Image: Jeff Crow.

Former Australian MX2 champion Jay Wilson has confirmed he will be contesting the entire 2017 MX2 World Championship with the i-Fly JK Yamaha Racing Team.

Wilson, 22, captured the national title with JCR Yamaha in 2015, before finishing sixth in the 450 standings with Honda as a rookie last season.

The move comes after Wilson was left without a ride locally for 2017, prompting him to race the current UK Arenacross series with i-Fly JK Yamaha, which will now extend into the MXGP and British motocross series.

“I can’t really believe that I’m finally going to be racing the MXGPs with a manufacturer that I’ve had so much success with in the past,” Wilson said. “I’ve definitely been pinching myself the last few days that’s for sure.

“When I arrived in the UK the plan was just to race the Arenacross and then to come home. The team spoke to me after the first couple of weeks of being here about racing MX2 and then everything fell into place really quickly.

“I’ve been out testing with the team at Montecatini in Italy, where they’re based this week, and from here forward it’s really going to be about putting in a lot of hard work every day until round one in Qatar.

“This has been my life-long goal and I’m really grateful that I’ve been given this opportunity. I can’t wait to see what myself and the i-Fly JK Yamaha team can achieve together this year.”

Echoing Wilson’s enthusiasm is i-Fly JK Yamaha’s team owner Riccardo Boschi, who made comment on the team’s recent signing of the Australian whilst testing together at Vada in Italy.

“It’s been a busy couple of weeks putting the deal together with Jay at the last minute, but we believe he is a perfect fit for our team and we are looking forward to the season,” Boschi said.

“This will be my 17th year at the MXGPs and we enjoy being able to give these opportunities to young talented riders like Jay. I’m sure we will have a long and exciting season together.”

The team’s UK-based team manager Dickie Dye said he’s looking toward and exciting season of racing with Wilson: “We are very fortunate to have Jay as part of the team for the 2017 race season.

“It was a twist of fate which created this situation and we are all determined to make the most of it. While Jay continues to focus on the UK Arenacross for the team in the next few weeks, he is also busy getting race-ready for the first MX2 GP in Qatar.”

Wilson becomes the third Aussie to join the MX2 grid, alongside Hunter Lawrence (Team Suzuki) and Caleb Ward (8Biano Racing Husqvarna), as reigning Australian champion Jed Beaton (Carglass Honda Racing) and Caleb Grothues (DIGA-Procross Husqvarna) are set to line up in EMX250.