The struggle at RedBud in 2018 for Team USA laid the flaws bare for all to see: winning the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations now takes more than just three fast riders. Other nations, such as France, have stepped up the organization of their program, and the Americans would have to do better. There were signs of that for 2019 in Assen, but hopes there were washed away, almost literally. Team USA didn't compete in 2020 and 2021. This year the team promised a renewed effort, and it delivered, both with improved team unity and spirit but also in the darned result. The team won!
Christina Denney, whom you might remember as the team manager of Rock River Yamaha for many years, has taken on a key role within the team, and along with many others has transformed Team USA's operations.
Says Roger De Coster himself: "On our team, everyone worked very hard, but I think the hardest-working person besides our riders was Christina [Denney]. I want to thank her for the crazy amount of work she put in."
What did Denny do? What other key roles are there within the team? How does it help? Here's the inside story on Team USA's new structure.
The Racer X Exhaust podcast is presented by Yoshimura and Leatt.