The professional Motocross career of Craig Anderson has spanned 15 years since joining the Senior ranks in 1994, gaining 12 national titles in the process with a variety of manufacturers.

But for 2010 a new challenge awaits the 31-year-old, forming his own team and electing to spearhead Husqvarna’s Australian Motocross campaign on the domestically unproven TC 450.

Craig Anderson Racing will see the 12-time national champion contest the MX Nationals and Super X series on the Italian machines this year, signing Matt Ryan to join the team in the Pro Lites class.

It’s going to be an all-new challenge for one of our greatest ever, but it’s a challenge he says he’s been working on since as far back as 2007 when he first tested the Husky.

Anderson last won a title in 2006 in the Pro Open MX Nationals, however he hasn’t given up hope of taking that elusive 13th crown just yet.

It’s been a relatively quiet off-season for you so far, so how’s the switch to the Husqvarna going so far?

So far it’s been really good. I have Matt Ryan as the Lites guy on the team and obviously myself on the 450 in the Open class, so yeah, it’s all coming together.

We’ve been working the bikes out, making them good and getting them how we like them, so apart from that I’ve just been staying low key and getting my work done with no distractions.

You announced very early last year that you would be forming your own team, 100% Racing, so has that all gone to plan?

I’m actually just doing it myself now with no partners, so it’s not called 100% Racing anymore, it’s just called Craig Anderson Racing. It’s basically just my wife Katrina and I putting it together, it’s all-new and it’s all going to plan really.

We’re just organising everything so it’s all in place, getting it done right now so when we get to a month before the first race we’ll be ready to go and will be able to concentrate on the racing. That’s the plan anyway, and so far, so good.

Do you have factory backing from Husqvarna and the Paul Feeney Group here in Australia?

We’re getting a little bit of help, but right now we just have to prove that we can do it right now. When we prove that we can do it then there will be a bit more help there. It’s been good so far and it’s been good working with Paul.

Tell us about the structure of the team, how it came about and who else will be joining you in the team as far as mechanics go?

Right now we have Luke Jones on the team as a mechanic for me, and he’s fulltime in the workshop. Katrina is doing the press releases and that kind of stuff, while I’m working on the sponsorships and all that sort of stuff.

The way it came about is that I’ve been working on it since the end of 2007 – I’ve been talking to Paul Feeney about it since then and had a test on one of the bikes back then and really liked it.

It’s been a long time coming, but it’s all coming off now and I’m really looking forward to going to the races. It’s all new, exciting for everyone and I think everybody wants to check the Husky out, see how it goes, so we’ll see if we can do the job.

It’s been a lengthy career for you, riding for factory teams including KTM, Yamaha, Honda and Kawasaki, so how is it running your own effort with an entirely new manufacturer for you?

It’s really exciting for me because I was actually at KTM when it was at the same stage as Husky is right now, back in 1995 when Jeff Leisk took over the team.

That’s sort of what my whole plan is, to try and do what Jeff did with KTM, have a race team and try to make the manufacturer into one of the racing brands.

It’s taken KTM a long time, but now they’re pretty well there as one of the main manufacturers, so that would be the ultimate goal, to try and help build the brand.

I just have to go ahead and go for it really, give it a good shot.

What are your initial impressions of the TC 450? Have you had much time on the bike yet?

I really like it. It handles really good, turns really good, but the only problem that I sort of struggle with is that it’s got really good mid-range and top-end power, but doesn’t have the bottom. We’re working on that and it’s a good competitive bike – I think it will shock some people.

What are you expectations for the MX Nationals this year considering you’re in an all-new team on a somewhat unproven bike domestically?

Expectations are always high, everybody wants to win, but you know, I just want to be in the hunt race in, race out. I just want to be there in the hunt so at the end of the year I’ll hopefully be in with a shot for the championship is the plan. I’ll be giving it my best shot.

This year will see your younger brother Danny in the Open class on a KTM – so is that something that’s exciting for you?

Yeah, I think it will be good for Digs, he has a smooth and calculated riding style that will suit the 450, so I think that he should do pretty good. A lot of people have written him off, but he’s putting in a lot of effort and every time he rides a KTM he seems to do pretty good so I think he can shock some people if he keeps going the way he is.

And you’ll be riding Super X on the Husky at the end of the year also?

You’ll definitely see me in Super X and the MX Nationals, for sure.

Well good luck with it Ando, keep working hard and we look forward to seeing you in action at round one of the Nationals.

Yeah, will do. Thanks very much.