Yamaha gears up for massive 2026 ProMX assault
On the back of another year of retail sales success with Yamaha’s motocross line-up, Yamaha Motor Australia will have an increased presence at motocross tracks around Australia with multiple teams and riders contesting this year’s ProMX championship. Words: Yamaha Australia
In 2025, Yamaha revamped their motocross effort by uniting the teams with a range of partners and sponsors that raised the level of all involved. Monster Energy, FOX, Dunlop, Yamalube and GYTR all combined to present a striking and united front in 2025 that was well received by the riders and the industry.
2026 will see the continuation of our four major motocross teams, as well as the introduction of another Yamaha-mounted team, more rider support, and international riders contesting the ProMX championship.
Monster Energy CDR Yamaha Team
The 2026 team of Jed Beaton and Aaron Tanti has already been announced, and with the stability of the rider line-up, it allows the team to focus on bike development and infrastructure for the upcoming year.
The team had a head start using the significantly upgraded 2026 YZ450F in last year’s Supercross championship and already gained a valuable insight into the latest generation 450. The lessons learnt during supercross were immediately put into place, and once Jed Beaton returned to action late last year, they were able to instantly provide him with a race-ready weapon for his pre-season.
On top of that, Beaton was able to spend a few days testing prior to the Christmas break and feels he is in a strong position as we work towards round one of the ProMX Championship in March.
“I basically had three months off the bike with my leg injury, but I was surprised at how I felt when I got back on the bike and how well the bike was working,” Beaton comments. “It didn’t take long at all to get back up to a good speed, and there were a lot of positives to take from the bike even though they had only raced supercross on it.
“After a few days with the team to get things personalised for me, I felt great, and now we are just in the process of the pre-season grind and getting my fitness base back to where it needs to be.
“The results of the last two seasons have only driven my motivation to be better, and I will be ready to go when the gates drop at round one,” he ended.
Aaron Tanti also enters the new season full of positivity. The 2022 ProMX champ has had a wretched run with injury in recent times but believes that is all behind him now, and a good block of racing through supercross, which saw him improve at every round, has him buoyant about the season ahead.
“The last few seasons, it seems like I have taken a step forward, only to take two steps back with injury, and the lack of continuity in my riding and training has had an effect. So, this year the focus has shifted slightly, with the goal to be not just faster but to make better decisions on the track and put blocks of riding together so I can improve and be there at the end of every championship.
“I’m a bit older and hopefully wiser now, so that experience needs to benefit me in the way I approach my riding and training.
“It’s also good to have the same team again behind me. No more swapping bikes in the off-season or getting used to a different group of people, now I can just get down to business and prepare myself for the ProMX championship ahead,” Tanti confirms.
Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Team
At certain rounds this year, it will be like the United Nations under the Yamalube Yamaha awning, as riders from three different nationalities will contest the ProMX championship in 2026.
Noah Ferguson will headline the MX2 line-up for 2026. After finishing on the podium in 2025, Ferguson has made the switch to Yamaha for 2026 and believes with the new bike and team, he can make another step forward in his riding and compete for this year’s ProMX Championship.
Based in Queensland and not far from the team base, Ferguson is determined to make the most of this opportunity with an experienced team behind him.
“Over the last two years, I could see the investment and improvements the team has made both in themselves and the bike, and I knew it was the place I wanted to be. There is a lot of knowledge and experience within the team, and I think their guidance is exactly what I need.
“I have been on a Yamaha for a while now, and I just started out with the stock bike, and it felt really good. It’s an easy bike to ride fast, and we are now working our way through a range of testing to get it dialled in, and come round one, I think we will be right in the sweet spot.
“As for me, I need to be more consistent and just close the gap between my best days and my worst. That has been a focus of mine in the off-season, as with just a little bit more consistency at every round, I think I have a real shot at winning the MX2 championship in 2026,” he states.
Joining him on the MX2 grid will be two-time IA2 Japanese champion, Soya Nakajima. The relationship between Yamaha Japan and Yamaha Motor Australia is a tight one, and both have worked together again to provide Soya the platform for the next level of racing in his career as a reward for his success at home.
Soya is no stranger to racing internationally having competed in the 2025 Motocross of Nations in the US and was even in Australia for the World Junior Motocross Championships in Horsham back in 2018.
Soya will contest the ProMX championship and line up at the MXGP of Darwin later in the year as part of his 2026 program.
“I’m excited for this opportunity to race in Australia and with the Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Team for 2026. Thank you to YMA and YMC for working together on this project for me and I have been following the Australian racing now for some time, so I’m looking forward to racing new tracks, meeting new people and becoming a better rider.”
Soya will land in Australia in February and get acclimatised to Australian conditions and tracks before tackling round one in March.
And in a real coup , not just for Yamaha but also women’s racing, Yamaha Motor Australia and Yamaha Motor USA have been able to work together to have two-time AMA Women’s Motocross Champion, Lachlan Turner, down under to contest the four-round WMX championship at the ProMX as well as the WMX division at the Darwin MXGP. And not just for 2026, she is on a two-year deal across both continents so the Australian fans can get to know her.
Lala, as she is known, visited Australia last year for the Women’s Oceania Motocross Challenge and enjoyed her time here. So much so that she wanted to come back, and when the dates allowed her to contest both the AMA and the ProMX championships, both countries got to work and put an arrangement together that will see Lala cross the Pacific Ocean multiple times this year, as her passion for racing knows no limit.
“It’s so cool that I will be able to race in Australia and the US for the next two seasons and promote women’s racing. Thank you to Yamaha for putting this together for me, and I’m pumped to get this chance.
“I already have a great relationship with the Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha team from when I was here in March and then again when I was here at Supercross with my brother Lux. I know they will have everything ready for me, and I can’t wait to race in Australia again.”
Monster Energy WBR Yamaha Team
The Monster Energy WBR Yamaha team will boast an all-new rider line for 2026, with three riders sitting under the WBR Yamaha truck at ProMX events.
With their focus heavily on the MX3 division, the team welcomes Jack Deveson and Hayden Draper to the team.
The New Zealand-based Draper looks to be a star on the rise, and under the watchful eyes of Josh Coppins and Ben Townley, Draper just gets better every time he hits the track. He made an immediate impression when he did the final couple of rounds of ProMX in 2025 and then showed further improvement when contesting the Australia Junior Motocross Championship a few months later.
Draper is currently contesting the MX2 championship in New Zealand, and the 16-year-old has already proven to be a race and round winner. He has also shown he can adapt to Australian tracks quickly, so keep an eye on the fast Kiwi as he appears to be following in the footsteps of his famous mentors.
Jack Deveson has earned his first professional ride with a manufacturer team with his gritty performance in motocross and his head-turning skills in supercross. Deveson showed promise at motocross in last year’s MX3 championship, often in the hunt for race and round podiums, but it was the Supercross championship where Deveson came alive as he hammered his way to a second-place finish in the championship.
Based in western New South Wales, Deveson is a hard-working, no-nonsense athlete with a supportive family who put their heart and soul into racing.
“I’m just glad I can finally tell people about it,” Deveson beams. “The team gave me a bike at the final round of supercross last year, so I have had to keep it on the down low for a while now, but I’m glad it’s out, and I’m excited to go racing.
“The team has been great to work with, and having so many good people around me now makes my life so much easier, and there is so much to learn,” Deveson said.
Joining the team in an MX2 role will be Seth Burchell. Burchell put together a solid debut year in MX2 and now gets a chance to be part of the Monster Energy WBR Yamaha Team for the 2026 season.
Burchell knows the time is now to make his mark in racing and has made several changes to ensure he is as prepared as possible to take it to the established names in the MX2 class.
“This year I have decided to make racing my focus and go all-in,” Burchell begins. “I will move down to Victoria with a view to ride and train full time and give it my all.
“Thank you to Yamaha and WBR for making this happen, and my goal now is to work my way up to the Yamalube team and become a professional racer.
GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing
Last year YJR was overflowing with 11 riders, so what did we do? We added two more and now support 13 riders in racing development for 2026.
The same eleven riders from 2025 return to the team for this season, which has nine riders contesting motocross and supercross events as well as two off-road riders. Four national championships, countless podiums, and international success saw the team tick off plenty of goals last season, and 2026 is shaping up to be even bigger.
In addition to the 11 incumbent riders, YJR will add two young guns to the team roost in 2026. Archie Blanchette from New South Wales and Ollie Thredgold from South Australia will join the team focusing on the 65cc class.
Team riders will contest state-based events as well as national ProMX, AUSX and MXGP rounds, as well as more international exposure.
2026 Team:
MX: Lachlan Allen / Jobe Dunne / Heath Davy / Deegan Fort / Blake Bohannon / Eliza Dennis / Kye Sproule / Stella Harding / Hudson Francis / Archie Blanchette / Ollie Thredgold
Off Road: Marcus Nowland / Harley Hutton.
Yamaha Support
2026 will see a new team in the ProMX paddock mounted on Yamaha machinery. Berry Sweet Yamaha is based in Western Australia and will feature Regan Duffy and Sonny Pellicano racing the YZ450F in the MX1 division.
The team will race both national events as well as as many state-based events in WA as possible. Pellicano has been a long-time Yamaha rider and will step up from the MX3 class, while Duffy is looking to re-establish himself at the front of the pack and feels the YZ450F is the best bike to make that a reality.
The team will be mounted on the white 70th anniversary edition bikes and will make for a striking appearance on tracks around the country. The team will unveil their complete look in the coming days.
Keeping it in WA, Yamaha Motor Australia will continue to support Strickland Racing Developments (SRD) with a state-based racing program to bring riders to the brand on the other side of the paddock. SRD will have a multi-rider team with Nate Tomerini headlining the juniors and Charli Weightman and Gary Hannson flying the flag in seniors.
Yamaha has also thrown some support behind Koby Hantis and Ky Woods as they make their progression from MX3 to MX2. Both showed flashes of brilliance in 2025 and will make the big step into the MX2 class with Yamaha at their back. Both will be on board the YZ250F.
Madi Simpson will also contest the WMX championship with support from Yamaha. Madi had a challenging first year in senior racing but was still able to land on the podium at a round of the WMX and will no doubt be better from the experience gained last year.
Again, Yamaha will be a sponsor of the ProMX championship and continues a remarkable succession backing of Australian racing.
Image: Yamaha Australia
