Australia is speculated to be hosting the world motocross season opener in 2011.

Leading European motocross media outlets are reporting that Australia will host the first round of the 2011 Motocross World Championship.

The news broke at last weekend’s US GP at Glen Helen, with internationally recognised moto-journalist Geoff Meyer’s MX Large and British website Moto reporting that Youthstream boss Giuseppe Luongo stated that Australia will host the opening round, believed to be in Melbourne on 14-15 May.

It’s also reported that there could be up to three American rounds next season – two in California and one on the east coast.

Next year’s world championship series is set to start in May following the AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship season, with Victoria’s Barrabool circuit near Geelong believed to be the likely track to host the event after Motorcycling Australia acquired the venue late last year.

Williams Event Management’s Kevin Williams had previously revealed to internationally renowned website MX Large that Barrabool was on the radar for a grand prix in 2011.

“As you might know Motorcycling Australia have bought the Barrabool circuit and they are already looking into the possibility of running an grand prix in Australia in the near future,” current Australian MX Nationals promoter Williams explained to MX Large.

The last time Australia hosted a round of world motocross was in 2001 at Broadford’s State Motorcycle Sports Complex in Victoria, where the late Andrew McFarlane finished second on the podium for Australia behind the legendary Stefan Everts, adding to his third place podium on debut one year earlier in 2000.

In a revelation from Moto, it’s believed that Monster Energy – set to become a primary sponsor of world motocross in 2011 – will be requesting its top American-based athletes to contest each of the GP rounds in the States.

Check out the full story from MX Large here, Moto here, and MX Large’s previous interview with Kevin Williams here.