Active8 Yamalube Yamaha’s Wil Ruprecht is thrilled to claim the E1 title in the 2017 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC), which he was able to do last Saturday at Omeo in Victoria with a round to spare.

Ruprecht was a dominant force in the category, capturing six round victories across the 10 stops of the championship, including a double-round win in Victoria over the weekend.

The New South Welshman revealed it was always the goal to clinch the championship, expressing his relief to finally secure the crown after overcoming hurdles throughout the year.

“My goal at the start of the year was to win this championship and to get it done today feels awesome,” said Ruprecht. “The team and I have worked really hard this year and I can’t thank everyone at the Active8 Yamaha team for their support and belief in me.

“It wasn’t easy as we had to overcome some hurdles, but that’s part of managing a championship and I learned a lot this year and developed as a rider.

“Thank you to the clubs and promoters of each round for their part in running this championship as well as everyone at Yamaha and our team sponsors for the support.”

Ruprecht will shift his attention towards the prestigious 2017 International Six-Day Enduro (ISDE), where he’ll represent Australia alongside a selection of the country’s top off-road athletes in Brive, France, starting from 28 August.