Please welcome six new Champions
And just like that, the 2024 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship presented by MXstore (AORC) is done. We’ve travelled across four States, over six weekends, covering 12 Rounds and we now have our 2024 Champions! This closing weekend at Nowra featured back-to-back Sprints, with many classes running down to the final Sprint to call the official Champions.
Coming out victorious and going home as an Australian Champion is Mark Cook in EV, Rowan Pumpa in EM, Ollie Gear in J4, Madi Simpson in JG, Marcus Noland in J3 and Levi Rossi in J2.
To view provisional results for all classes, please click here.
EV
It was a repeat podium this weekend in Nowra for EV, with Geoff Braico claiming back-to-back first place finishes for Rounds 11 & 12. Darren Lloyd and Lee Stephens claimed second and third place, respectively.
In the battle for the 2024 EV Championship title, Mark Cook’s consistency all year long has earnt him the victory! Cook finished Round 11 in fifth and Round 12 in fourth, and while he didn’t need any more points to protect his lead in the Championship, every little bit helps. Cook has earnt the 2024 EV Championship title with a 92-point lead!
Rounding out the 2024 Championship podium is Luke Stafrace and Brett McDonnell, in second and third respectively.
EM
This weekend saw household name, Pumpa move around the EM field as he tackled long days of Sprints. Round 11 saw Damian Smith claim first ahead of Pumpa in second place, followed by Sam Miller in third. For Round 12 though, Pumpa jumped up into first, followed by Miller in second and Raymond Groves in third.
Pumpa’s efforts all season long has seen him claim a well deserved 2024 EM Championship title! With 115 points in the lead, it was definitely Pumpa’s year. Vito Porto earnt himself second for the 2024 season, while Jason Hubbard claimed third.
EL
Similar to EV, the EL podium for Rounds 11 & 12 saw the same three figures: Matt Dymock in first, Loui Stylianou in second and Ian Jenner in third. While the competition was tight, Dymock had a fantastic run all weekend, fending off Stylianou by mere seconds.
Congratulations to all our EL competitors!
J4
Gear continued his success in Kingston SE over into Nowra, with consecutive first place finishes in J4. Gear was essentially unstoppable all weekend, producing impressive lead times ahead of his competition.
Filling out the Rounds 11 & 12 podiums for J4 was Dylan McDonald and Beau Tripcony. Tripcony claimed a second and third, switching places with McDonald who claimed a third place and then second.
In the fight for the Championship title, it should come as no surprise that Gear has become the undisputed 2024 J4 Champion! With just 15 points difference, Gear beat Bradley Rayner to the victory. Rayner conceded for second place this season, just ahead of Dylan McDonald in third place by eight points.
JG
Simpson has absolutely smoked her JG competition here in Nowra, as she has done all season long. With two more consecutive class wins, it’s no surprise that we can now officially name her our 2024 JG Champion!
The remaining podium positions reflected the same spots on the 2024 Championship podium, with Jade Chellas taking out second place, followed by Mia Kennedy in third.
J3
It has been the perfect weekend to wrap up the season for Nowland! With two consecutive J3 class wins plus the 2024 J3 Championship title, he can rest easy tonight. For Round 11, Nowland claimed the top step ahead of Harry Gilbertson and Kai Austin, in second and third place respectively. For Round 12, Nowland was followed onto the podium by Mitch Ford in second and Gilbertson in third.
Overall in the 2024 Championship, Nowland is joined by Gilbertson in second place, followed by Austin in third.
J2
Similar to Nowland in J3, Rossi has had a wonderful closure to the 2024 season here in Nowra! With back-to-back class wins and the 2024 J2 Championship title, Rossi has plenty to celebrate. The Round 11 podium was slightly different than perhaps the usual, as Rossi landed on the top step ahead of Darcy Huston and Blake Brown, in second and third place respectively.
For Round 12 though, Harley Hutton pushed hard to claim second place, with Cooper Parkes claiming the third and final podium spot. The Round 12 podium reflected the 2024 Championship standings, with Hutton claimed second place overall, and Parkes claiming third.
J1
Munro had a fantastic weekend here in Nowra, as he comfortably claimed first place for Round 11, ahead of Drake Hutton in second place, and Xavier Scott in third. Scott saw his bronze finish and thought ‘that’s not good enough’, pushing hard to claim first place for Round 12. Munro dropped to second, followed by Hutton in third.
The competition in J1 was fierce this weekend, with only second separating this top three from glory.
JJ
It was Groundhog Day in JJ, as we witnessed a repeat in the same podium slots for both Rounds 11 & 12. Newton was essentially unstoppable, claiming back-to-back first place finishes and producing a blistering lead which exceeded one-minute for both days.
Lachlan Devlin claimed consecutive silver in JJ, just ahead of Banjo Sutherland in third place. The rivalry between these two riders was palpable all weekend, as mere seconds separated them in the bid to get closer to that top step.
To view provisional results for all classes, please click here.
Words by Caitlin Hynes. Images by Troy Pears.
