The FIM Motocross of Nations may be the motorcycle world’s most important team competition, but it’s also well known for some remarkable individual performances

WORDS: DAVEY COOMBS

A version of this article appeared in the souvenir program for the 2022 FIM Motocross of Nations at RedBud.

The FIM Motocross of Nations began in 1947 and has been held annually ever since (with the exception of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Often called the “Olympics of Motocross,” the concept is simple: each nation enters its best available riders in a competition to decide which nation wins the Peter Chamberlain Trophy. Beginning in 1965, there were actually two team events: the Trophee des Nations race, featuring four 250cc riders per country, then the Motocross race for 500cc riders. The events were combined in 1985 and reformatted to include one rider per nation in each of three divisions.