The Motocross of Nations always brings drama, and this year the spotlight is firmly on Team USA. Just weeks ago, they looked like the perfect lineup to chase a record 24th Chamberlain Trophy, but things changed drastically after the final round of the SuperMotocross World Championship in Las Vegas.
A heavy crash left Chase Sexton with a concussion and shoulder problems, forcing the team to call in RJ Hampshire, who will step into the Open class, while Eli Tomac takes over in MXGP. That same night, Haiden Deegan broke his collarbone. After surgery, he initially chose to line up in MX2 despite the setback, adding even more tension to the home team’s effort.
However, with just four days to go, Deegan has decided to withdraw. The two-time AMA Pro Motocross champion tried to ride and was able to post strong sprint laps, but the pain proved too much to handle over race distance. As a result, Justin Cooper will step in as a replacement in the MX2 class. This marks Cooper’s third MXoN appearance after Assen 2019 and RedBud 2022.
With both Sexton and Deegan out, Tomac is now the only original team member left. History makes the challenge even greater: in five previous MXoN editions held on home soil, Team USA has only been beaten once—back in 2018.
