Source: Supplied.

Queensland teenager Jesse Dobson has been named for KTM Motocross Racing Team during the entire 2016 MX Nationals, replacing injured team regular Luke Styke on board the factory-backed 450 SX_F.

Styke recently re-injured his Achilles tendon and will be a non-starter when the series commences at Horsham this Sunday, resulting in an 11th hour switch from Husqvarna to KTM for 19-year-old Dobson.

“I’m super pumped, I can’t thank the team enough for giving me the opportunity to come back,” Dobson said. “The last time I raced for the team was in supercross and I was only 17 and every round we progressed and we had good success. To me that feels like a lifetime ago and I feel that I’ve grown so much and matured since then as a rider.

“I’m in a lot better place coming in this year with these guys behind me. It’s kind of a last-minute thing, but I think we’ve got a good base setting to work off and we are in a good place. For me the job hasn’t changed, I’m still going there to win.

“It’s good because I fallen right back into the place where I was in the supercross in 2014 and last year, even though I was with Husky, I was still involved with the boys a little bit in testing at the tracks and I’m good friends with Kirk and with Caleb as well.

“Instead of having to pack my stuff in and drive to the round of the week before, I think it’ll make a big difference. I’d like to thank Husky for making this opportunity possible. We were in a really good place with them four days ago, but this just makes it easier.”

Dobson has filled in once before for the KTM motocross team with tremendous success when he contested the 2014 Australian Supercross Championship and exceeded all expectations by finishing fifth overall.

Last year riding for Husqvarna in a satellite arrangement, Dobson also proved himself a regular top five finisher outdoors, running as high as sixth in a career-best effort which would ultimately end prematurely due to a knee injury.

“We’ve unfortunately lost Luke to injury, but we’ve just been able to negotiate a deal with Jesse to bring him on board for the 2016 season,” new KTM Motocross Racing Team manager Kyle Blunden commented.

“It’s an exciting time for the team. I think Jesse is someone that is showing a huge amount of potential and it’s definitely a great opportunity to bring him under the banner and offered him some fantastic support and it takes a lot of pressure off him and his parents, who have been doing a fantastic job up until now.”

Dobson will share the KTM Motocross Racing Team awning with KTM 450 SX-F-mounted defending MX Nationals number one Kirk Gibbs and new MX2 recruit Caleb Ward. KTM will be well represented across all three major classes, including factory support riders Jayden Rykers (MX2) and Cooper Pozniak (MXD) and Raceline Pirelli KTM development riders Dylan Wills (MX2) and Wade Kirkland (MXD).