Here we are, two days out from the MX Nationals opener and riders and teams are scrambling to get themselves ready for the action at Raymond Terrace on Sunday. With Ben Townley’s shock retirement last week, the door has been flung wide open for at least 10 MX1 riders to have a serious stab at the title. With so many contenders, we sounded out riders and industry big-wigs to find their predictions, plus added in our own from MotoOnline.com.au’s regulars.

Lee Hogan (Building Champions Program owner)
MX1 tip – Todd Waters. He’s matured enough and I think he’s ready to go one step better than he did last year against 2012 MX1 champion Josh Coppins.
MX2 tip – Josh Cachia. He’s just come off a great supercross campaign in the US and has picked up a tonne of speed. I think he’ll be the man to beat and will be too strong.

Steve Powell (Team Zero Seven Motorsports team manager)
MX1 tip – Jay Marmont. I’d love to see my good friend fight back for another motocross championship. He has so much bulldog attitude that I love to watch. Then of course there’s Cody Mackie and Adam Monea, who are both going to be serious contenders.
MX2 tip – Kade Mosig. His approach and focus this year has been second to none.

Adam Bailey (AME Management director)
MX1 tip – Billy Mackenzie. He has the raw speed and with Dackattack behind him I think he’ll harness that aggression and pace and get his head right.
MX2 tip – Kade Mosig or Josh Cachia. Cachia is faster and stronger than ever, but Mosig has had his best preparation ever too. It’s going to be a tough battle between those two.

Luke Clout (Serco Yamaha MX2 racer)
MX1 tip – Jake Moss. He’s put in a tonne of hard work, switched bikes and has put in 100% with Dan Reardon. Reardon is my trainer too, and I know the effort he’s investing in 2013.

Ross McWatters (long-time race team mechanic)
MX1 tip – Jay Marmont. The guy is a prize-fighter in his prime and is hungry to redeem himself after last year.
MX2 tip – Luke Styke. Styke has raw speed and is super determined to beat everyone. I’ve seen that look in his eye before. He’s hungry to get it done here in Australia and move on to bigger things.

Sam Martin (DPH Motorsports racer)
MX1 tip – Cody Cooper. He’s always shown speed but this year he’s done the work and seems to want it more than ever.
MX2 tip – Luke Styke. He has the pace and he’s going to be hungrier than ever knowing it could’ve won last year. Kade Mosig has also brought professionalism to the table this year. He’s training harder than ever and looking more dedicated than I’ve ever seen him before.

Dylan Leary (Injured MXD racer)
MX1 tip – Lawson Bopping. I’ve spent the last two years at the AIS with him and he’s really stepped up his training this year. He’s super-fit and his smooth riding style suits the longer motos.
MX2 tip – Josh Cachia. He was coming on strong the last few rounds of 2012, plus he’s been in the US racing against the best of the best. I really like his riding style.

Matt Bernard (Dirt Action deputy editor)
MX1 tip – Billy Mackenzie. I think Billy MacKenzie will break through with CDR and take his first Australian championship. However, Jay Marmont and Todd Waters are going to push him all the way. You can never count Jay out, especially after his 2012 SX season. He’ll be looking for redemption for last year’s disastrous MX Nationals campaign.

Scott Bishop (GYTR Yamaha team manager)
MX1 tip – Todd Waters. MX1 is the most open it’s been in a long time and I only lean towards him because he finished 2012 so strong and is now an experienced racer in the MX1 class.
MX2 tip – Luke Styke. It’ll be a season-long battle with Cachia, but the pain of losing the title last year when it was within his grasp has driven him on over the summer break.

Tye Simmonds (Berry Sweet/Lucas Oil Yamaha MX1 racer)
MX2 tip – Luke Styke. He’s riding quick and is fit as fiddle. Josh Cachia has awesome raw speed but I’m not sure if can do both 30 minute motos at the same pace as Styke. Luke Clout is also riding well, but I think Styke has it. He had the title in the bag last year until his bike let him down at Moree.

Simon Makker (MotoOnline moto-journo and chief photographer)
MX1 tip – Cody Cooper. He knows he needs to make it happen this year. He’s smoked Billy Mackenzie and Todd Waters by more than 15 seconds in NZ, he knows the Australian tracks, and as long as he can keep his head together, he’ll be hard to beat.
MX2 tip – Luke Styke. The traditional 30-minute motos will suit Styke to the ground. If we had the same back-to-back 15-minute motos as last year I’d pick Cachia because of his amazing starting ability, but I think over 30 minutes Styke will be the stronger of the two, especially in the second race.

Adam Spence (MotoOnline editorial co-ordinator)
MX1 tip – Todd Waters. After a standout 2012 season, Waters has proven he has what it takes to contend for the MX1 title against strong competition such as Josh Coppins. He has made a smooth transition to the Motorex KTM team and his pre-season form has been impressive to date. With the return of two 30-minute motos, I also think his smooth, effortless style will benefit him as the Raymond Terrace circuit gets chewed up throughout the day.
MX2 tip – Luke Styke. Styke is up against some very stiff competition this year with the likes of Josh Cachia, teammate Luke Clout and Kade Mosig, to name a few. But my main reason for tipping Styke is that he has had such a strong pre-season, he is very comfortable with his equipment and he certainly wants to redeem himself after such a harsh title loss in 2012.

Alex Gobert (MotoOnline editor)
MX1 tip – Jay Marmont. Experience will count in 2013 with so many strong riders capable of taking wins and Jay has proven he can take it down to the wire and come out on top when healthy.
MX2 tip – Josh Cachia. Both he and Styke share many of the same strengths in having determination, fitness, experience, raw speed, good teams and great bikes. The only way I could split the difference was because of Cachia’s time in the US earlier this year.