After last year’s hugely successful inauguration, the 2006 instalment of the Yamaha Australian Off Road Series will commence at Gulgong (NSW) on March 18-19.

Once again, the cream of Australia’s enduro talent will be on display across the five rounds, including multiple gold medallists in the International Six Days’ Enduro, and a whopping 18 riders who have finished on Australian Four-Day Enduro (A4DE) podiums since 2002. Moreover, seven distributor-backed teams will compete in this year’s series, across the three premier Pro classes: E1, E2 and E3.

Undoubtedly, E2 (250cc 2T vs. 450cc 4T) will be most keenly fought category for the second successive year, with reigning No. 1 Anthony Roberts (Yamaha Australia) set to be harassed from all directions – his 2005 E2 contemporaries, some ex-E1 firebrands and a rider who has returned home after a couple of years in America.

It’s been a big off-season for 23-year-old Roberts, who has switched from Husqvarna to Yamaha, with the lure of a world enduro campaign to go with it. However, the Queenslander will miss the opening world enduro round in Sweden this weekend – with temperatures expected to hit around minus 15 degrees, that’s probably a good thing – but will be on deck in Portugal on May 6-7.

But for now he’s in off-road mode, and will be coveting a 2005-like kick-off – emphatic wins on both Saturday and Sunday.

“I couldn’t be happier with how it’s all started out with Yamaha. From the moment I jumped on the YZ450F I felt comfortable, although I haven’t done a lot of racing – just a few events in New South Wales and Queensland.

“However, I’ve gone a lot faster on my test track on the Yamaha, so I’m all set for a strong showing at Gulgong.

“To be honest, I couldn’t be happier that I’m racing in Australia this weekend, as the world enduro round in Sweden will be a difficult event to ride in. I’m a Queenslander – how am I going to practice on ice?”

For Roberts to replicate last year’s sublime kick-off, he will have to keep a host of well-credentialed runners in his wake, including Brad Williscroft (Motorex Shift KTM Off-Road Racing), Kirk Hutton (TeamMoto Yamaha), Ben Grabham (GHR Honda), Michael Oliver (TeamMoto KTM), Ian Cunningham (Husqvarna Racing), Josh Strang (Kawasaki Australia), Blake Hore (Christensens Motorcycles Yamaha), Matthew Fish (KTM) and Andrew Lloyd (Husqvarna Racing).

The indefatigable Williscroft, 37, was fifth in last year’s E2, but missed four races with injury. This year, he’s already tied with Roberts in the opening two rounds of the NSW Off-Road Sprint Series, which may be a portent to what’s ahead at the Free Flight Motocross Park in Gulgong.

As for 24-year-old Grabham, he was an easy winner in last year’s E1 (125cc 2T vs 250cc 4T) class, and is now making the transition to E2. The Bathurst-reared rider has already made an impact on one E2 battle this year – he’s currently running second behind Stuart Bennett in the Ssangyong Australian Supermoto Championship. What’s more, he’s an Australian championship-winning long tracker too.

But it’s enduro where Grabham’s real pre-eminence lies, and it would be no surprise to see him move straight to the front this weekend.

Meanwhile, Strang was a revelation in the last two rounds of 2005, finishing on the podium in three of the four races – including a last-start victory. With that triumph, he joined Roberts, Williscroft and Jamie Cunningham (GHR Honda) on the 2005 winners’ list.

Fish, who has just returned from a couple of seasons racing in America, punctuated with a few outings in Australia, will also be in the picture. That also holds for veteran Ian Cunningham (Husqvarna Racing), who is deputising for the injured Damian Smith at Gulgong.

Smith, the 2005 E1 runner-up, recently broke two vertebrae while training, which is expected to keep him sidelined for a large chunk of 2006.

Across the board, the scoring system for the Yamaha Australian Off Road Series – the three Pro classes and 10 support classes – has changed in 2006, with points awarded for all heats (loops) during a day’s competition. Previously, riders in the sprint-type format who started brilliantly could afford to cruise for the remainder of the day, safe in the knowledge that maximum points (25) would come their way.

Now it’ll be full steam from go-to-whoa, which should make for plenty of fireworks in E1. A coterie of 11 riders will compete at Gulgong, with eight of them capable of winning: Jehi Willis (Motorex Shift KTM Off-Road Racing), Shannon Lewry (GHR Honda), Craig Douglas (Motul Gas Gas), Ben Kearney (Yamaha), Glen Bell (GHR Honda), Geoff Braico (KTM), Ryan Bouquet (Honda) and Damien Grabham (Yamaha).

The latter is a former A4DE 250cc four-stroke champion, while Bouquet is returning to the fray after a year’s sabbatical. Bell is also a legend in the Australian motocross and supercross ranks, while Willis and Douglas finished third in last year’s E2 and E3 (251cc and over 2T vs 451cc and over 4T) off-road titles respectively.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Braico is a star in the making, and will keep the seasoned professionals in his sights.

In E3, Bennett (Motorex Shift KTM Off-Road Racing) is going for two in a row, with Jamie Cunningham (GHR Honda) and reigning No. 2 Adam Lees (Husaberg Off Road Racing) his only real opposition.

Support classes at Gulgong will include Expert (E1, E2-3 and Veterans); Clubman (E2-3, Veterans and Masters); Women’s and three categories of juniors: 85cc 9-U12, 85cc 12-U15 and Lites.