The opening round of the 2019 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship is upon us, and there’s plenty to talk about. Welcome to Motoview presented by Thor MX Australia on MotoOnline.com.au.

It’s unbelievable to think that we’re already heading into the American motocross series, if feels like not too long ago that the supercross championship got underway! While things get a little quiet on the domestic front with lengthy breaks across most championships, most Australians will be tuning in closely to what the US delivers.

And this year there seems to be even more reason to follow the series than ever, particularly with a number of Australians due to make appearances – all of which I’m about to get into.

Possibly the most highly-anticipated factor of the season is the AMA debut of Hunter Lawrence with Geico Honda. The youthful Queenslander was due to race supercross, however multiple collarbone injuries saw that plan scrapped in favour of focusing on Pro Motocross.

Following a couple of years in the GPs with a number of podiums to his name, there’s no doubt he’ll be a contender for the crown. It’s been since last year’s Motocross of Nations (MXoN) in October that we’ve witness Lawrence race, and I think we’re just as excited as anyone to see him line up again.

After finally securing a ride with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing, Dean Ferris will be in the premier class mix. We know he’s capable of producing strong results on the international stage, and after putting his career on the line to make it happen in America, we really hope it pays off with some rewarding performances.

While those two will both be full-time contenders, a couple of MX Nationals regulars will be trying their luck in the opening rounds. We reported last week that DPH Motorsport Husqvarna’s Todd Waters will race the first three rounds, living out a childhood dream. He’ll be jumping in with New Zealand motocross champion Cody Cooper, who’s been doing the outdoor series for the last couple of years as a privateer.

One of the bigger surprises, and one that almost slipped under the radar, is MX2 champion and current points leader Wilson Todd making the journey over for the first two rounds. We were able to get in contact with him to confirm his plans earlier this week, where he revealed he’ll line up on a KTM 250 SX-F, loaned by Max Lee – the son of none other than Troy Lee of Troy Lee Designs.

It’s interesting, considering Todd is signed to DPH Motorsport Husqvarna in Australia. Obviously, Husqvarna comes under the KTM banner, but they’re still very much their own brands. It sounds like Todd had some things fall through with arranging a FC 250, prompting the opportunity to race a KTM. Either way, the bike will be somewhat familiar, so hopefully it provides him the opportunity to impress in front of the world.

That’s it for this week, we’ll catch you next Wednesday with another Motoview presented by Thor MX Australia feature! In the meantime stay tuned to MotoOnline.com.au for the latest daily content and be sure to follow us on social media via @motoonline on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.