AMA Team USA wins 20th Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations
10/4/2009
Photo by Jeff Kardas
America has once again claimed the top spot at the world's biggest
motocross race, winning one of the most competitive Red Bull FIM
Motocross of Nations in history.
Hopes for another AMA Team USA
win at the Motocross of Nations, held this year in Franciacorta, Italy,
were slim heading into the last moto. The U.S. squad of Ryan Dungey,
Ivan Tedesco and Jake Weimer was third in team points heading into the
final race, but an inspired performance -- and a little luck -- put
them firmly in the lead when the dust settled.
"With its win at
the 2009 Motocross of Nations, AMA Team USA has once again raised the
bar for motocross excellence," said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman.
"Led by team manager and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Roger DeCoster,
the trio of Ryan Dungey, Ivan Tedesco and Jake Weimer demonstrated that
despite being down, they weren't out, gave it their all in the final
moto and brought the Chamberlain Trophy back to AMA headquarters here
in the United States. We congratulate the riders and support crew for
another job well done."
AMA Team USA has now won the Motocross of Nations an unprecedented 20 times.
The
Motocross of Nations features three-rider teams on motorcycles with
varying displacements. In the 2009 event, Dungey raced the MX1 class,
which features 450cc four-stroke machinery. Weimer competed in the MX2
class, which features 250cc four-stroke motorcycles. Tedesco raced the
Open class.
In the first moto, which combined the MX1 and MX2
class, a consistent showing by Dungey and Weimer, who placed third and
eighth, gave AMA Team USA a slim lead ahead of Italy and Great Britain.
After the second moto, however, the edge went to France, whose Open and
MX2 class riders, Gautier Paulin and Marvin Musquin, finished first and
fifth. Belgium also edged out AMA Team USA, which fell to third in team
points.
The final moto lined up the MX1 and Open class. A
massive tangle on the start straight left a number of riders in the
dirt, including Italy's Antonio Cairoli, who won moto one. Spain's
Jonathan Barragan emerged with the lead, but Dungey was close behind.
The American rider soon put his Suzuki out front and paced the field,
winning in 17 laps.
The Motocross of Nations is one of the most
prestigious motocross races in the world. It features teams competing
by nationality for a combined score to determine the overall
championship-winning team. The event emerged in post-war Europe in 1947
and has run uninterrupted since that time. The United States is the
all-time leader in Motocross of Nations overall victories with 20.
Great Britain is second with 16.