With the 78th edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN) complete, and Team Australia reigning supreme for the second-consecutive year, MotoOnline dives into some of the standout performances and moments across the 2025 race weekend at Ironman Raceway in this edition of Q&A.

Image: Octopi Media.

Q: How did Team Australia’s title defense unfold?

A: About as well as it could have unfolded. What is frightening for the other nations is that, given the age and competitiveness of both Hunter and Jett Lawrence, alongside the depth in Australia for the third seat – which has been occupied by two-time Australian ProMX MX1 champion Kyle Webster over the past two years – is that this outcome looks to be repeatable for the foreseeable future. You could say there was some home turf advantage for both the Lawrences, and what we mean is that these two have been Pro Motocross regulars for the last six years now, and consequently have plenty of experience at Ironman Raceway, but at the end of the day, the team was ultra-fast at Matterley Basin last year as well. Team Australia riders won their MXGP and Open qualifying heats, before Hunter finished with 1-1 in the Open category, Jett with 1-3 in MXGP, and Webster scoring fifth overall in MX2. The only real blemish was that Kyle had two first-turn incidents, although he charged back to two impressive results in each race, which made him one of the fastest 250 competitors on track in Indiana. Plus, Hunter went down twice in his opening race on the way to winning anyway, and Jett’s early mishap in race three saw him forced to race back through the pack to third. In the end, Australia finished with 19 points, holding a sizeable advantage over the US team, which ended their weekend in second on 33 markers.

Q: Did Team USA’s substitutes deliver?

A: Indeed, they did. For the most part. It’s never easy jumping in at the last minute to line up and represent your country at one of the most consequential races of the year – from a national pride standpoint – but both Justin Cooper and RJ Hampshire answered the bell in joining MXGP class contender Eli Tomac. Cooper even made the transition back to MX2 equipment as he filled Haiden Deegan’s place on the team, while RJ wore the number six to fill the void left by the injured Chase Sexton. A lot of talk has emerged in the aftermath regarding what the outcome may have been if the US fielded its initial team, although the consensus is that, though they may’ve shrunk the overall points deficit, the addition of Deegan and Sexton likely wouldn’t have changed the outcome with the firepower of the Australian squad. Tomac finished 4-2 in his races, Cooper posted an impressive 10-10 on 250 machinery, with Hampshire the only real question mark of the team, as he mixed impressive speed with some pretty wild moments and crashes that followed. Still, a lot of credit is due for both Cooper and Hampshire, who lined up at the 11th hour to represent their country on one of motocross’ biggest stages and did so successfully.

Q: Were there individuals who impressed?

A: Although it’s a team’s event, there are always standout individual performances that capture attention even if the nation’s overall scorecard doesn’t feature towards the front. For 2025, we’d say the spotlight ought to be on the newly-crowned 250SMX champion Jo Shmioda – who debuted on the 450 in Ironman – as well as France’s MX2 entry Mathis Valin, who delivered a crucial P9 ride in the opening MXGP and MX2 race that propelled his country to third on the overall podium. Each could be considered a wildcard on the entry list leading into Ironman, however, Shimoda showcased that he is plenty capable on a 450, and we’d say that this performance – which yielded 2-6 results – would’ve increased his stock among the paddock as a future front-runner in America’s premier division. Valin was equally impressive, as he successfully filled the space left by dual MX2 world champion Tom Vialle in 2025.

Image: Octopi Media.

Q: How different was the circuit from a Pro Motocross national?

A: It was quite a bit different! In the American Pro Motocross Championship, it’s become a staple over the last little while to deeply rip the circuits, which in turn creates a rutty surface that riders can sometimes label one-lined, as a single route dominates the fast way around the track. The opposite was the case at MXoN on the weekend, with the Ironman circuit a lot harder-packed and slicker than what is seen during an American national event. This led to a fast-paced, twitchy surface that caught a lot of riders out, with a lack of traction providing a real challenge to the world’s best. And we did see plenty of crashes and unusual mistakes from a lot of the riders, which you wouldn’t see traditionally. It tested every rider throughout the weekend, which was an interesting watch in itself, and for the US-based riders, bike settings were tougher to come by.

Q: Who were the key competitors of the European contingent?

A: Leading the charge for the Europeans was the Coenen brothers – Lucas and Sacha – along with 2024 MX2 world champion, Kay de Wolf. The Belgian team, featuring the Coenen twins and Liam Everts, was strong throughout the event and featured towards the overall podium placements on multiple occasions, however, both Lucas and Sacha combined a healthy dose of inconsistency with their pace, which ultimately impacted their positions as the nation earned fourth. De Wolf flew the flag for the Netherlands alongside Calvin Vlaanderen, who were without MXGP rider Glenn Coldenhoff on Sunday due to a heavy impact on Saturday, with de Wolf powering to an 8-8 result and claiming the top spot in the MX2 category. As always, both Romain Febvre (France) and Tim Gajser (Slovenia) were solid, featuring towards the pointy-end of the field in each encounter contested.

Q: What was the end outcome of Pro Motocross versus MXGP?

A: The debate rages on! This time, Pro Motocross can claim the title as the faster series in the premier class, as both American series regulars Jett and Hunter Lawrence put a beatdown on everyone else. Although Jett was P3 in the third and final race, he also came from well outside the top 10 thanks to an opening lap fall, methodically picking his way through pretty much everyone to finish P3 by race’s end. In addition, Tomac claimed P2 in the MXGP class behind Jett, as the pair led home Febvre, Gajser, and Coenen in positions 3-5. The Open results were more of the same – Hunter won the class, with Shimoda in second – while Everts, Maxime Renaux, and impressive Slovenian privateer Jan Pancar finished the top-five. The MX2 division gets a little more dicey, as world championship rider de Wolf won the overall, although he was up against Cooper, who is no longer a 250MX regular and hasn’t been for two seasons. Still, the Dutchman did get the win, so he can claim the fastest MX2 rider title, with Valin, Andrea Adamo, and Webster filling the preceding placements.

Image: Octopi Media.

Q: Has Kyle Webster already earned the right to defend again?

A: By now, a lot of race fans worldwide are pretty familiar with both the Lawrence brothers and their Australian nationality. That’s all good and well, but when it comes to MXoN, a competitive third rider is a must, and the green and gold have certainly found a vital piece of the puzzle in Webster. Webster is now a two-time national MX1 champion in his own right, although with his now two MXoN victories for Team Australia, we’d say that his international credibility has grown exponentially. Has he earned the right to defend? Indeed, he has, although there is also both former MX2 world championship rider Jed Beaton and rising SMX star Kayden Minear to be considered in the future. Recently, on Ricky Carmichael and Ryan Villopoto’s Title24 podcast, Darren Lawrence – father to Jett and Hunter – indicated that his boys are targeting a break from off-season racing in 2026, which could open the window for a new-look Team Australia – if this break includes MXoN. Time will tell, but yes, Webster has done more than enough to solidify a continued spot representing Team Australia if all stars align next October for Ernee.