Team USA Announces 2015 Motocross of Nations Team
Today at the Unadilla National in New Berlin, New York, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) named the three members that will contest the 2015 Motocross of Nations in Ernée, France, for the United States.
Representing Team USA in MX1 will be AutoTrader.com/Toyota/JGR Yamaha’s Justin Barcia. The New York native is currently tied for second in the 450 Class in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. Barcia is a two-time member of Team USA, representing the country in consecutive years in 2012 and 2013.
Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s and defending 250MX Champion Jeremy Martin has been chosen for the MX2 spot. Martin, currently leading the 250 class in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross, represented the team at the 2014 Motocross of Nations in Latvia. In qualifying last year, the Minnesota native sustained a foot injury and limped to 11-13 finishes for fourth in MX2.
Martin’s teammate, Cooper Webb, will fill out the roster in the Open class (450). Although a full-time 250 rider since making his pro debut in 2013, Webb does have experience riding the 450 at the Monster Energy Cup and in Japan last year at the All-Japan National Motocross Championship. The North Carolina native, who won the 2015 Monster Energy Cup 250SX West Region, will be making his first trip for Team USA.
Current 450MX points leader Ryan Dungey, who has represented the US for six consecutive seasons, will not be attending the 2015 MXoN. Although nothing official has been released from his camp, multiple sources have told Racer X that Ryan needed a break after racing for six straight years.
Team USA has not won the Nations overall since 2011 when the team of Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Dungey and Blake Baggett bested Team France (Gautier Paulin, Marvin Musquin and Christophe Pourcel) at Saint-Jean-d'Angely, France.