The 2013 Monster Energy MX Nationals has been a hell of a revelation for a number of young kids who are coming through the ranks and are hungry to stick their hands up as the next bright stars of Australian Motocross.

MotoOnline.com.au picked the brains of five industry insiders and riders to see who they think has the goods to steamroll onto the top of the podium in the next two years.

The MXD ranks of the MX Nationals is full of up and coming talent. Image: Simon Makker/Makkreative.com.

Troy Carroll – Monster Energy Kawasaki team manager
I’ve been watching the MX2 and MXD classes a lot more closely this year than I have in the past and I think this is one of the strongest contingents we’ve seen – it reminds me of when we saw Todd Waters, Dean Ferris and Brenden Harrison coming through.

The likes of Joel Dinsdale, Hamish Harwood and Jesse Dobson are really stepping up not just on the track, but also in their professional manner. I hope they don’t stay down in MXD for too long because I think it makes the riders lazy. Just look at Kayne Lamont and Kale Makeham – they did one year in MXD then quickly moved up to the MX2 class and I think that has been a real benefit to them.

If I was going to pick a future champion from the current crop of up-and-comers I’d pick either Luke Clout or Kayne Lamont. They’re the real standouts to me. I’m impressed with Clout’s maturity and race-craft and considering he came into the season under the radar to a certain extent, he’s riding amazing.

The same goes for Lamont. A year ago no-one knew who he was and now he’s regularly running near the front of the MX2 class.

Ben Lane – Raceline Pirelli Suzuki team manager
I was actually thinking about this very thing today and I really like the looks of Jesse Dobson and Jack Simpson. They’re both good kids with solid work ethics and they have both impressed me so far. Looking back further into the junior ranks, Nathan Crawford was impressive at the Amateur Cup round at Murray Bridge and I think he’ll go far in the sport if he sticks at it.

The likes of Kale Makeham and Luke Clout have made a great transition from the MXD class to the MX2 class and will be ones to watch in the future.

Currently in the MX1 class I think Adam Monea has surprised many people and has proven he can run Waters’ pace. In a couple years time I think Luke Styke is going to be a huge threat to the MX1 championship. He already rides a 450 exceptionally well. He wants to go to Europe, but if he stayed in Australia he’d he a hard man to beat.

Jay Marmont – four-time MX1 champion
In the MXD class I think Joel Dinsdale is showing some real promise. The more he matures the more he dominates and I was really impressed at how he pulled away from everyone at Broadford. He rode smart and was untouchable in both motos. I think he’s got a great attitude and has been through a lot with his father passing away, but has come out the other side stronger and wiser for it.

Another rider who has really impressed me over the years, but is still flying under the radar is Corey James in the MXD class. He’s a full privateer who works five days a week and races on weekends. He lives in Wollongong and I’ve watched him grow and I think he’s really stepped up. At Wonthaggi he was close to gaining second overall, and he finished fourth overall on the weekend.

Luke Styke has been an obvious standout and will go on to big things. I think he learnt a lot last year, he’s matured, and his sole vision is to dominate every race. He’s clearly the fastest, strongest guy in the MX2 class.

Luke Clout is just one rookie who has turned heads in his maiden MX2 campaign. Image: Simon Makker/Makkreative.com.

Chris Woods – Carlton Dry Honda Racing team manager
In MX1 I think we’re really going to see Lawson Bopping come into his own in the next couple of years. He’s already starting to show glimmers of his potential and it’s only a matter of time before he starts turning his raw speed into results.

Kale Makeham has also impressed me this year. I’m quite surprised to see him come to terms with the MX2 class so quickly. Last year he was top three-to-five or thereabouts in MXD, but found great form at Supercross, and I think one of his strengths is that he’s one of those kids who can ride both disciplines.

Obviously Josh Cachia is also going to be a standout in the future. We’re heading into some tough times where the young kids really have to want to make it happen, and I think Josh is one of those guys who is grabbing every opportunity with both hands.

I haven’t seen a lot of the MXD class, but Jack Simpson caught my eye early on with his ability to get great starts then maintain his lead for the rest of the race, similar to how Errol Willis used to.

Skill-wise, I think Jay Wilson has more than anyone in that MXD class, but he’s got to stop worrying about the other riders around him and over-analysing his performance. I worked with him last year and if he doesn’t get a good start he gets spooked by everyone charging and banging away around him. Once he starts fighting fire with fire and focuses solely on racing his bike, he’ll hit a whole new level.

Bernie Ryan – C&R Imports director
We’ve seen a great group of riders come of age with the likes of Todd Waters, Kirk Gibbs, Dean Ferris, and Tye Simmonds and it’s encouraging to see some new guys starting to come through underneath them.

I think we’ll see Josh Cachia turn it on in the next 12 months. It feels like he’s been around forever, but he’s still young. Luke Styke has the strength and determination to go all the way this year, but I’m not crazy about his riding style.

In the future I can see the likes of Jesse Dobson and Joel Dinsdale come through as the next ones to watch, but I really like the style of Jay Wilson. I’ve been disappointed with his results this year and really hope he can find the momentum and form that everyone knows he has the potential of gaining.

I view Dylan Long similarly – he’s good enough to battle for wins, but I don’t think he’s lived up to the hype so far and I hope he can come good on everything that he promised as he came through the juniors.

One guy who I think has done far, far better than what I thought he’d do this year is Adam Monea. I’ve always viewed him as a rider who has struggled with consistency in the past, but this year he has excelled and I’m encouraged by how quickly he’s adapted to the MX1 class. He’s a young kid to watch in the future as well.