The end of one year means another begins, and with it a whole lot of questions and bench-racing as to what it might hold for both the riders and the fans. MotoOnline draws up some of the burning questions and does some crystal ball-gazing to find the answers of what we might expect to see in 2015.

Image: Jeff Crow.

Q: Who will win the MX Nationals?

A: We’d love to say we’re going to see some massive upset in 2015, but to tell the truth, we think results will be similar to what we saw this year: the top three will be Matt Moss, Jake Moss and Kirk Gibbs (not in that order necessarily) and the battle is going to be a doozy. Meanwhile in MX2 Clout should find another gear and greater consistency, and comfortably keep the rest of the field at bay, especially with the two-stroke rule limitations in place.

Q: How will the new rule-changes for two-strokes affect the MX2 class locally?

A: It’s going to tighten the field up significantly and we won’t see the obvious horsepower advantages we witnessed this year. There’s a big power difference between a stock 250 two-stroke and a worked one, and with WEM limited horsepower mods to an aftermarket pipe and an extra gasket, the playing field will be leveled a lot.

Q: Are there any spots left on Australian factory teams?

A: There are a few, but if there are any truths to the rumours (and there often is), they’re all unofficially locked up now. Team Motul Suzuki’s second seat has been heavily linked to Kale Makeham, while a variety of riders have been in talks with Penrite Honda to join Ford Dale, including NZ champion Cody Cooper. DPH Motorsport will be back next year and they’ve yet to announce their brace of riders, although Lawson Bopping’s name has been in the mix and it’s likely one seat will be claimed by Boyd Hocking. Where that leaves Billy Mackenzie is anyone’s guess, but we’ve noticed he’s been remarkably reminiscent on social media over the past two weeks. A reflection of his Australian career before he heads back to the Northern Hemisphere, perhaps?

Q: Who’s the favourite to take out the 2015 Australian Off-Road Championship?

A: It’s hard to look past the brutally in-form Toby Price to claim another trophy for the mantelpiece, but it depends if he can stay healthy and on-the-ball during his mammoth racing schedule. Chris Hollis, Josh Green and Glenn Kearney are all likely to be front-runners again next year, but we’re interested to see what sort of impact Tye Simmonds will have – he’s an outside chance to provide some big upsets in his debut season with KTM.

Source: Archives.

Q: Who are the favourites to win the American Supercross?

A: With the dominating force of American supercross, Ryan Villopoto, heading to Europe for what’s highly likely to be his last season of racing, the doors have been flung open for a new heir to the AMA throne. For ours there are three likely contenders we expect to see duke it out: RCH Suzuki’s new recruit Ken Roczen, former champion Ryan Dungey, and mega-threat Eli Tomac. Throw in Aussie battler Chad Reed and new Monster Kawasaki recruit Davi Millsaps in the mix – plus even more – and it’s shaping up to be an enthralling championship.

Q: How will Ryan Villopoto go in Europe?

A: Bloody well. Initially some suggested he might struggle a little with a whole swathe of new tracks and cultural differences, but after seeing some of his practice videos, he might just be the kryptonite to the European Superman that is Antonio Carioli. Villopoto’s presence in the MXGP is going to put the championship in the American spotlight and hopefully we’ll see more Americans follow RV2’s lead. The battle between Carioli and Villopoto is the one we’re looking forward to the most next year.

Q: Why won’t James Stewart be on the grid in 2015?

A: Everything was looking promising for James Stewart to line up for the 2015 Monster Energy Supercross Championship, but just this morning the heavy hand of the FIM quashed his plans by banning him from racing for 16 months retrospectively until August 2015. The verdict comes after JS7 tested positive to amphetamines for his prescribed Adderall medication at the Seattle round of the 2014 supercross series. The verdict certainly seems exceptionally harsh and we can’t help but think the FIM is making an example of Stewart by placing his head on a stake for all to see. This story is far from over.