New format
In 1985 a new format combining all three classes in a single Motocross des Nations was introduced by the FIM, gathering all three classes (125cc, 250cc and 500cc) with one rider in each class and three races per event: 125/500, 125/250, 250/500.Nothing could stop the Americans though - this would only happen in 1994, after 17 consecutive victories (13 in the Motocross des Nations, and the last four of the Trophée des Nations), against…Great Britain, in Roggenburg, Switzerland.
Their teams always integrated world-recognized top riders. Danny “Magoo” Chandler won all four heats in the team contests in 1982, but perhaps the greatest win of all came at Maggiora in 1986 when America’s trio of David Bailey, Ricky Johnson and Johnny O’Mara went through all three heats unbeaten by the rest of the world.
After Great Britain’s win in 1994, it was the turn of Belgium to be back at the top of the competition in 1995 with Stefan Everts, Joel Smets and Marnicq Bervoets. But the Americans were still there. In ‘96 in Jerez, the team driven by multi-champion Jeremy McGrath beat the French and Belgian teams. Then, the US team would be off the rostrum for three consecutive years which saw two Belgian wins and the first crown for Italy (with World Champions Andrea Bartolini and Alessio Chiodi, and also Claudio Federici), in 1999 in Brazil, ahead of France and Belgium. Once again the Americans were back in 2000 in St Jean d’Angély, led by their new top rider Ricky Carmichael. In Namur 2001, it was finally the turn of the French team to clinch their first victory (with David Vuillemin, Yves Demaria and Luigi Séguy), beating the Belgians on their home track. Italy won a perturbed 2002 edition, and Belgium - still with the record holder in individual World titles Stefan Everts - won the 2003 and 2004 contest, before the US comeback in the last five editions, James Stewart having replaced Carmichael as the team’s top rider in 2006. Carmichael was back in 2007, celebrating his last Motocross appearance in Budds Creek while Stewart was part of the 2008 winning team. In 2009 instead the winning trio was made of Dungey, Weimer and Tedesco.
Through the years this event, which changed name from Motocross des Nations to Motocross of Nations in 2003, has become well known for being the peak of the FIM Motocross World Championship season. Red Bull, the world’s leading Energy Drink company, is the title sponsor of the event since 2007, when the Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations took place in Budds Creek, America.
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