But as good as those kids all are, don’t forget that in the 2006 MXoN at this same track a couple of MX2 kids went 1-2 and beat all of the Open class riders in the first moto. Their names? Antonio Cairoli and Ryan Villopoto.

Here’s an unfortunate asterisk which I hope both Coop and AP will have a chance to rectify in 2025: At 0-3 each they are now the only riders in the modern history of Team USA to have that many appearances with no team wins at the MXoN.

Tim Gajser is often overlooked. He's not even from a country (Slovenia) that is capable of winning the event, so for him the individual overall is the thing. And this time, with all of the hullabaloo about the Lawrence brothers, the unexpected presence of Tomac, the fact that he lost his MXGP title fight to Jorge Prado, who is now leaving for America, and the more outspoken Jeffrey Herlings, who gets noticed more whether he wins or loses, the victory on Sunday—passing Honda HRC stablemate Jett in that dramatic last moment—this was probably his favorite win ever. A season-salvaging double win on the biggest stage of all, in a race that included arguably the deepest field ever. A five-time FIM Motocross World Champion, it’s crazy to think that Tim Gajser is somehow underrated, but he is.

There was a brief moment where a protest was coming together from Team USA after “tools” were used on the starting grates by the Australian team, and that’s prohibited. But the tool in question was apparently just a towel to wipe off some of the mud below one of the Lawrence brothers’ gates. Roger De Coster and the whole Team USA brass headed to the FIM tent to lodge the protest but it ended up going nowhere, as Renthal's Paul Perebijnos, a Team USA advisor, explained on the PulpMX Show.

At the end of the event there was some kind of collision/altercation/hit-and-run that left one attendee dead. It shut the whole exit from the paddock side of the track down and left people scrambling for a way out of the sodden fields. At one point we spotted JH Leale out at an intersection trying to help the overwhelmed traffic cards to get things moving. Fortunately, we were parked near a secondary exit and worked our way back against the traffic free-for-all to get out on the far side. Unfortunately, the only restaurant between the track and hotel was closed by then. Fortunately, the hotel kept the kitchen open later than planned and got a lot of folks fed—and not just Team USA, as the Canadians were there, as well as the French.

Speaking of Team France, I have always been impressed by how organized and invested in this event they seem to be, going back at least a decade. In that span they’ve won more times than anyone, and I believe it’s a combination of talent and logistics. Former captain Gautier Paulin is now the team manager, and he is widely respected by not only his countrymen but the MXGP community as a whole. He was the anchor of all five victories in that amazing run the French had in the mid-2010s. At the hotel, following a third-place finish behind the Australians and the Americans, Gautier and many of Team France’s principals sat at a big round table going over their event notes and strategizing how to get back on top as soon as next year. We spoke after the meeting and then again on Monday morning in the hotel lobby and he was asking all about Ironman and inquiring about site visit next August for AMA Pro Motocross, if not sooner. The French always mean business when it comes to the MXoN. 

And here’s a pat on the back for Team Canada, which got into the main without having to participate in the always cutthroat LCQ and finished 15th overall. They come over on a shoestring budget, but it’s all gotten better since Kourtney Lloyd was installed as team manager. 

Team Honda HRC went all-out for Australia. Team manager Lars Lindstrom and American Honda’s Brandon Wilson were all-hands-on-deck under the Australian tent, as Jett and Hunter are their everyday riders and they and their mechanics Christien Ducharme and Cameron Camera and some of the team techs were 100 percent there for them. They also got Kyle Webster and HRC practice and race bike, because without that fifth score they would be risking the whole enterprise. They even wore Team Australia gear! I’m guessing the HRC boys headed to Australia with the Lawrence brothers for the AUS-X Open will not have to pay for a single Fosters throughout that entire trip…

Same goes for Red Bull KTM’s Carlos Rivera and Richard Sterling who embedded themselves with Team France in order to ensure that Tom Vialle was able to put his best boot forward. And I’m sure Dustin Pipes and the Suzuki boys were doing all they could for Ken Roczen over under Team Germany’s tent. The MXoN is the melting pot of motocross and the way those OEMs got behind their riders, regardless of national interests, is always cool to see.

The look on Jett’s face as he was given the Peter Chamberlain Trophy did not bode well for every rider in the 450 class of SMX, both Monster Energy AMA Supercross and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. The kid was pissed that he left the door open like that in the last turn of the last moto, allowing Gajser to snatch the individual overall win away. Even though he hasn’t raced outdoor motocross since June did not seem to make a difference to Jett. He was there to win and prove once again that he is the best rider in the world, and getting clipped by a fellow Honda HRC rider made the last-moment mistakes cut event deeper. It seemed to dampen what should have been a historic moment for Team Australia. That said, I can only imagine what kind of celebration the Lawrences and Kyle Webster are going to have when they finally return to race the AUS-X Open in Melbourne next month!

On a personal note, it was a really cool MXoN weekend because there was also the announcement of the 2025 Motocross of Nations coming to Ironman Raceway next October. We’ve already been hard to work on that for some time but it’s nice to have made it official. We definitely have our work cut out for us, but we’re all very much up for the challenge, and so is the community of Crawfordsville, Indiana, which sent several members over to follow all of the ins and outs of the event. Afterwards, my wife Sabrina and I got to take a couple of days off for a stopover in Iceland on the way home, which unfortunately led to me inadvertently missing last night’s AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024 Induction Ceremony in Pickerington, Ohio, which of course included Kevin Windham. But we’re already back at the race track, as this weekend’s Red Bull A Day in the Dirt Grand Prix is happening right now here at High Point Raceway. It never ends… Thank goodness.

Speaking of never-ending, Tim Cotter went from the MXoN in Great Britain to the ISDE in Spain, going from the “Olympics of Motocross” to the Olympics of Off-Road to watch how it’s all done. He reported back from the load-in, “It’s nothing short of amazing, the amount of planning and prep that goes into this event.” We will share a few of his photos below and Go Team USA!

Finally, in closing, a quick, a quick pat on the back for Team USA’s Roger DeCoster, Mike Pelletier, Christina Denney, Jeff Canfield, Toolie, Doc Reiman, Paul Perebijnos, and just all of the other folks who go along on their own dime to help Team USA out and what is never an easy weekend, but always a fun one. And thanks to Infront Moto Racing for all of their hospitality—they even let Matthes, Vital MX’s Lewis Phillips, and our own Weege and JT$ do a couple of live shows from the paddock—as well as the MXGP media guys and girls who made us all feel at home, even though we were on the other side of the world. We will return the favors and hospitality next time.

I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch, but it’s been a long trip home, so here is the whole SMX Insider review of the 2024 FIM Motocross of Nations weekend, courtesy of Weege, JT$ and more”

Australia’s Moment (Jason Weigandt)

“We’ve been waiting forever,” said Team Manager Michael Byrne of Team Australia’s first-ever MXoN win. “Going into that last moto, Jett told me he needed some extra motivation. And I told him, ‘How about you go out and make some history?’ So, it was amazing. I represented seven times, and we were short every time. To have these three guys step up like they did, I’m happy for Australia. Thanks to Honda HRC and Motorcycling Australia... I started crying when they crossed the line. We’ve tried for so many years and had such good teams and it always seemed like anything that could happen would happen.”

When the Aussie team finally did win, you could feel the collective weight lifted off the shoulders of those fans, Byrne, and more. Just as an example, one year Australia’s Chad Reed and MXGP World Champion Tony Cairoli had a fantastic first-moto duel (Italy ’09) only to have a mega-first turn crash in the final moto wipe them both out. Another year (France ’11) Reed won a moto but Byrne got landed on just moments into the race. Like Byrne implied, they’ve been luckless.

I actually feel that the one Australian who probably didn’t understand the gravity of the moment was Jett Lawrence himself. He’s not a moto historian, and I think his naivety actually takes pressure off in big moments. Jett just does Jett, and he knows if he does that it usually works out. Why over think it beyond that? In the case of Sunday, Jett didn’t need to win the final moto, but he explained to me that he didn’t know the math and assumed he had better win that race to help the team’s chances. And, speaking of chances, he was taking quite a few on that gnarly track, coming from 14th to first, making up huge ground on Eli Tomac and Tim Gajser.

Here's how it was all described in the official press release from the race:

“The inevitable pass, when it came, was one of the finest ever seen in World Motocross. This is no exaggeration! Seasoned observers and veterans of the sport were left aghast as the Australian somehow found a completely new line out of the first corner to blast past the five-time World Champion along the Pit Lane Straight.  How he turned so tight with such forward momentum was magical, and it looked as if the race was done and dusted – Jett would win and crown Team Australia’s first ever win.”

Of course it wasn’t over yet, as Gajser kept applying pressure and Jett had several moments trying to hold on for a moto win he thought the team needed, but actually didn’t. This all lead to Gajser’s incredible last-lap, second-to-last-turn pass, and Jett went wide open around the outside of the final corner trying to respond. It was great theater! In fact, this moto somehow overdelivered on all the hype of the mega-stacked gate packed with legends. It was unforgettable.

Australia celebrated, but I’m not sure Jett Lawrence quite realized, in that moment, what the team had done. He said he’s more of a sinks-in-the-next-day kind of guy. This was the erasing of decades of frustrations and heart break. It was a worthwhile trip for fans who traveled halfway around the world to watch. It was victory in one of the most incredible MXoN events ever. But, really, it’s just one more notch in the Lawrence’s ascent to the top of the sport. The long-time race watchers know that with the Lawrences, this is their window. For once, it all worked out.

Best Race Ever? (Weigandt)

On a personal note, I’ve never attended a Motocross of Nations outside the U.S. I’ve always wanted to, but I promised my family I wouldn’t go hang in Europe for days without them. My kids are finally old enough to take these trips and I can say this experience, like that third moto, has overdelivered on the hype. We’re actually still in England right now, experiencing historic villages and incredible sights, with London on the agenda for the weekend.

As for the race, Eli Tomac’s holeshot in that third moto has to be an all-time moment for him, even as a guy who has won as many races as just about anyone. It was cool for him and Team USA, but also for international fans who had never seen him race in person. On Saturday, when Eli had a bit of Beast Mode and caught Jeffrey Herlings, I was standing next to a gentleman who was shaking, losing his mind over finally seeing this in person. How cool for Eli to deliver, and look very much like vintage Eli, even though he’s now 31 years old, has barely raced any motocross in two years, and was only added to the team two weeks ago? None of that mattered over the weekend, he was just timeless Eli Tomac…er, well, Eli expected to win that final moto once he led, which is what makes him a competitor, but I don’t think a single fan was disappointed in that performance.

It was just another ingredient to a perfect weekend in England. Better than the greatness I already expected!

Motocross Des Not (Matthes)

Back from the MXDN and there's lot of things going on, what an event that was. Super awesome for Aussie and the USA guys deserve a ton of props for what they did. Also, I'm in Cabo for some R&R after a long season so that's all I got. Out of office! 

Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)

Welp, that's it. The "regular season" of 2024 is done and dusted. We are in a bit of a quiet period now as riders will take a couple of weeks off (unless you're in Australia) and prepare for the machine to start back up again in November. Some will be switching teams and with that, moving their living situation to another city or state (Pierce Brown to Yamaha Star Racing and Florida, for example). Others will go on a vacation and unplug from all things training and riding. Whatever the situation, the key is to lean into the time off. This is truly the only real break of the year. That doesn't mean riders need to go on a bender, but they do need to unwind however they see fit. The grind of a long season takes a toll on both mind and body with both equally needing to recharge. The worst feeling is still being burnt out when boot camp starts up again. Not that anyone truly enjoys boot camp but being ready to exert yourself is important. 

Those that are racing off-season SX in November (or even Vancouver WSX in a couple of weeks) will likely start riding in earnest a bit earlier than others but they still have time to rest. At minimum, riders should be off the motorcycle for a week or two. I wouldn't suggest more than that simply to avoid regression, but a week will do nothing but help. That second week, maybe just play ride a bit or go trail riding to stay relatively sharp. Nothing grueling, just messing around, but I always found it helpful to stay within a range to avoid unwinding progress. By November 1, riders should be turning laps if they need to race mid-November. That doesn't mean doing 20-lap motos multiple days a week, mind you, but no one wants to fly around the world and stink up the place because you haven't done any work for 6 weeks, either. It's all about balance. It's a low-level maintenance schedule, really. You want the engine running on idle instead of completely shut off. It's much easier to get back to operating temps in that scenario when Paris or Sydney roll around. 

2025 Honda CRF250R Works Edition (Keefer)

I have been in Spain the past couple weeks testing but came back right to testing and was greeted with Honda's newest CRF250R Works Edition. This is the first-of-its-kind for Honda and even though I can't talk about it yet, I can tell you that it's going to be worth to watch the first impression video right here on Racer X's website Monday morning at 9 a.m. PST.

The CRF250R Works Edition comes with: Hydraulic Clutch. Yoshimura Exhaust. Twin Air Filter. Throttle Jockey Graphics. Red Cylinder Head Cover. Hand Polished Cylinder. DID LT-X Rims. Kashima-Coated Outer Fork Tubes. Titanium Oxide Coated Fork Legs. 18mm Shock Shaft. Hand-Operated Fork Combo Adjuster. DID DM2 Chain. Gray-Colored Triple Clamps. Renthal Kevlar Grips. Dedicated ECU Mapping. Dunlop MX33 Tires with 110 Rear Tire Sizing.

All of this will cost you $2,300 more than the standard "R" model. Is it worth it? Check back Monday and find out! In the meantime, here's a Go-Pro of the machine in action at Fox Raceway. 

Hey, Watch It!

Full motos from the YZ bLU cRU SuperFinale at MXoN:

YZ125 Race

YZ85 Race

YZ65 Race

Mitch Kendra says, “I can't stop watching this clip of Jorge Prado showing off his bike skills...”