There was a time in Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations lore when premier-class racers dropped down to a small bike for one weekend, and often, the strategy worked. It’s actually one of the cooler parts of the Motocross of Nations as a whole, because no other event even requires this level of thinking. Can a rider seasoned on a 250 two-stroke get back to going fast on a 125? Can a rider likewise adapt, quickly, from 450 to 250?
Team USA hasn’t employed this strategy in a while, although it worked in the past: Johnny O’Mara’s seminal 1986 performance with two second-place overall moto finishes on a Honda CR125. Bob Hannah at Unadilla in 1987 winning the 125 overall. Jeff Ward battling future star Jean-Michel Bayle for 125 supremacy in 1988. Those three were big-bike racers at that time. Jeff Stanton planned to ride a 125 in 1989 but when Ricky Johnson’s injuries sent shockwaves through the industry, Stanton was called back to his familiar 250, and he won. Mike Kiedrowski, the 125 National Champion that year, grabbed that CR125 and did well, and after that, the team never looked back. Only last year, when an ACL injury knocked Chance Hymas off the squad, did Team USA get into enough of a scramble to move a 450 guy onto a small bike. Cooper Webb stepped up to step down, despite not racing a 250 since 2016. Webb has not won a motocross race since 2019. He went 17-9 for fifth in the MX2 class.
Now comes another scramble with a similar solution: a Cooper on a Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing YZ250F. Haiden Deegan broke his collarbone trying to crash Jo Shimoda at the SMX finale in Las Vegas. He got it plated last Monday and tried to ride yesterday (Tuesday) after eight days of recovery. After the ride, we spoke to Haiden’s dad Brian yesterday, and he said, basically, Haiden logged laps for about 20 minutes. Then the team asked him to drop the hammer and push the pace. It became clear he wasn’t back to his usual self. If Haiden landed hard from anything or tried to overjump, he was compensating to help brace his arm from the impact.
The calculous was this: If Haiden were in a points-championship scenario and had to gut out a top ten finish for one weekend and salvage points, that might be doable. But going fast enough to win? That didn’t seem likely. Plus, Team USA had a plan B. According to Brian, Haiden said, simply, he would not be better in a 35-minute moto right now than Justin Cooper. That’s what really matters.
This is because Cooper, who last raced the 250 class in 2023, said he would be ready to race either class at the event. Chase Sexton also went down at the SMX Finale, so Team USA needed a rider for both classes. Cooper would have preferred the 450 slot, but RJ Hampshire was even more adamant he did not want to drop to a 250. Plus, Hampshire’s Rockstar Energy Husqvarna is an easier replacement for Sexton’s Red Bull KTM, because in essence that’s a similar bike and team, just as Cooper and Deegan are teammates and can easily swap the 250 slot.
For Cooper, it would have sucked, honestly, to ride and train for two more weeks just to potentially not even race the event. But when it became clear that Deegan wasn’t the best option, Cooper got the spot.
“The team is proud to represent the U.S. on home soil at this year’s Motocross of Nations,” said Wil Hahn, the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team Manager, in a Yamaha statement. “Haiden was doing everything he could to be back from injury and represent his country, but unfortunately, after riding today, he’s just not quite there yet to ride at his level. Justin’s been working hard, and we all thank him for changing his plans and being ready to fill in on short notice. We’re looking forward to the weekend.”
“I’m really excited to get the call and line up for Team USA this weekend at Ironman!” said Cooper. “It’s a bummer to see the injuries to both Haiden and Chase (Sexton) these past few weeks, but I’ve done my best to stay ready for this exact scenario. I only have a few days riding on the YZ250F, but I feel really good and was able to get back up to speed quickly. The MXoN has always been an event that I take a lot of pride in, so I can’t wait to get back out there with Eli and RJ and make America proud!”
“At this point, I have done everything in my power to race this weekend,” said Deegan. “I rode today for the first time after my surgery to prepare for MXON. After riding today and discussing with the team, it became clear that I couldn’t sustain my speeds at a winning level. The team has decided the best option is for me to fully recover and have Justin Cooper fill my spot. I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to representing the USA in the future when I'm healthy.”
Cooper was part of the Team USA that won on home soil at RedBud in 2022, and he won the MX2 class overall with 9-4 scores.
“We’d like to offer our deepest gratitude to Justin Cooper for his ongoing and unwavering commitment to supporting Team USA,” said AMA Director of Racing, a USA Team Manager Mike Pelletier. “Cooper has continued to train to be prepared at a moment’s notice, and now he has answered the call to compete for his country. Cooper is excited to represent the United States once again on home soil.”
That’s two years in a row of major scrambles for the team. Last year’s squad rallied to a close second-place finish behind Team Australia, and it was a feel-good story despite the loss. On home soil, the feeling will shift much further into win or bust mode. Can the Tomac, Hampshire, and Cooper trio get it done?
