The List: Best Team USAs
Thursday, September 27, 2012 | 9:20 AM
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With 22 victories all-time, the USA is the most successful nation in the history of the Motocross of Nations. But what were the best Team USAs? Here's our ranking for The List.
10. 1983, Angreau, Belgium: After the shocking 1981 and 1982 victories, Team USA support grew immensely, and instead of an all-Honda effort, each major factory team contributed a rider to the 1983 team. This led to a dream team of sorts, with David Bailey (Honda), Mark Barnett (Suzuki), Broc Glover (Yamaha) and Jeff Ward (Kawasaki) commanding Team USA to victory.
9. 1985, Gaildorf, West Germany: The event changed completely for '85, with the Trophy des Nations for 250s getting the ax, and 250, 500 and 125s all being combined into the Motocross des Nations--this is the same basic format still used today. Conspiracy theorists will say the rules kept changing to stop the Americans, but the new one-weekend/three riders/three bikes format was definitely a money saver for each nation compared to having four riders, each on two different bikes, on two different weekends. No one knew how the new format would play out, but Team USA, with David Bailey on a 500, Jeff Ward on a 250 and Ron Lechien on a 125, proved they could win no matter how the race was run. Ward's dominant performances on the 250 established that the big-bores were no longer the ultimate motocross bike.
Rick Johnson (2) cuts inside at the 1986 MX des Nations in Italy, with David Bailey (1) not far behind.
Racer X Archives photo
It was really, really muddy at Unadilla in 1987. Jeff Ward (1) is in the center about to eat slop.
Racer X Archives photo
The 1992 "B Team." Team Manager Roy Janson on the left, with Mike LaRocco, Billy Liles and Jeff Emig.
Racer X Archives photo
Team USA had mixed results and even skipped the event for a few years. When they returned with a full effort, the fans welcomed them.
Simon Cudby photo
10. 1983, Angreau, Belgium: After the shocking 1981 and 1982 victories, Team USA support grew immensely, and instead of an all-Honda effort, each major factory team contributed a rider to the 1983 team. This led to a dream team of sorts, with David Bailey (Honda), Mark Barnett (Suzuki), Broc Glover (Yamaha) and Jeff Ward (Kawasaki) commanding Team USA to victory.
9. 1985, Gaildorf, West Germany: The event changed completely for '85, with the Trophy des Nations for 250s getting the ax, and 250, 500 and 125s all being combined into the Motocross des Nations--this is the same basic format still used today. Conspiracy theorists will say the rules kept changing to stop the Americans, but the new one-weekend/three riders/three bikes format was definitely a money saver for each nation compared to having four riders, each on two different bikes, on two different weekends. No one knew how the new format would play out, but Team USA, with David Bailey on a 500, Jeff Ward on a 250 and Ron Lechien on a 125, proved they could win no matter how the race was run. Ward's dominant performances on the 250 established that the big-bores were no longer the ultimate motocross bike.
Rick Johnson (2) cuts inside at the 1986 MX des Nations in Italy, with David Bailey (1) not far behind.
Racer X Archives photo
8. 1982, Wohlen, Switzerland: Punctuated by the greatest individual performance in the event's history, Team USA began to build a win streak. With 1981 MXdN hero (and 1982 250 Supercross and 250 Motocross Champion) Donnie Hansen out with an injury, Danny "Magoo" Chandler saved the team with two epic rides, going 1-1 and the Trophy des Nations, and doing it again at the MXdN (up until 1985, the MXdN raced on one weekend on 500cc bikes, with the Trophy des Nations running the next weekend on 250s). No other rider ever logged 1-1 scores in back to back weekends at these events.
7. 1992, Manjimup, Australia: The B team comes through! With the pressure of a win streak mounting, top Americans Jeff Stanton, Damon Bradshaw and Mike Kiedrowski say no to the event. In their place came 125 National points leader Mike LaRocco, on a 250, LaRocco's main 125 rival Jeff Emig on the small bike, and Georgia journeyman Billy Liles, who had left America to race the 500 GPs years ago. This odd-ball team came through in the underdog role on the sandy Australian circuit.
It was really, really muddy at Unadilla in 1987. Jeff Ward (1) is in the center about to eat slop.
Racer X Archives photo
6. 2005, Ernee', France: After a decade of starts and stops following the 1994 end of Team USA's big win streak, the Yanks recommit to the event in a big way. The team of Ricky Carmichael, Kevin Windham and Ivan Tedesco win, starting a streak that still goes today.
5. 1987, Unadilla, NY, USA: Not the most dominant Team USA win, but probably the most star-studded lineup. By the time Bob Hannah, Ricky Johnson and Jeff Ward had retired, they occupied the top-three spots on the all-time AMA National win list. They also gathered 20 AMA National titles between them! Combine that with first-ever-MXdN-in-America atmosphere and super muddy conditions, and this was an epic one.
The 1992 "B Team." Team Manager Roy Janson on the left, with Mike LaRocco, Billy Liles and Jeff Emig.
Racer X Archives photo
4. 1981: Beilstein, West Germany/Lommel, Belgium: The one that started it all. Most were surprised that the Yanks even sent a team, let alone thought about the fact that they could win. But the all-Honda effort of Donnie Hansen, Johnny O'Mara, Danny Laporte and Chuck Sun wins both the Trophy and MX des Nations, kicking off a 13-year win streak.
3. 2007, Budds Creek, Maryland, USA: Dominance on home soil, as Ryan Villopoto, Ricky Carmichael and Tim Ferry each win their classes at Budds Creek.
2. 1996, Jerez, Spain: The picture of dominance? Steve Lamson did a heel clicker on his 125 over a downhill quad jump that most riders wouldn't even do! This was an underrated performance that rivals the best ever, as Jeff Emig (500), Jeremy McGrath (250) and Lamson (125) won every moto in Spain. Lamson even became the first rider to win a moto overall on a 125! The Europeans complained that the Jerez track was too technical and jumpy, leading to "Supercross des Nations" jokes. But the MC/Emig/Lammy combo would have been hard to top anywhere in '96, when all three were at the peak of their powers.
Team USA had mixed results and even skipped the event for a few years. When they returned with a full effort, the fans welcomed them.
Simon Cudby photo
1. 1986: Maggioria, Italy: Few will argue that this team was the best ever, with David Bailey, Rick Johnson and Johnny O'Mara going 1-2 in every single moto. No other rider from any other team finished in front of them all day, and that includes O'Mara's amazing 2-2 overall performance on a 125.
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For all you B hole sufers on the Racer X site that cant get to Lommell or watch it on CBS Sports tune in to the Ryder Cup on TV for your patriotic fix............GO USA both series of coarse................
Man I agree the selection of Johnson, Bailey and OMara was the best team by far. If I remember correctly those 3 were number 1, 2 and 3 in points for SX, 250 and 500 titles that year. Not to mention that OMara was pissed off about being let go by Honda and was on a mission to make a statement in his last race aboard a Honda.
Where is euromike?? LMFAO!!
Always love the horse mounted !
Does anyone have the photo of "B Team" Emig dragging his handlebars in the sand while standing on the pegs in Austailia 92?
I know the photo you are talking about. Emig dropped just after the photograph was taken. It was basically a picture of him falling off.
im suprised that 2006 isnt on here, are the mxdn on cbs? my dad really wants to see them. lol
I am still disappointed in the guys who wouldn't go in '92. They used the excuse that they wanted to give someone else a shot, but I would think they would be more concerned with representing their country and keeping the streak alive. They didn't go because they thought they deserved start money, and because they didn't want to be on the first losing team since our victory in '81. Jeff Stanton was a jerk every time I met him, but I chalked that up to him not being a people person. Stanton not going to the des Nations when he was at the top of his game was a disgrace, same for Kiedrowski and Bradshaw. I was always an Emig fan because he showed so much heart every time he rode for the U.S.A.! Especially when filling in for those other guys.
well said !! Fro is the man !!
@2centscanadian I have it.
For some reason when I think of MXdN I think of Jerez, Spain. All the shots of the yanks huxxing it over that giant double and the whole crowd with their jaws on the floor is what US MXdN is to me.... And once again Emig comes through and volunteers to ride that KX500 pig....
Jeff and Paul Malin were both railing that berm. Here is an older story.
http://www.racerxonline.com/2010/09/24/two-more-of-team-usas-10-best
Thanks mxjoe99 ....... I haven't seen that photo in 15 years and I'm more impressed with it now than before. It's one thing to try that in practice, but another to do in an actual MXdn moto ...... where if you bail .... you blow your countries chance to win the whole shabang. Great stuff.
#1 is right but #2 should be 07', it was RC's farewell and you know he wanted to spank everybody and bow out. Poto hollied both moto's on a 250f and straight up owned everyone in the world that day including RC. I was there in person to see it and it was def the top individual performance of all time, he was a freak of nature!!!
After the Race in Jerez Spain I remember one hell of a night of celebration with all the teams, Lots of the big names went out on the town for some fun. I do believe that Davey Coombs has some footage that never ever got shown.
I love how some say "RV owned RC" that day. Moto663, RV was amazing that day but also remember RC gave RV his starting spot and then got in a first turn crash and started dead last coming all the way to 3rd, just about getting Reed. I take nothing away from RV, but be fair to RC.
RV had better lap times than RC that day, RV owned the day!!
#1 Any real moto-x fan would have to rate 1981 as the numeral uno.
#2 We all were so excited and relieved,(and proud of magoo) when they backed it up in 82'.
#3 the "dream team" of 86 blew us away on "motoworld" with big whips and killer bikes/gear. O-show was haulin' asz.
I side with those who remember Budds Creek 07
The track is not made for little bikes ( it had bike swallowing ruts and off cambers) but RV was not deterred. It is the only MXoN I have been privileged to attend and I think the reason it is not #1 is that the expectations were high.
Regardless, RV became the magician to the world as he flat disappeared from the best racers on the planet. He showed that when he was on, not even the Goat was quite as competitive. With a throttle that spent the whole day at eleven, I can only assume that Mitch had the motors changed every moto.
Heroic, just heroic.
Good luck to all those representing their countries this weekend. May good sportsmanship be the rule and not the exception.