Image: John Pearson.

Jack Simpson will return to defend his Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) E1 crown in a largely-unchanged privateer KTM effort for the 2017 season.

Making the switch to off-road in 2016, the Victorian starred by claiming the E1 title and finishing sixth outright, however he will continue to work fulltime in order to continue his program.

With Daniel Milner and Lyndon Snodgrass already named to be occupying both seats on the factory KTM Enduro Racing Team, Simpson has had to soldier on in a private operation in a bid to potentially attract the factories for 2018.

“My whole goal in 2016 was to impress all of the factory managers, get my name out there, show that I’m legit and show that I’ll be around for a long time,” Simpson told MotoOnline.com.au. “I’m keen to move on with my career, instead of having to have a job and everything else. I just wanted to do it and see what I could do, because that would have been much better in the end.”

With continued support from KTM Australia through a dealer program and increased backing from private sponsors, Simpson plans to raise the bar in 2017 and focus not only on defending his E1 title, but putting together a successful desert racing campaign too.

“Nothing will ever stop myself from riding a bike and this year I’ll definitely be coming out swinging that’s for sure,” he explained. “I’ve got more experience, my bikes are going to be better, I’ve got some more private sponsors and we’re just going for it.

“I want to win E1 again and I’m racing a 450 at Finke and I want to win that, as well as Hattah. I know what I can do in the desert because I’ve done it on a 250 and I know that I can do some damage on the 450.”

Simpson will begin his 2017 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship E1 title defence on 8-9 April in Monkerai, New South Wales.