Rick Elzinga is taking on a new challenge in 2027. The former EMX250 European Champion is swapping the Motocross World Championship for an adventure in Australia. The Dutchman has signed a deal with Penrite Racing Empire Kawasaki and will compete on a Kawasaki KX450 in the MX1 class of the Australian ProMX Championship. Elzinga has also secured an option to compete in the Australian Supercross Championship.

After spending many years racing on European circuits and competing in the World Championship, Elzinga has decided to take on a completely new challenge. At Penrite Racing Empire Kawasaki, he will have the opportunity to compete against Australia’s top riders.

“I’m really looking forward to this adventure! Of course, moving all the way to Australia to race is a big step, but I’m confident that the team and the people around me will make sure I feel at home quickly,” Elzinga said. “I’ve been to Australia twice before and really enjoyed both visits.”

Although the main focus in 2027 will be on the Australian ProMX Championship, Elzinga has also signed an option to race supercross. This means that competing in the Australian Supercross Championship is also a possibility.

To prepare as thoroughly as possible for his new adventure, Elzinga will travel to the United States this winter. He will train in both motocross and supercross to ensure he is ready to hit the ground running when the new season begins.

The Dutchman makes no secret of his ambitions and wants to fight for podium finishes and race wins from the outset.

“My goal is to fight for podiums and wins. It’s difficult to compare myself with the other riders because I’ve never raced against many of them before. However, I’m confident that I can be up there at the front and make life pretty difficult for the established names.”

Penrite Racing Empire Kawasaki is also looking forward to welcoming Elzinga to the team. Team owner Tyson Cherry sees the Dutchman as a significant addition to the squad for the 2027 season.

“I’m extremely excited to have Rick joining our team for 2027. We’ve never brought an international rider to Australia for our motocross program before, so this is something new and special for us,” Cherry said.

“Rick has demonstrated throughout his career that he has an incredible amount of speed. He’s won championships and delivered impressive performances in MXGP. He’s still young, has plenty of potential, and I think he’ll be a great fit for our team. We look forward to getting to work together.”

Although Elzinga will be continuing his career in Australia for the time being, this does not mean Dutch motocross fans will have to miss out on seeing him race altogether.

The final Australian race calendar has not yet been announced, making it difficult to determine whether there will be opportunities for him to compete in races in the Netherlands as well. However, Elzinga hopes to make appearances on Dutch circuits again next season.