Hollis Holds on for AORC Podium

CDR Yamaha’s Chris Hollis overcame atrocious conditions at the final two rounds of the Australian Off Road Championship to finish the prestigious two wheeled championship in third place outright on board his Yamaha WR450F.

Held in Penshurst, Victoria, huge amounts of rain in the area had turn creeks into rivers and paddocks into mud as event organisers did what they could to adapt to the wet conditions. Originally, Saturday was slated down for a Cross Country format but was changed to a more manageable Sprint race that saw competitors battle it out on a 13 minute a lap course full of mud, water and bog holes.

The experienced Hollis did what was required on the treacherous course to finish eighth outright on Saturday and fourth in the E2 (450cc) division to consolidate his position heading into the final round.

With the rain easing, conditions were much improved on Sunday and while still wet, riders found the going a little easier both on bikes and bodies. Hollis again put in another solid performance and in the process managed to lock down third outright and finish a very respectable second in the E2 class.

“The last few rounds have been pretty tough with almost all of them mud,” Hollis explains. “Mud isn’t really my strong point and it’s not always enjoyable for me but I try to get through each day with as few mistakes as possible and get a good result.

“Despite the mud, it’s rewarding to finish the year out in third and stand on the podium for my CDR Yamaha team. Like us riders, the last few rounds have been tough on them turning the bikes around and getting everything back into perfect condition but the guys have done a great job and I thank them for their efforts,” Hollis ends.

Unlike Hollis, Tom McCormack loves the mud and showed plenty of speed over the weekend. Tom hit the track with all guns blazing and was right in the thick of the action only to have a mechanical gremlin and record a DNF in the first special test on Saturday morning.

The CDR Yamaha team quickly resolved the issues and Tom was up and firing again with good results in the final tests.

After a serious injury last season, Tom has made some good progress in the last few rounds and finished the year 10th outright, fourth in the E2 class on board his (WR450F).

“It was wet,” Tom said. “The water made it tough on the bikes but I feel like my riding is starting to improve and I’m getting some confidence back in my body after missing racing all last year.

“Thank you to the CDR Yamaha team for their on-going support as the recent rounds have seen them elbows deep in mud like us riders and the clean-up job can’t be any fun.”

In a season full of ups and downs, team manager Craig Dack, now points the team focus on the upcoming A4DE (Australian Four Day Enduro).

“It’s been a challenging year for us in many ways with the weather and Tom’s return to injury but I’m proud to say that everyone kept working hard and at the end of it we came out looking ok.

“Chris just continues to get the job done and his third in the championship is a great result. Tom is getting better with each ride so hopefully his break out performance will be coming soon.

“We now shift our focus to the A4DE which is the biggest event on the Off Road calendar as a team we have had great success at in the past,” Dack ends.

To follow the CDR Yamaha team on social media: www.facebook.com/cdryamaha or @cdr_yamaha

For a full list of results from the AORC: https://speedhive.mylaps.com/en/Events/1325288#_ga=1.152646970.2071296514.1456645382

2016 AORC – Final Standings

1st Daniel Sanders – 282
2nd Tye Simmonds – 226
3rd Chris Hollis – 190 (CDR Yamaha)
4th Lachlan Stanford – 177
5th Beau Ralston – 176
6th Jack Simpson – 175
7th Broc Grabham – 147
8th Glenn Kearney – 140
9th Riley Graham – 113
10th Tom McCormack – 112 (CDR Yamaha)