Yamaha Motor Australia press release:

Max Purvis and Jack Kukas, the two young guns of the WBR Yamaha motocross team, will be bouncing off the walls on Sunday March 17 when the opening round of the MX Nationals roars to life at Appin Raceway.

The two new faces will head line Yamaha’s attack in the MXD (under 19) division of the MX Nationals and there is nothing like the youthful exuberance both riders bring to racing. But despite their young age, both are skilled operators and have experience at an international level which will hold them in good stead once the gate drops and things get serious on the race track.

The New Zealand based Max Purvis is currently sitting third in the MX2 (250cc) championship in NZ and has showed a more mature side to his racing this year. Sure, the blazing speed is still there but Purvis now understands that every race matters, and the importance of racking up good points in each and every moto.

In between his racing commitments in NZ, Purvis has flown across to Australia to work with the WBR Yamaha team and develop his Yamaha YZ250F for Australian conditions. Testing has gone extremely well and Purvis feels he has the right support with the right bike behind him now to take him to the championship.

“Last season I competed here as a privateer with some Yamaha support and was able to finish third for the year but now with support and infrastructure of the WBR Yamaha team, that goal has now been set higher and its my job to win the MXD championship in 2019,” Purvis says as a matter of fact.

“I know the tracks, I know how the day works and I know my bike will be great every time I hit the track so all I need to do now is turn up at each round fit, prepared and ready to race at my best.

“I love racing in Australia and its my last year in the MXD class, so I’m out to make the most of it,” Purvis said.

After a 12month stint racing in the US, Gold Coast based Jack Kukas returns to Australia for a tilt at the MXD Championship. Kukas was a member of the GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing Program in 2017 where he racked up a couple of podiums at the Australian Junior Motocross Championship of that year, but when an opportunity came up to ride and train in the US for the 2018 season, Kukas took it.

He now returns home with some extra experience and knowledge in racing and despite an injury set back at the beginning of the year, is back up to full speed and ready to go for the season ahead.

“I had a great time in the US and learned so much about racing and training and I feel it has fast tracked my development as a racer. I was at a training facility in the US where you ride, train and prepare 24 hours a day seven days a week, as well as being surrounded by a heap of other fast riders so you soon make improvements and increase speed quickly.

“But when the opportunity came to stay in Australia and be a part of the WBR Yamaha team, I just had to take it. They had great success last season and proved they are a great team, so I want to continue that for them and make 2019 another good year for the team.

“I can’t wait to get started and look forward to an exciting year with the team,” Kukas ends.

The 10 round series fires into life on March 17 as winds its way across four states before the grand finale weekend at Coolum on the Sunshine Coast on August 4. Visit https://www.mxnationals.com.au/ for more information.