Serco Yamaha Metal Mulisha Racing is keen to keep Luke Styke for 2013. Image: Simon Makker/Makkreative.com.

Serco Yamaha Metal Mulisha Racing team manager Michael Marty believes that current MX2 Australian Motocross Championship leader Luke Styke should remain on a 250F for 2013, even if he clinches this year’s title.

Styke has been a revelation in this year’s Monster Energy MX Nationals, winning three rounds to date to cement himself as title favourite, however extra experience will prove vital if he’s to step up to the premier MX1 category.

Marty confirmed that the Queensland-based Serco team will field two riders again next season and hopes that Styke remains with the outfit for at least one more season – preferably to defend the number one plate.

“Serco will again field two riders next year, but we’re still in the early stages of locking everything in,” Marty told MotoOnline.com.au this week.

“Personally I think Stykesy should stay in the MX2 class for another year and gain some more experience, but we’ll have to see what happens there.”

Styke has been in superb form since joining Serco and Yamaha midway through last year, placing third in last year’s Supercross Lites series before running away with this year’s MX title to date.

The rejuvenation of Styke, less than 12 months after losing his factory-supported seat with Yamaha at the close of 2010, has been one of the lead stories of the series. His opportunity came with Yamaha as a guest in the final MXN rounds last year and he hasn’t looked back since.

While Styke has stolen the headlines in 2012, Marty is certain that teammate Kirk Gibbs would shine in MX1 despite struggling for much of the current season with a nagging wrist injury.

After finishing second in the MX2 title during both 2010 and 2011, Gibbs has proven a consistent contender and spends a lot of time training on a YZ450F. He was a leading candidate for a CDR seat in 2012 before the team opted to sign Lawson Bopping due to his Open class experience.

“Both Styke and Kirk Gibbs want to step up to the 450s next year and I’d love to see Gibbsy get a 450 ride,” Marty added. “It’s definitely time for him to step up, and he has a lot of pace on the bigger bike.”

CDR Yamaha team owner Craig Dack is yet to confirm who will replace the retiring Josh Coppins on the elusive factory Yamaha for 2013 (click here for further details).

For more on the 2013 silly season, check out MotoOnline.com.au’s latest The Point feature by clicking here.