Local Gun Looks to Oust Long-Standing National Champ

Port Macquarie motorcycle ace Chris Hollis will be one of the hundreds of enduro racers who will flock to the area for the opening rounds of the Yamaha Australian Off Road Championships (AORC) on March 15 and 16.

The odds could be tipped in the local boy’s favour, with three-time winner of the series, Queenslander Anthony ‘AJ’ Roberts unsure if he will be able to contest the first two rounds due to an injury sustained during training earlier this month. Hollis is currently in Thailand for a six-hour team event and has represented Australia at several international races, including one in Chile last year.

The charismatic 23-year-old proved he was a serious contender for the AORC crown last year, beating all but one of the nation’s fastest riders to finish second outright in the championship.

Hollis’s stand-out performances have also helped land him a ride on one of Australia’s premier racing squads, Ballard’s Yamaha Off Road Team.

Team manager Geoff Ballard said Hollis would certainly be looking for the win this year.

After several exceptional finishes last season - including a highly commended third outright placing at the Australian Four Day Enduro which was won by the world champion who was flown in from overseas - few would likely argue his chances aren’t looking good.

"He has been training really hard... he’s in Thailand at the moment doing a race, he has teamed up with a local rider over there," Mr Ballard said. "It’s a six-hour, so it will be good practice for the Sunday rounds of the AORC that are going to be run in [cross country-format]."

However, if AJ’s recovery from his broken tibia is fast enough for him to be able to contest the first two rounds, Hollis will likely have a very solid battle on his hands. The Honda pilot has been mostly undefeated in the championship for the last three years and said he was doing everything he could to get better for Port Macquarie. "I am trying to do all the right things. It’s an unknown at the moment whether I will be able to ride, I’m just taking it day by day," he said.

"I still don’t know ligament-wise what has happened, I am getting an MRI next week and seeing specialists and will hopefully know soon."

The rules of the AORC stipulate a rider can not drop a round of the series, so if AJ was unable to ride the first two rounds, it would put him at a vast disadvantage to win the crown for another year.

The AORC are ran over six weekends, with one round on Saturday in sprint format (several laps of the bush/motocross track racing against the clock) and one on Sunday in a cross-country format (class mass start, championship classes race for two hours flat out).

The championships boasts classes for every level of rider, from Juniors older than 9- years to clubman, women, veterans, masters, experts and championship-level racers. 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.

Supplementary regulations are already out and entries are coming in fast. To enter or for more information please visit www.dirtbikepromotions.com.au, contact Dirt Bike Promotions on 02 63624437 or 0438721024 or email