Source: Supplied.

Mackenzie Tricker will transfer her focus to the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series for 2017 in an all-new KTM-backed program.

Tricker, who captured three-consecutive Loretta Lynn’s championships and multiple Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championship WMX victories, began to make her move to the off-road discipline during the 2016 season.

“I’ve raced over in the US since 2012 and always raced motocross, but then last year I raced a couple of off road races, cross countries and sprint enduros and I really like it,” said Tricker. “I’ll still do motocross but off-road is going to be the main focus. That’s what this deal is for.”

Locking in the GNCC deal during December, KTM Australia provided the 21-year-old with a KTM 250 SX-F to familiarise herself with during her off-season time in Australia.

“Luckily I’ve had the support of Jeff Leisk and KTM Australia over here and they’ve given me a 250SX-F while I’m at home,” she explained. “I put 20 hours on it and I really like it.”

With her sole focus on racing motocross for quite some time, this new GNCC focus is an exciting opportunity for the New South Wales native who admits a change was necessary.

“I think I needed a bit of a change from the women’s motocross right now and this is something exciting, so it should be really good,” she said. “Over in the US I’ll have the 250 SX-F and also the 250 EXC-F which is just the off-road version.”

A previous GNCC WMX category winner, Tricker will enter the challenging series for 2017 with her sights set on claiming the championship.

“My goal is to win; I don’t expect anything less of myself,” she added. “It will be hard with the conditions and the amount of people – sometimes they have 1000 riders out there so you can get taken out or stuck in the pack. But I’d love to win, that’s the goal.”

Tricker will make her way back to the US to kick off her 2017 GNCC campaign with KTM at the Big Buck Farm season opening round on 4-5 March in Union, South Carolina.