing a dramatic shift in terrain as riders tackled the famous Victorian sand. Saturday’s Cross Country challenged competitors with more than two hours of demanding endurance racing as the circuit deteriorated throughout the day, before Sunday’s Sprint format placed an emphasis on outright speed and consistency across five timed tests. 

EV (Veterans 35+)

John Day proved the benchmark rider across the weekend, beginning with a commanding performance in Saturday’s Cross Country. Completing three laps in 2:05:08, Day claimed victory by more than two minutes over Cade Vagg after leading the class through the demanding endurance contest. Vagg kept the pressure on throughout the race and recorded the fastest lap of the event, but Day’s consistency across the full race distance proved decisive. Mark Cook completed the podium in third, while Luke Ablitt and Dylan Atkins rounded out the top five after strong rides in the deteriorating conditions.

The battle resumed on Sunday and again centred around Day and Vagg. Day established control early, winning the opening four tests and building a comfortable advantage over the field. Marcus Marigliani emerged as one of the standout performers, consistently placing near the front and holding third position through much of the day, while Jeffrey Briggs steadily improved as the event progressed. Vagg refused to concede, however, claiming victory in the final test and applying pressure late in the day. Despite the late challenge, Day’s four test wins and relentless consistency delivered him the overall victory with a total time of 35:53.090. Vagg secured second, just over a minute behind, while Marigliani completed the podium after fending off Cook and Briggs in a tightly contested battle for the remaining top positions.

EM (Masters 45+)

Rowan Pumpa continued his strong season form at Casterton, mastering the demanding sand conditions to claim victory in Saturday’s Cross Country. Pumpa completed the three-lap contest in 2:06:59, opening a gap of almost five minutes over Danny Lucas in second. Behind them, the fight for the podium was one of the closest battles of the day, with Mark Paton securing third by less than two seconds from Darren Lessio, while Dan Mole was only a further second behind in fifth. The incredibly tight margins between second and fifth highlighted just how competitive the Masters category was throughout the endurance encounter.

Sunday’s Sprint format saw Pumpa elevate his advantage even further. The class leader swept all five tests, establishing himself as the rider to beat from the opening special test and never relinquishing control. While Pumpa dominated out front, the battle for the remaining podium positions was fiercely contested throughout the day. Lessio steadily improved after opening the day seventh fastest in Test One, climbing into podium contention with consistent top-four finishes across every test. Lucas remained in the fight all day and repeatedly traded positions with Lessio and Mole, while Anthony Hanlan emerged as an early challenger after finishing second in the opening four tests before slipping back in the final standings. Pumpa’s perfect five-from-five test-winning performance delivered the overall victory with a total time of 36:24.572, while Lessio edged Lucas for second and Dan Mole completed the top four after another consistent day in the Victorian sand.

J2 (12-U15) 85cc 2T & 150cc 4T

Saturday’s Cross Country produced one of the closest battles of the junior categories, with Lachlan Devlin emerging victorious after more than 85 minutes of racing. Devlin and Ryder Lambing were separated by just 26 seconds at the finish after five demanding laps through the Casterton sand, while Ollie Paech completed the podium a little over four minutes behind. Although Paech recorded the fastest lap of the race with a 16:09.423, Devlin’s consistency across the full distance proved decisive. Isaac Schmidt and Sydney Walsh rounded out the top five, while Jedd Pickford, Nate Purton and Mason Sawyer were all firmly in contention throughout the race. The result capped a hard-fought victory for Devlin after one of the closest overall battles of the day.

Sunday belonged to Ollie Paech, who delivered a flawless Sprint performance by winning the opening five tests and building an unassailable lead before the final test. Paech’s speed in the sand was evident from the outset as he controlled the class throughout the day, eventually securing the overall win despite Lachlan Devlin claiming the final test victory. Devlin’s strong finish ensured he secured second overall, while Ryder Lambing completed the podium after consistently placing inside the top three across the majority of tests. Hudson Wilson and Koby Munro were regular challengers near the front during the opening stages before settling inside the top five overall, while Mason Sawyer and Mitchell Carter remained competitive throughout the day. Paech’s dominance across the first five tests ultimately proved the defining story of the class, turning Saturday’s third-place finish into a convincing Sprint victory.

J3 (13-U15) 125cc–200cc 2T & 200cc–250cc 4T

Levi Rossi continued his impressive season form with a commanding victory in Saturday’s Cross Country, mastering the challenging Casterton sand to take the win after seven laps. Rossi was the only rider able to consistently maintain the pace required to complete the full race distance and finished more than two and a half minutes clear of Kye Kinsela, with Chase Weston completing the podium a further 39 seconds behind. Behind the leading trio, Myles Henderson and Harvey McKay were the best of the riders one lap down, while Finley Cox remained in the fight throughout the demanding encounter to secure sixth. Rossi’s fastest lap of 15:17.400 underlined the pace advantage he carried throughout the race.

Sunday’s Sprint format saw Rossi elevate his performance even further, producing a clean sweep across all five tests to claim another emphatic overall victory. The TR2 rider topped every test of the day and never allowed his rivals an opportunity to challenge for the top step. Behind him, the battle for the remaining podium positions was far more competitive. Cooper Parkes opened strongly with second in Tests 3 and 5 and eventually secured second overall, while Chase Weston’s consistent run of top-three test finishes earned him third. Kye Kinsela remained firmly in contention throughout the day and finished fourth overall despite recording a pair of third-place test results, while Valentino Porto completed the top five after steadily improving across the sprint tests. Rossi’s perfect five-from-five test winning performance capped a dominant weekend and further strengthened his position as one of the standout performers in the J3 category.

J4 (15yrs) 125cc–200cc 2T & 200cc–250cc 4T

Harley Hutton delivered a standout performance in Saturday’s Cross Country, conquering the demanding Casterton sand to claim victory after seven gruelling laps. Hutton’s winning time of 1:49:41 gave him a comfortable margin of almost four minutes over Hayden Dettling, while Nate Munro completed the podium in third. Behind them, Riley Walker remained in contention throughout the race to finish fourth, with Jack Wilson rounding out the top five. The lengthy Cross Country proved a true test of endurance and consistency, with Hutton’s pace and ability to maintain speed deep into the race ultimately proving the difference.

Sunday’s Sprint format produced one of the most competitive junior contests of the weekend, with Hutton and Munro trading blows across the five tests. Hutton set the tone early by winning the opening four tests, but Munro refused to let the fight slip away and responded with victory in the final test. Riley Delany was consistently in the mix throughout the day, recording four podium test finishes to remain firmly in contention, while Asher Murphy backed up his strong Cross Country performance with a string of top-five test results. Despite Munro’s late charge, Hutton’s consistency across all five tests secured the overall win with a total time of 25:58.464. Delany edged Munro for second by less than half a second after a thrilling battle throughout the day, while Murphy finished fourth and Jett Avard completed the top five after steadily improving as conditions evolved.

JG (Girls 12-U16) 85cc-200cc 2T & 150cc-250cc 4T

The Cross Country belonged to Lorna Lock, who was the only rider in the class to complete six laps and in doing so secured a commanding victory in the demanding Casterton sand. Lock’s pace was highlighted by the fastest lap of the race and she finished a lap clear of the field after nearly two hours of competition. Olivia Johnson and Kaitlyn Aquilina completed the podium after both riders completed five laps, while Jessie Harris narrowly missed the rostrum in fourth. Further back, Alexie Cameron and Codi Kerr battled through the challenging conditions to round out the top six, with the roughening track proving a major test of endurance for the entire field. Lock’s ability to maintain speed and consistency over the longer format ultimately proved unmatched.

Sunday’s Sprint format saw Lock continue her dominance, producing a perfect scorecard by winning all six tests and comfortably securing the overall victory. Olivia Johnson was her closest challenger throughout the day, finishing runner-up overall after consistently placing second in every test. Behind them, the battle for the remaining podium position was far more competitive. Kaitlyn Aquilina, Kiera Clements, Jessie Harris and Alexie Cameron all featured inside the top positions across various tests, but Aquilina’s consistency over the full day allowed her to edge clear and claim third overall. Clements repeatedly challenged for podium test finishes and finished fourth overall, while Harris rounded out the top five. Lock’s clean sweep of every test capped off a dominant weekend and reinforced her status as the rider to beat in the JG category.

Looking ahead

With the sandy challenge of Casterton now complete, attention turns to the next round at Kempsey, August 8-9 of the Yamaha Australian Enduro Championship presented by MXstore, where the championship battles across the junior and support categories continue to build. After a weekend that rewarded consistency, endurance and outright speed, riders will now shift their focus to maintaining momentum as the season heads towards its final stages and the fight for championship honours intensifies.

Images: Troy Pears