Serco Yamaha team manager Michael Marty insists there will be no pressure placed on Luke Styke at Coolum when he lines up to contest the 450cc MX1 class alongside his regular role in the MX2 ranks.

Far and away the Monster Energy MX Nationals’ most dominant rider, Styke sealed the MX2 class title in the opening moto at Toowoomba last weekend, opening the option for the team to field the in-form rider on a YZ450F alongside the YZ250F for the finale.

Marty explained that Serco Yamaha’s Gavin Eales, CDR Yamaha’s Craig Dack and Yamaha motorsport manager Ray Howard all agreed that the MX1 guest ride was a fitting reward for winning the MX2 title, and felt there would be plenty of interest in Styke’s progress.

He felt certain that Styke would be up to the task of double duties, and said he was confident his rider was fit and focused enough to take on the challenge.

“We had been thinking about it for a little while, and if we were lucky enough to win the title at Toowoomba, that we may look at putting him onto the 450 at Coolum,” said Marty.

“He’s going to have a big job at hand, but he should go pretty good. He’s one of the fittest guys in the sport and I think he’ll get through it no problems at all.”

Marty emphasised that there was no expectations on Styke to deliver results, though felt he was more than capable of being competitive in his current run of form.

“The team’s going into this race with an open mind, and there’s no pressure on Luke to perform,” he continued. “Luke rides 450s when he’s practicing, and against some of the competition like Lawson Bopping and Matt Moss, so he knows what to expect and we’ll just wait and see how the results pan out.”

Similarly, Marty felt the team was well-staffed to manage fielding bikes in both classes, despite its long-standing history as a Lites outfit.

“We’re pretty lucky at this time of the year,” said Marty. “Without Luke Clout racing we’ve got a spare mechanic, and we’ve got a little bit of extra time.”