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Australian motocross legend Brett Metcalfe will lead the newly-introduced Joe Rascal Racing program when it launches ahead of the 2026 Boost Mobile AUSX Supercross Championship, set to campaign the Desmo450 MX in SX1 with non-factory support through Ducati Melbourne.

After electing not to continue with his well-established GO24 team this season, Metcalfe has revealed that he is instead behind the Joe Rascal off-road operation that will also enter the Finke and Hattah desert races alongside its AUSX effort.

“It was a difficult decision, but kind of easily made in the end,” decorated longtime former international racer Metcalfe told MotoOnline. “I built GO24 up over the past four years and was really proud of where it got to – it became a team that was pretty reputable in the pits and on the racetrack.

“The way we finished off the AUSX Supercross Championship last year was kind of a highlight for us, but once I started in discussions with Joe Rascal Racing, it was pretty clear to me that the vision and the passion that they have, kind of aligned really well with my own race team and thoughts, so it was just something that I really wanted to get involved with. And then, obviously, with the Ducati motorcycle, that’s exciting, too.”

The storied Italian manufacturer debuted its Desmo450 MX in MXGP full-time last year with a factory Ducati Corse team, before entering the US-based SMX World Championship – including Monster Energy Supercross – with Troy Lee Designs at the helm in 2026.

With Metcalfe serving as team principal, Joe Rascal Racing will field up to three Desmo450s across AUSX and in the desert, but won’t enter ProMX this season. Ducati has been linked to the likes of Luke Clout and Matt Moss in the current silly season, but Joe Rascal is yet to reveal its roster.

“Just to have that kind of involvement was really exciting, and to be in the premier class was an opportunity that I just couldn’t let go of, so I pretty much just jumped on board, and it’s been starting from ground zero,” continued Metcalfe. “So everything is completely a clean slate at the moment, and we’re just building the race team up as we go.

“It’s a slow process, but we’re starting to slowly get there. Our championships that we’re focusing on for this year, given the short turnaround time to prepare, we’re going to do the desert racing with Finke and Hattah, and then the AUSX Supercross Championship at the end of the season.

“We will have three riders on board, which we won’t announce yet, but yeah, it’s going to be a pretty exciting time just to be at the ground level and build this thing up and hopefully compete to race up the front.”

‘Joe Rascal’ is the group headed by co-owner and CEO James Tonna that acquired multiple Victoria-based retail stores from Peter Stevens Motorcycles following its collapse midway through last year, including the Ducati dealership in South Melbourne.