Image: Foremost Media.

A chance opportunity to travel to the US for a full season of Monster Energy Supercross in 2024 is what prompted Aaron Tanti’s shock exit from CDR Yamaha Monster Energy, last year’s national MX1 champion set to take on the challenge of racing among the world’s elite in 450SX.

At 28 years of age, Tanti will trade the comforts of competing domestically at home within the famed CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team to embark on an uncertain step in the prime of his career – understood to be with the privately-operated PRMX team in America.

Tanti has confirmed his intentions to head overseas in 2024, but stopped short of confirming any tie-in with PRMX, which is the Canadian-owned team of Julien Perrier that has utilised Kawasaki machinery in recent years. This season saw PRMX field Cade Clason alongside Chase Marquier in 450SX, as well as the likes of Hunter Yoder and New Zealander Josiah Natzke in 250SX.

“There’s been a few rumours getting around, but yeah, I won’t be re-signing with CDR in 2024,” Tanti told MotoOnline this week. “I’ve had an opportunity come up to race overseas, which I’m really excited about – it’s an avenue I’ve wanted to explore since I had my first taste over there in 2020.

“There’s zero bad blood between myself and the team at CDR, obviously we had a great run together. I was able to win a title in my first year with the team and we’ve continued to post good results since. There’s an opportunity to possibly return to the team for the Australian Supercross Championship in 2024, but I just a great opportunity come up to chase my dreams overseas with a good team and good structure, so that’s what we’re going to do.”

Following a short stint in 250SX West at the beginning of 2020 and with a best finish of ninth in Oakland, Tanti had been signed to Team Solitaire for 2021, but soon opted out in favour of joining GasGas’ factory 450 program in Australia, before transferring to CDR and clinching the premier class outdoor title in 2022. He finished fourth in this year’s ProMX championship, with a single round win to his credit coming at Appin.

In addition, Tanti challenged experienced American Justin Brayton in last year’s Australian Supercross Championship on his way to third in the SX1 points, and was fourth in the final SX2 World Championship standings after scoring a popular podium result in Melbourne’s Australian Grand Prix last November. It was then that he signalled his intentions to race the world’s best fulltime if it eventuated.

CDR Yamaha Monster Energy today made its signing of Dean Ferris and Jed Beaton for 2024 official, with Tanti in line to return later in the year for the AUSX series, while Luke Clout is all but confirmed to be heading to Empire Kawasaki to lead its full-time return to the premier class in Penrite ProMX and supercross.