Full Force CarsRus have officially announced that they have signed Japanese rider Takeshi Katsuya to compete in the upcoming 2013 Monster Energy MX Nationals series.

Katsuya, a long-time test rider for Honda, will join the MX2 ranks aboard a Honda CRF250R fitted with a small selection of factory parts not available to the public.

The multi-time Japanese national champion is excited about this new opportunity, Full Force CarsRus offering Katsuya a refreshing change to his regular racing schedule.

“I got a good opportunity with Honda and the Full Force CarsRus race team and wanted something different,” said Katsuya. “I got sick of racing in Japan to be honest and they have a rule you have to be under 25 to race the lites.

“Racing in Australia will be cool and something different and I just wanted to give it a go, I’ve never raced a full season here since 1998, for me to race again, it will be different but fun.

“I think the competition will be a lot harder then japan, I’ll just have to see how I go. It will be a lot harder for me to finish on the podium than Japan, the MX2 boys are a lot faster than in Japan.”

Katsuya is aiming to land top three finishes, but will be faced with the tough challenge of having to learn each and every track.

“I don’t know half the tracks I’m racing but ill just have to learn, i have experience, I’ll just work it out at every track,” he added. “I would like to finish in the top three, just try to stay injury free, stay in one piece and go from there.

“I really don’t know how I am going to go until I get to the race, I don’t know what to expect, ill see what happens.”

Katsuya will line up against Australia’s best MX2 competitors at Raymond Terrace’s round one of the Monster Energy MX Nationals series on 14 April.