America’s top supercross privateer TYLER EVANS has signed to contest the 2005 SUPERCROSS MASTERS championship… he jets in for the opening round at Brisbane Entertainment Centre on July 23.

Negotiations have just concluded which will see the outgoing Californian link with Team Motorex KTM – the Australian factory squad – for all five rounds of our national championship.

News of the Evans entry has further intensified the Open class competition for this years Supercross Masters.

Defending champ TROY CARROLL sees his title under siege from No Fear Honda’s CRAIG ANDERSON and Kiwi DARYL HURLEY – both returning to local competition after two years in torrid US supercross action.

And now the Evans signing is a major coup for both the local KTM organization and the Supercross Masters series.

Evans has a legion of fans world-wide; he is a sponsored member of the Metal Mulisha cult and the only such rider to compete actively on the AMA supercross circuit.

Competing against the heavily-sponsored factory teams has earned him his title as Working Class Hero. But he is also known as “One Punch” with his tough-guy image and “The Illustrated Man”… a reference to his impressive body art.

He is used extensively by entertainment and media giant Clear Channel in the world marketing of the sport of supercross, along with superstars Ricky Carmichael, Chad Reed and Bubba Stewart.

The proud native American is coming off a great US season… finishing inside the top 10 behind Carmichael and Reed; in fact equal 10th in the points with Bubba Stewart.

Top privateer title for 2005 earned Evans a new pickup truck worth $50,000. He qualified for the Final at each of the 16 rounds of the exhausting US series.

Evans flies in from his Canyon Lake home this coming weekend to acquaint himself with his new team and new machine… after a year on Suzukis, it will be his first competitive ride on an Austrian-built KTM.

The engagement is a last-minute masterstroke on the part of the KTM which lost a major front-runner in the series when Jay Marmont departed for the US scene earlier this year.

And then new recruit Daniel McCoy disbanded mid-year, opting for knee surgery.

Now the new-look orange line-up will boast Evans and Victorian LEE ELLIS in the Open ranks along with RYAN MARMONT – a worthy contender in the Lites division.

Brisbane Entertainment is the site for Round 1 of the 25th Anniversary Supercross Masters and record entries have flooded in.

The series encompasses the capital cities of four States before the Grand Final at Wollongong’s WIN Stadium on October 29.

The top-ranked riders will be joined in the Brisbane night’s program after exhaustive qualifying events earlier in the day.

So with wild man Evans joining an already-boisterous field of hopefuls, there seems no end to the possible winners in both Pro Open and Pro Lites classes.

The meeting is also boasting an awesome freestyle demonstration with the likes of BLAKE WILLIAMS and CAMERON SINCLAIR who starred in the recent Crusty Demons shows.

And there will also be Monster Truck activities and the return of the whacky indoor demolition derby to keep the attention of all family members.

Advance seats are available through Ticketek or on 131 246.  Tickets for the Brisbane opening round are from as low as $30 for adults and $20 for kids.

The series dates are Brisbane 23 July, Adelaide 20 August, Sydney 3 September, Melbourne 1 October and the final in Wollongong 29 October, but be quick as tickets are selling fast.