Image: Jeremy Hammer (Foremost Media).

Serco Yamaha has signed Australian SX2 champion Jackson Richardson alongside MXD national champion Mitch Evans for the 2017 Motul MX Nationals and Australian Supercross.

The North Queensland duo will spearhead the Serco Yamaha charge on-board the potent factory-supported YZ250F, replacing DPH-bound Wilson Todd and Wade Hunter.

After five years of racing in the US, Richardson has made his commitment to racing back in Australia following his success during the 2016 Australian Supercross Championship.

Richardson took up a last minute option to race the series with Serco Yamaha and instantly found his groove on the Yamaha YZ250F. He enjoyed his time with the team and along with the success he achieved swayed his decision to stay in Australia and now he wants to add more championships to his tally in season 2017.

“I needed a change in my racing and Serco Yamaha gave me that and now I’m excited to stay in Australia and race for them,” Richardson explained. “I had an awesome time during supercross and the bikes were great so my decision to stay was an easy one.

“I haven’t raced a season of motocross in Australia since 2010 when I was a junior so it’s going to be new to me and I look forward to racing against different riders and on tracks that I haven’t been on before. Our season starts in March so it’s time to get busy.”

Joining him will be his cousin and current Australian Under 19 champion Evans, as he moves up to MX2 fulltime next season after graduating from high school.

“Moving up to MX2 and the Serco Yamaha team is the next step in my career and one that I’m ready for,” Evans said. “Last year was tough to balance with my grade 12 studies taking up so much time, but this year I have deferred my Uni for 12 months to give all my energies to racing.

“Being able to ride and train full time will be a huge benefit to me and also have Jackson to work with will be awesome as we both get along well and can work together to get faster.

“I understand that the MX2 race is going to be much tougher than MXD but I look forward to the challenge of race faster guys and believe that I can compete well against all of them.”

The first national hit-out for the Serco Yamaha team will be the opening round of the Motul MX Nationals at Wonthaggi in Victoria on 2 April.