GasGas Racing Team will feature an increased motocross presence for the 2022 season, with Hayden Mellross joining the brand’s factory line-up in MX1 alongside incoming MX2 team rider Blake Fox.

Hungry to deliver strong results onboard the GasGas MC 450F, 26-year-old Mellross enters 2022 off the back of fifth overall in ProMX championship, displaying consistent form throughout the year.

Victoria-based Mellross is no stranger to competing at the sharp end of competition, gathering a range of experience internationally during his career, as well as a list of credible results domestically. He effectively trades places with Yamaha-bound Aaron Tanti.

“I’m extremely excited to be on GasGas,” Mellross said. “I’ve also been lucky enough to link up with a few cool sponsors that go along with it, so I think it is shaping up to be unreal and exciting year. I feel at home with the brand and team already, so now we’ll look to get to work into the new year!”

Current MX3 champion Fox steps up to MX2 with the official team for 2022 riding a GasGas MC 250F, dominating the shortened 2021 MX3 championship by winning five out of the six races.

The emerging 17-year-old has proven on multiple occasions that he can handle the pressure of fighting at the front and will be one to watch as the upcoming season unfolds.

“I’m super-excited to work with everybody again and race onboard GasGas machinery,” Fox said. “We’ve been together a long time and I think this 250 program that they are building for next year will be good for me, it’s a great step at this stage of my career, so I’m super-keen to get out there already!”

Kyle Blunden, motorsport manager of KTM Group Australia, commented: “Since we didn’t get to partake in as much racing as we wanted last year, we are still kind of the new kids in the paddock… but what better way to kick off this new race season than with young gun Blake Fox on the MC 250F and a very determined Hayden Mellross on the MC 450F!

“We are excited to be back at the races in 2022 and have expanded our team to include an MX2 program, which will see Blake back on the MC 250F hot on the heels of taking out the MX3 title, GasGas’s first Australian national championship. And with Hayden piloting the MC 450F in MX1, we can’t wait to see what these guys can do in 2022 – and have some fun while we are at it!”