Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Kawasaki’s official Australian motocross team is still around a month away from announcing who will join teenager Nathan Crawford for the 2017 Motul MX Nationals, as it finalises its operations for the new year.

Crawford has long been linked to Kawasaki and was confirmed at the beginning of December as he transitions to the premier MX1 ranks, however rumours that the team has struck a deal with Russian MXGP talent Aleksandr Tonkov remain in the air.

“At this point we’ve locked in riders, which we can’t completely announce just yet, except young Nathan Crawford,” team manager Troy Carroll told MotoOnline.com.au. “We won’t be announcing anything officially for another month or so.”

The 2016 season was a difficult one for the Carroll Motorsports-led organisation, clouded by the doping saga involving Moss twins Jake and Matt, which has led to an all-new rider line-up for this season after Kade Mosig returned to DPH Motorsport Yamaha.

Former co-title sponsor National Pump & Energy (NPE) has parted ways with the team ahead of 2017 as the squad is still moving to seal a naming-rights partnership for the coming season and Carroll has opted to open gear deals for riders to gain added personal sponsorship rather than enforcing the more common team-based structure locally.

“I’m very thankful for all of our other sponsors such as Monster Energy, Hitachi, Kawasaki, Rockwell, Motul, Pirelli, Team Navy and all of those who have stood by us,” Carroll added. “We will let the riders do their own gear deals, like the 450 teams in the US and Europe do, so they will have their own freedom, which will allow the distributors to market their riders a lot better.”

Aside from its to be announced MX Nationals rider combination, it’s anticipated Kawasaki will draft an alternative additional rider for the Australian Supercross Championship at the end of the year, along the current trend of splitting its supercross and motocross options locally.