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A pair of junior categories will contest the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship, providing a platform for the country’s capable young racers to ride alongside the SX1 and SX2 championships.

The Junior Lites (13-Under 16 years) and Junior 85 (12-Under 16 years) championships will feature at select rounds of the series, which will become a pathway to produce Australia’s future internationals.

“Off-road motorcycle racing is on the rise in Australia and we’re delighted to once again see a range of junior classes on-track supporting the Australian Supercross Championship,” Motorcycling Australia (MA) CEO Peter Doyle said.

“The classes offer a pathway for aspiring riders to dream big and advance to the highest level of the sport with the ability to compete on the country’s best tracks, while rubbing shoulders with and learning from the country’s best SX1 and SX2 riders.

“We see these junior categories as a fantastic stepping stone to help develop Australia’s next supercross world champion while providing a real-life training platform for becoming a world-class athlete.”

In an effort to maximise participation numbers while making entering the championship as cost-effective as possible, each junior class will consist of three rounds of the series. Junior Lites will be at Port Adelaide, Wollongong and Melbourne, while the 85s will race Brisbane, Port Adelaide and Wollongong.

Championship organisers have also touted aspirations to host practice days and coaching opportunities specific to supercross for all skill levels in 2019 to aid the development of junior riders to make for a safe transition from motocross to supercross.

“We’re extremely committed to providing a solid platform for the development of future supercross stars, which is a huge focus for us,” commented AUS SX Holdings’ Adam Bailey. “There’s no doubt we have the talent in this country – we just need to provide the opportunity for these kids to build their experience and show what they can do on the race track and to gain valuable experience.

“Supercross is the best opportunity for young riders to gain national and international exposure to help further their careers, both nationally and internationally. The 2019 Australian Supercross Championship will be the largest and most anticipated in close to a decade. We hope to see full grids of juniors lining up to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Last year’s Australian Supercross Championships were won by Jake Cuka in the Junior Lites and Brad West in the 85s.

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Monster Energy Kawasaki’s current leaders of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo, won’t be available for the 2019 Monster Energy Motocross of Nations (MXoN).

Kawasaki has announced that neither rider will be available for the Assen event in the Netherlands on 28-29 September, instead opting to focus on preparations for next season when they’re paired together riding the KX450.

After contact was made by the AMA, it was established that the factory Kawasaki team or its riders wouldn’t be considered for Team USA, but the manufacturer will assess any future invitations received. According to Kawasaki, both riders were in agreement with the decision.

“Being chosen to represent the USA is always an honour,” Tomac commented. “I am a patriotic guy, so attending Motocross of Nations is something I always look forward to and embrace the challenge of the unique race.

“However, after speaking with the team I understand and support their reasoning for not attending this year’s event. Winning MXoN is something that is still on my checklist, but my priority right now is winning a Monster Energy Supercross title.”

Cianciarulo added: “It would be an incredible and humbling honour to be chosen to represent Team USA. For me, it has always been something I have watched and wanted to be chosen for, but I understand the team’s decision and I know I have a lot of work and new challenges ahead of me by moving up to the 450 class.”

Tomac has represented Team USA on multiple occasions including 2013, 2014 and also last year at RedBud, while Cianciarulo is yet to form part of the American team at the high-profile international event.

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Injured Geico Honda rider Hunter Lawrence has declared his availability if selected for Team Australia at this year’s Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN), despite recently breaking his collarbone.

Lawrence suffered the injury after experiencing a mechanical malfunction while training, however he’s hopeful of making a return for the final rounds of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, while ensuring he’ll definitely be ready for the prestigious event in Assen, The Netherlands, on 28-29 September.

“I’ll do that still, that’s eight or nine weeks away now, so I’ve got plenty of time,” said Lawrence when speaking to Swapmotolive. “I still want to race as many nationals as I can – if I can do the last two, that would be sick for the team and myself. It’s two more tracks I haven’t ridden, so if I can do them, it’s better for next year.

“At the same time, it depends how much I lose with bike skills, fitness etc. You don’t want to come back from fighting for race wins, come back, work my arse off and get 12th. We’ll see how we go, but for sure, nations, if I get selected for that, we’ll definitely be doing that.”

Lawrence has featured on the Australian squad two times in his career, finishing first overall in MX2 in 2017 followed by runner-up honours at last year’s edition.