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It’s been a gruelling Australian Enduro Championship campaign in 2026. Twelve rounds, four states and a variety of challenging terrain created an exhilarating season for Empire Motorsport riders Kai Austin and Nate Munro.
The finale was spicy! Championship points were tight and the sands of Coonalpyn offered no mercy. It was a hard fought cross country at round eleven as competitors battled a twenty two kilometre loop of endless sand whoops mixed with a blend of loose limestone rocks.
In the J4 class, Nate Munro was a man on a mission, after a mistake on the third corner he charged from dead last to reclaim the lead by the second lap. His riding was superb as he maintained a sensational for majority of the race. Unfortunately, Munro encountered some complications on the final lap but still held onto a third place finish in class.
Munro shared he “struggled a bit towards the end of the cross country, but other than that I am really happy with how I rode today and all year.”
After the track was destroyed by the junior racers for two hours in the morning, the Pro Enduro riders faced the most physically demanding track of the season. EJ rider Kai Austin had a big challenge ahead of him, leading the championship by a mere three points; the pressure was on. The young seventeen year old put himself in the perfect position, claiming the holeshot and maintaining second position for majority of the race. Austin showed pure heart after dropping back to third going into the final lap, but a late charge saw him regain second and valuable points heading into the final day.
Austin reflected, “I was a bit full of nerves this weekend so I just went out there and did my best.”
It all boiled down to round twelve. Both Empire Motorsports riders Kai Austin and Nate Munro were in the championship fight. It was a challenging day for Munro. He was blisteringly fast, winning the opening test. Challenging track conditions opened the window for small errors to be costly, and unfortunately a mistake in the fifth test resulted in a fifth place for the final round.
Munro commented he “just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone that has supported me this year. Mum and Dad, the Austins, Empire Kawasaki, Onpoint Suspension, Leatt ad everyone that helps me.”
The Pro track was exciting, a pristine sand motocross track with a mix of technical logs made some spectacular racing. Austin showed maturity with a very calm and calculated ride to bring home another podium to round out a phenomenal rookie season.
“My first year in the EJ category, so its good I have another year to try to back it up. Hopefully I can carry this momentum into next year and have another good year to keep the ball rolling” Austin commented.
Austin’s trajectory has been remarkable in 2026. Building confidence every round, the seventeen year old pieced together an outstanding rookie season to claim victory in the EJ championship. Munro also showed brilliant form all season long to end his junior career in an impressive second place in J4.
OVERALL RESULTS
ROUND 11
NATE MUNRO
J4 - 3rd
Overall - 4th
KAI AUSTIN
EJ - 2nd
PRO ENDURO - 16th
ROUND 12
NATE MUNRO
J4 - 5th
Overall - 6th
KAI AUSTIN
EJ - 3rd
PRO ENDURO - 22nd
Nate Munro - 2nd place J4 Championship
Kai Austin - EJ Championship Winner
8 September 2026
Kai Austin & Empire Motorsports Win EJ Championship
Kai Austin and Empire Motorsport Team (Credit: Foremost Media)
Kai Austin (Credit: Foremost Media)
Nate Munro (Credit: Foremost Media)
The finale was spicy! Championship points were tight and the sands of Coonalpyn offered no mercy. It was a hard fought cross country at round eleven as competitors battled a twenty two kilometre loop of endless sand whoops mixed with a blend of loose limestone rocks.
In the J4 class, Nate Munro was a man on a mission, after a mistake on the third corner he charged from dead last to reclaim the lead by the second lap. His riding was superb as he maintained a sensational for majority of the race. Unfortunately, Munro encountered some complications on the final lap but still held onto a third place finish in class.
Munro shared he “struggled a bit towards the end of the cross country, but other than that I am really happy with how I rode today and all year.”
After the track was destroyed by the junior racers for two hours in the morning, the Pro Enduro riders faced the most physically demanding track of the season. EJ rider Kai Austin had a big challenge ahead of him, leading the championship by a mere three points; the pressure was on. The young seventeen year old put himself in the perfect position, claiming the holeshot and maintaining second position for majority of the race. Austin showed pure heart after dropping back to third going into the final lap, but a late charge saw him regain second and valuable points heading into the final day.
Austin reflected, “I was a bit full of nerves this weekend so I just went out there and did my best.”
It all boiled down to round twelve. Both Empire Motorsports riders Kai Austin and Nate Munro were in the championship fight. It was a challenging day for Munro. He was blisteringly fast, winning the opening test. Challenging track conditions opened the window for small errors to be costly, and unfortunately a mistake in the fifth test resulted in a fifth place for the final round.
Munro commented he “just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone that has supported me this year. Mum and Dad, the Austins, Empire Kawasaki, Onpoint Suspension, Leatt ad everyone that helps me.”
The Pro track was exciting, a pristine sand motocross track with a mix of technical logs made some spectacular racing. Austin showed maturity with a very calm and calculated ride to bring home another podium to round out a phenomenal rookie season.
“My first year in the EJ category, so its good I have another year to try to back it up. Hopefully I can carry this momentum into next year and have another good year to keep the ball rolling” Austin commented.
Austin’s trajectory has been remarkable in 2026. Building confidence every round, the seventeen year old pieced together an outstanding rookie season to claim victory in the EJ championship. Munro also showed brilliant form all season long to end his junior career in an impressive second place in J4.
OVERALL RESULTS
ROUND 11
NATE MUNRO
J4 - 3rd
Overall - 4th
KAI AUSTIN
EJ - 2nd
PRO ENDURO - 16th
ROUND 12
NATE MUNRO
J4 - 5th
Overall - 6th
KAI AUSTIN
EJ - 3rd
PRO ENDURO - 22nd
Nate Munro - 2nd place J4 Championship
Kai Austin - EJ Championship Winner