DPH Motorsport’s Jed Beaton has confirmed he will take part in the 2016 New Zealand Motocross Championship in preparation for the upcoming MX Nationals MX2 championship on home soil.

Following a whirlwind start to his 2016 campaign, departing his 2015 Serco Yamaha ride and planning on a privateer approach for the new year before being picked up last-minute by the Yamaha-backed DPH crew.

Beaton will receive help from both Chris Bailey of the Valley Fresh Triple B Racing team and former MX Nationals MX1 champion Josh Coppins, both New Zealand natives.

“Chris has been really keen to get me to go over there and race for him, his team is called Valley Fresh Triple B Racing,” Beaton told MotoOnline.com.au. “At first he was just trying to sort me out a bike, then Josh offered to give me one of Kayne Lamont’s practice bikes to race and I’ll put the Valley Fresh graphics on that bike.

“So Josh is helping us with the bike, I’m riding under the Valley Fresh awning and I’ll do the full series over there. I’ve never been there before so I’m pretty keen to get there, I’ve heard the tracks are sick.”

Learning the tracks and getting comfortable are the first priorities for the Tasmanian as he enters his first New Zealand experience with minimal expectations for himself.

“I think I’ll just go over for the first round, learn the track, have fun and see where I end up really,” he added. “I don’t have big expectations, if I ride well then I think I could do well. Apparently the tracks are really different over there, so I’m just going to get used to it first and then see how we go.”

Scheduled for four rounds of racing, the 2016 New Zealand Motocross Championship kicks off this weekend on 30 January in Woodville.