With the 78th running of the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations (MXoN) taking place this weekend at Ironman Raceway, a series of intriguing match-ups will be on display as a new chapter is written in the everlasting event’s narrative. Who will reign supreme, which riders will rise to the occasion, and which championship will feature the strongest contingent in 2025? These are some of the questions explored in Countdown.

Image: Octopi Media.

6. Team AUS vs Team USA:
For the first time in MXoN history, Team Australia will enter with numbers one, two, and three on their machines, as the nation looks to make it two wins in a row at Ironman Raceway this weekend. The team is comprised of 2025 Pro Motocross 450MX champion Jett Lawrence, the class runner-up Hunter Lawrence, and this year’s Australian ProMX 450 champion Kyle Webster. Additionally, the unchanged roster from last year has all logged laps around the Crawfordsville racetrack in 2025 and are looking ultra-strong entering the event. However, given this year’s event takes place in the United States – along with the US being the most successful country with 23 wins – the American squad will have eyes set on lifting the Chamberlain Trophy on home soil, and snatching the crown from Australia. Eli Tomac, Justin Cooper, and RJ Hampshire comprise the team after some turbulence following the SMX finale in Las Vegas – which saw initial members Chase Sexton and Haiden Deegan withdraw due to injury – although the updated trio is still plenty capable of dethroning Australia this weekend.

5. The battle in MX2:
It appeared we were in for a battle between the Pro Motocross 250MX champion, Deegan, and this year’s MX2 World Champion, Simon Laengenfelder, although this went up in flames at the 11th hour as Haiden withdrew from the event after sustaining a broken collarbone in Las Vegas. Cooper now fills the MX2 slot for the US, with the 28-year-old having contributed to America’s last MXoN triumph at RedBud in 2022 on board 250 machinery, and we know that he is plenty familiar with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing YZ 250F. Wearing the number two, Team Australia’s Webster will be equipped with a Honda HRC Progressive-prepared CRF 250R, and with one victory now under his belt, it could be surmised that this year might be a little less stressful for the 29-year-old. Add in 2024 MX2 World Champion Kay de Wolf from the Netherlands, Liam Everts for Team Belgium, alongside Laengenfelder – who will represent Germany – and the quarter-litre division will be fierce all weekend. A lot hinges on the MX2 class in terms of the overall result, with the format allowing for one throwaway score across the six races contested. Albeit being down on power against the MXGP and Open motorcycles, it’s pivotal that this group deliver at least one good score towards the team’s tally despite the displacement disadvantage, and two good races are the gold standard to safeguard against a mistake elsewhere.

Image: Octopi Media.

4. Tim Gajser and Jett Lawrence:
This follows last year’s emphatic final MXoN moto featuring both the MXGP and Open riders – which was a brilliant showdown between the fastest motocross competitors in the world – and provided an incredible battle for the entire duration of the encounter. And by entire duration, we mean it, as Jett Lawrence had methodically carved his way through the field to hold the lead on the final lap, although a stubborn Gajser was unwavering in his pursuit, making a Hail Mary second-to-last corner move on Jett, and ultimately capturing the race win and a perfect 1-1 score in each moto contested. Will this year’s event involve the same heroics, or will the familiar United States circuit – which Lawrence holds a 1-1-17-1 450MX record at – prove too much for Gajser and the MXGP contingent? We are set to find out this weekend.

3. Team France’s redemption:
Team France was on a legendary MXoN run throughout the 2010s era, capturing five straight wins from 2014-2018, with another arriving in 2023. The depth from which they could draw was unreal, often leaving a race-winning calibre rider – or even sometimes two – on the sidelines due to no available positions. For this year, Romain Febvre enters fresh off his second MXGP class championship, which incredibly comes 10 years after his last world title win in 2015, leading Mathis Valin in MX2, and Maxime Renaux in Open. Adding either Pro Motocross regulars Tom Vialle or Dylan Ferrandis to the roster would have been ideal to further bolster the line-up, although each of these riders are between contracts currently, and expected to make significant shifts in their racing careers leaving Nations as a low priority. Still, Team France can’t be discounted, as they’re resume of overall wins speaks for itself.

Image: Octopi Media.

2. AMA vs MXGP:
A topic that’s responsible for an immense amount of debate in our sport, the MXoN always provides a showdown between America’s Pro Motocross Championship riders, alongside Europe’s fastest competitors in the MXGP World Championship series. The match-ups are aplenty, with this year’s MXGP World Champion, Febvre, and vice champion Lucas Coenen, flying the premier class flag for the European contingent. Though it’s not any type of official classification, the battle between each series is about bragging rights as to who has the fastest motocross riders in the world, and both Febvre and Coenen, alongside Gajser, Glenn Coldenhoff, Renaux, de Wolf, and Laengenfelder, will be out to prove that this claim belongs with the MXGP series. The Lawrence brothers, Tomac, Hampshire, Cooper, and Ken Roczen are the main representatives of the Pro Motocross Championship, and will be out to show that the fastest racers belong Stateside. This year, we’ll miss a couple of key competitors – namely Jeffrey Herlings and Vialle – although for the most part, there’ll be a healthy grid drawing from each championship, and a new chapter in the everlasting narrative will be written.

1. Ironman against the field:
Ironman Raceway – located in Indiana – has no favourites, and will be just as cruel and grueling for everyone, which is exactly as it should be. We saw the layout adjusted for this year’s Pro Motocross National, with these changes – including a section through the shadows of the woods following the start – thought to be made with the arriving MXoN circus in mind. It’s a high-speed venue, complete with big obstacles, long straights, and a fair amount of undulation, too. The loamy surface – which characterizes most of the racetrack – was thrown out of whack when the slick, hardpack woods section was added this year, with many riders labelling it as a challenge, particularly when equipped with the scoop tire, which has become a staple across all surfaces in favour of a deeply tilled start straight. This is good, as it’s an added challenge – an added layer of complexity for the world’s best to have to consider, and there is no problem with this being the case. Ironman will take no prisoners, with the circuit squaring up against all competitors.