The CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team has selected three Australian riders to fly the team flag at this years FIM World Supercross Championship, starting in Vancouver in October.
With Eli Tomac, in partnership with Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha, already announced as the spearhead, team owner Craig Dack, has selected Matt Moss to run alongside Tomac in the 450cc division while going for an all-Australia 250cc team of Ryder Kingsford and Kaleb Barham.Moss’ deal will see him compete for the CDR Yamaha Team at both the Australian Supercross Championship as well as the World Supercross Championships that will keep the former champ super busy in the back half of the year.
Moss has been revitalised since signing with the CDR Yamaha Team and has been putting in the hard yards on and off the track to give himself the best chance of success when the gates drop on October 12 in Brisbane.
The 250 team is made up of Kingsford and Barham, both skilled supercross riders and from Yamaha Australia’s 250 team, Yamalube Yamaha Racing. In a collaborative effort across both teams that saw the teams unite to provide a world platform for Australian riders, Kingsford and Barham are out to prove their worth and establish their names on a bigger stage.
“I have publicly stated that I would love to give Australian riders the opportunity to race at a higher level via the World Supercross Championship and this year we have been able to give three domestic riders a chance to strut their stuff and take on some of the world’s best,” Dack offers.
“The reaction from all three riders has been overwhelming and you can sense the excitement and enthusiasm from each of them every time we speak. Matt has raced at this level before, but he has the motivation and excitement level of a rider doing this for the first time, while Ryder and Kaleb have both shown they deserve their opportunities and look forward to seeing what they can produce when the championship gets under way.
Kingsford and Barham will continue with the Yamalube Yamaha Team for the Australian Supercross Championship and to make their transition as easy as possible, the CDR Yamaha Team and the Yamalube Yamaha Team have combined to build the race bikes for the riders, so they are very familiar with race machines.
“The unity amongst both teams has been great,” Dack continues, “and we have worked together to build a very competitive YZ250F for the riders. We pooled resources in motor and suspension development and spent a few days testing which was very successful.
At 19 year of age and coming off a third-place finish in the Australian Motocross Championship, Ryder Kingsford, is thankful for the chance to race the World Supercross Championship and looking forward to going against international riders.
“I recall sitting in a meeting at the start of the year and Yamaha saying that they can give riders a chance to race internationally if we work hard and produce good results, so to have that become a reality and have three Australian riders contesting the World Supercross Championship for CDR Yamaha is pretty cool,” Kingsford explains.
“Both teams have been flat out since the end of the ProMX Championship in preparing things for supercross and I’m extremely grateful not just for the work everyone has put in behind the scenes but also the chance to race this series and have so many good people supporting us.
“Testing has gone well, I have been doing a bit of riding with everyone, so we are all in a good place and can't wait to get things underway at round one in Canada,” he ends.
It will mark an extremely busy period for the team and riders as the travel back and forth between Australian and World Supercross rounds.
“It's exciting to give Australian riders this chance to race the full series of the World Supercross Championship and I look forward to seeing what all three can do when the championships start,” said Yamaha’s Motorsport manager, Scott Bishop.
“Craig and his team have put significant effort into this year’s campaign, and we wish them well as they represent Yamaha at the events.
“At Yamaha we are working hard to offer riders international opportunities or a career path beyond Australia and this is just the beginning for that process. We have many more in the works, from off road to road, motocross to supercross, and hope we can continue to produce and develop riders that can race at the highest levels with success.
“It’s also pleasing to see the race teams work closely together and collaborate on such a big undertaking. The CDR and Yamalube teams have worked in harmony throughout 2024, and this is the culmination of that relationship where each team and rider can benefit from shared knowledge and experience,” Bishop ends.
FIM World Supercross Championships
Rd1 – Oct 26 – Canadian GP (Vancouver)
Rd 2- Nov23 – Australian GP (Perth)
Rd 3- Nov 24 – Australian GP (Perth)
Rd 4- Dec 4 – Abu Dhabi GP
Australian Supercross Championships
Rd 1 – Oct 12 – Brisbane
Rd 2 – Oct 13 - Brisbane
Rd 3 – Nov 2 – Wollongong
Rd 4 – Nov 16 – Adelaide
Rd 5 – Nov 30 – Melbourne.