Image: Foremost Media.

Making a full-time transition to the world stage is high on the agenda for World Supercross Championship (WSX) revelation Aaron Tanti after winning a SX2 final and finishing third overall in Melbourne.

Following a short stint in 250SX West during 2020, Tanti initially signed to compete in Monster Energy AMA Supercross with Team Solitaire in 2021, only to instead remain home and sign a factory GasGas 450 deal.

Tanti’s true arrival on a national level came upon joining CDR Yamaha Monster Energy this season, with the 26-year-old clinching a first-career MX1 crown in the Penrite ProMX Championship. That deal extended to WSX, in which he rode to fourth in the final standings in stepping back to a YZ250F.

Friday at the WSX Australian Grand Prix also saw Tanti challenge defending four-time Australian SX1 champion Justin Brayton (Honda) on his way to a runner-up result, signifying his capabilities against some of the sport’s top internationals and placing himself firmly on the radar globally.

“It felt really good to get back on the world map a little bit, the World Supercross Championship was awesome for that as well as like supercross in general, where the US guys like Brayton come over and we had a few extras like Dean Wilson racing this year, which is really cool,” Tanti told MotoOnline.

“As for the desire, it has always been a goal of mine to try and compete in the overseas ranks, so it would be pretty cool if this were to bring up an opportunity in the following years, as I feel like I am still growing and only going to get better from here.”

With experience in both WSX and American supercross now banked, the 26-year-old remains open to the opportunity to compete in either series, providing credit to how the WSX was run in its ‘pilot’ season.

“I don’t have a preference really, [between WSX or AMA],” he explained. “I was super-impressed with the World Supercross was run this year, just as a pilot season, and I would love to be a part of that again next year if it comes to it.

“I was pretty close to the top there and would love to give it another crack with some more rounds as well in different countries. Same with AMA, they have got some of the best riders in the world and I would love to go see how I go against some of those guys too.”

Complicating the situation for 2023, however, is that Tanti’s current Craig Dack Racing (CDR) team crosses between the Australian championships and WSX, so with the world championship due to commence prior to ProMX ending if Tanti remains at CDR, the reigning national champion would effectively have to choose between the two series.

It’s understood that CDR’s involvement in WSX isn’t to impact its domestic campaign, in which Dack’s organisation operates Yamaha Motor Australia’s factory 450 class program across ProMX and the AUSX series.

Before attention completely shifts to next year, there are three rounds remaining in the 2022 AUSX championship, with Tanti trailing SX1 red plate-holder Brayton by three points as the series resumes in South Australia on Saturday.