There’s positive news for Irish motocross fans as Jason Meara has confirmed his plans for the 2026 season – and it’ll be fantastic to see him back behind the start gate after a difficult 2025 impacted by health issues.
For the year ahead, Meara will remain with the Moto-Cyle setup but is set for a change of scenery when it comes to machinery. After several seasons competing aboard a 350cc, he has opted to make the switch to Yamaha and which will see him race a 450cc machine.
The focus for 2026 will be on the British and Scottish MX1 Championships, giving Meara a strong platform to rebuild and show what he’s capable of. There’s also the possibility of lining up at selected events back home in Ireland, where he always attracts strong support.
Before the Motocross season gets underway, Meara will sharpen his race craft indoors as he contests the Arenacross Tour. Two of the three rounds take place in Belfast – a welcome chance for local fans to cheer him on. For Arenacross, he will join the JPR KTM team, with testing planned in the coming weeks to dial in the bike ahead of the series.
It’s great to see Meara returning to action, and with his determination and talent, he’ll be aiming to put together a strong season. Ireland may well be counting on him at the end of the season as well with the Motocross des Nations event – he will certainly be one of the names in contention.
Meara was kind enough to send us the following updates:
“After last season I wasn’t sure if I was continue racing so I took a lot of time off. Even though I probably could have came back I decided to stay off the bike because I didn’t have much interest in riding. Going into 2026 season I decided I wanted something new so started to look for a new for Yamaha’s. I came across a really good package and being able to stay with the Moto-Cycle crew for next year. I would say that I will finish out my career with these guys and probably won’t be looking at anything else at this stage”.
“I couldn’t be happier with the guys at Moto-Cycle. Last year when the health issue came along, they never pushed or rushed me to get me back racing. They give me all the time that I needed and were there to help when I decided that I was going to go racing again”.
“I am looking forward to it and honestly in 2026, I think I can have my best year yet. The first impressions of the new bike are great, how I am feeling and how I am enjoying it again. I am looking forward to getting stuck into the winter grind. I just started riding again and straight away I know that I can be competitive again”.
“As far as the health update goes, I am definitely feeling a lot better. I am feeling pretty good which is a huge relief because I was in a dark place for four or fifth months there but thankfully I have got through it. I am ready to get back to it again – I am all in for 2026 and ready to get going”.
