Image: Simon Makker.

An assortment of quality Monster Energy MX Nationals privateers are assembling ahead of this year’s Australian Motocross Championship, which commences at Broadford in Victoria on 30 March.

According to promoter Williams Event Management’s Kevin Williams entries are standing at around 50 percent of their capacity in the lead-up to the opener, which will see the introduction of a North/South regional series for privateers.

The regional series – which has been boosted by a number of contingency prizes from Motul and Pirelli – will be incorporated into the championship MX1 and MX2 categories, introduced in a bid to increase gate numbers across the course of the season.

“We’ve had an encouraging number of riders registering for the privateer North and South series,” Williams told MotoOnline. “As always at this time of the year people leave things until the last minute, but the interest has been genuinely high.

“Across the board we’re about 50 percent full a few weeks out and the majority of them are privateers. Whether riders commit to the whole series or stick to North or South will be interesting to see, but it’s certainly very exciting.”

Click here for additional information on the regional structure outlined in a recent interview with Williams on MotoOnline.com.au. Further information is to be released next week.

WEM accepts 50 entries per round maximum – the gates limited to 40 entries apiece following timed qualifying sessions. Williams will be satisfied if the gates attract in excess of 25 to 30 riders per category.

“If we can get 25 to 30 riders in MX1 considering the current climate, I think that would be a solid number,” he added. “I think 30-35 in MX2 and up to 40 in the Under 19s. Looking at World Motocross last weekend, they had 24 riders on the grid.”

The Monster Energy MX Nationals will commence at Broadford in Victoria on Sunday, 30 March.