WBR Yamaha Bulk Nutrients Racing has signed AJMX champion Alex Larwood to contest the MXD category of the 2020 MX Nationals, while the team will re-enter the MX2 class with Maximus Purvis amid a restructure.

South Australian Larwood, who made his professional debut at the Monster Energy AUS-X Open Melbourne last month, enters the WBR squad after five years of being developed through the Yamaha Junior Racing program.

“At the start of the year, Shane Metcalfe sat me down and asked what I wanted to do in 2020 and where I wanted to be racing and my answer was with Yamaha and at WBR,” Larwood explained.

“So to put in all the hard work, get some good results and then actually get the ride with the team is an awesome reward and I can’t thank Travis and everyone at WBR Yamaha for giving me this chance.

“We have already got things underway and the team also helped out a bit in supercross, and I can’t wait to get racing in 2020. I look forward to riding the MX Nationals tracks, working with the team and learning more about the bike and how racing works and getting to race different riders on new tracks. I’m ready and can’t wait.”

Purvis will graduate to the MX2 category following a stellar MXD campaign in 2019, where he charged to runner-up honours in the development class.

“Making the step up from MXD to MX2 is pretty big and I’m pleased that Yamaha found a way for me to be part of it with the WBR Yamaha team,” Purvis commented. “I know the guys on the team well and I also know we have a great bike, so it takes out the uncertainty of not only changing classes but teams.

“While I’m in Australia, I live in Shepparton, which is only a couple of hours from the teams’ base in Echuca so that also makes my life easier. We have built a good base together in 2019 and hopefully we can build on that in 2020 and I can establish myself as a top five guy in the MX2 class throughout 2020.”

The Kiwi will contest the New Zealand MX Nationals at the beginning of 2020 with JCR Yamaha.