The Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha tandem of Martin (MX2) and Webb (Open) were also very solid and backed up Barcia’s efforts with their own stellar results. Martin overcame the power displacement deficit he faced in both motos to earn a pair of fifth-place finishes on his 250cc bike amongst two gates full of 450cc machines. Those finishes ultimately allowed Martin to finish second overall in MX2 in his second consecutive MXoN visit. 

In just his second ever race aboard a 450cc Yamaha, Webb was one of the breakout riders of the MXoN in his inaugural attempt. He went toe-to-toe with newly crowned MX1 World Champion Romain Febvre in his first moto and managed to overcome a start outside the top 10 and a brief stall to finish sixth in the final moto, placing him second overall in the Open classification. 

“There was a tremendous amount of excitement surrounding the U.S. lineup for this season’s Motocross of Nations and now we know why. These three young guns stepped up to the plate and put it to their opponents with an incredible effort,” said MX Sports Pro Racing President Davey Coombs. “Although they just missed out on bringing the Chamberlain Trophy back to the U.S., Justin [Barcia], Jeremy [Martin] and Cooper [Webb] should all hold their heads high. This future of American motocross is bright with these three leading the way.” 

Collectively, the AMA U.S. Motocross Team compiled an final score of 16, finishing just two points short of eventual winners France. The runner-up effort extended the U.S. team’s podium streak to 11 years. Moreover, all three U.S. riders are graduates of the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s. 

Team France has now won back-to-back MXoN titles for the first time in the nation’s history. An integral member of Team France was none other than Marvin Musquin, the 250 Class championship runner-up this past season in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross. In his final race aboard a 250cc motorcycle, Musquin played a crucial role in helping his team to victory, posting 4-3 finishes as the top rider in MX2. 

Additional recognition goes out to another full-time Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship contender who faced an uphill challenge at the MXoN, Team Great Britain’s Dean Wilson. The Red Bull KTM rider watched helplessly as both his teammates, Shaun Simpson and Max Anstie, suffered big crashes in qualifying, with Anstie being forced out of action. Despite being down a rider, Wilson gave it his all and led the team with 6-8 finishes while Simpson, who rode to an impressive fourth-place effort during a guest appearance at Unadilla in August, endured to post 8-11 results.