The GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing Team picked up two more national motocross championships, with Jobe Dunne and Archie Blanchette taking out their respective classes after racing concluded on Friday.

The weeklong event held at Shepparton in Victoria saw around 400 riders do battle in a range of classes and on a wide variety of conditions that went from dry and hard pack to ankle-deep mud and rain and anywhere in between, to really test the riders and their skills.

Jobe Dunne finished off his junior career in the most impressive fashion, taking the number 1 plate in the 15-year 250cc division. Dunne has been the big improver this year thanks to a more dedicated approach to his racing, and the results certainly rewarded the effort as he won the championship with 1-1-3 finishes across the three finals.

He won the first two motos in convincing fashion but rain fell heavily during the morning of the final day of competition, and Dunne couldn’t take it easy in the final moto with the wet conditions throwing things sideways for all competitors.

Despite a few hairy moments and constant pressure from behind in the final few laps, Dunne kept his composure and was able to secure his maiden class victory at the Australian Junior Motocross Championship.

“It’s been a big week, and that final race in the mud made it pretty stressful,” Dunne explains. “I knew I had a few points up my sleeve after winning the first two finals, but the mud makes it tough to even get around, so I had to stay calm and not crash as anything outside of the top three and I wouldn’t have won the championship."

"Thanks to Yamaha Junior Racing for all their support and to the guys at WBR Yamaha for coming out and looking after us this week. Also, my family who support me so much, and to see them so happy after the last race was pretty cool," Dunne ends.

From one of the oldest winners in juniors to one of the youngest, Archie Blanchette wrote a little slice of history when he was the first rider to win an Australia Junior Motocross Championship on a YZ65.

It didn’t come easy for Blanchette, but his consistency across all three 7-9 years 65cc races saw him win the class. His 2-5-2 results gave him a two-point winning margin, and Archie was rightly proud of his efforts.

“The last race in the mud was hard. The track got worse with every lap, and if you made a mistake, you either fell off or lost so much time. I didn’t really know where I was coming or what the points were, so when they said I have won, I didn’t believe it until they put a number 1 plate on my bike,” Archie said.

In other classes, Deegan Fort charged to a fourth-place finish in the 15-year 125cc class, highlighted with a final moto race win in the mud. Fort and his extensive sand experience helps him when the conditions get nasty, and the race win was a positive way for him to finish the week.

Stella Harding double-classed it during the week with her best finish coming in the 10-12 years 65cc, where the talented lady finished in sixth place. Harding is growing taller by the week and fitting into her 65 makes it tough for her, but the gritty and determined competitor was still able to stick it to the boys with another good result.

Ollie Thredgold also claimed sixth placer but in the 7-9 years 65cc. Coming into the final round, Thredgold and Blanchette were running 2-3, but the muddy conditions proved to be a determining factor. Blanchette made it through unscathed, while Thredgold suffered some issues in the mud and wasn’t able to hang on to his spot on the podium.

Kye Sproule finished 9th in the 12-14 years 85cc. Sproule started the week in good form but wasn’t able to improve his riding during the week and, combined with some crashes was only able to finish ninth.

“Another week at the junior nationals and two more Yamaha champions crowned,” stated YJR Manager, Darren Thompson. "The riders and families put in a huge effort this week and it only got harder on the final day with the rain and muddy conditions."

The riders all put in their best effort, and I especially congratulate Jobe and Archie on their success. Both families were rightly excited and put in plenty of long hours in the lead-up to the event, it was good to see them on the top step of the podium.

“Thanks to Travis and his WBR Yamaha team for throwing their support behind YJR and it was greatly appreciated by the riders and families,” Thompson ends.