So, here we, less than a month before the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations blasts into life and the big question is, who wins between defending champions Team Australia and the most successful team in the events history, Team USA.

Now, in 2025, it is no secret, the greatest rider in Australian motocross history, Jett Lawrence will lead the Aussies into action and his older brother, who could easily become the second best Aussie of all time (if he can add a title or two in his career) Hunter Lawrence will be charging for 1-2 results at Ironman, with Kyle Webster, hoping to be a top three or top five MX2 riders, which is also very possible.

As for Team USA, they have their dream team, of Eli Tomac, Chase Sexton and Haiden Deegan, and anything is possible with this group of riders, but it is also possible, that while Sexton and Deegan have the chance to be overall winners in their class, the performance of Eli Tomac is very much under some question. He has been a little up and down in 2025 and could easily be beaten by names like Tim Gajser, Romain Febvre and Lucas Coenen.

Let’s go back a little though, back to 1984, when Australia first arrived on the MXdN scene. In fact, that first trip to Europe for Team Australia, they raced the Trophee des Nations, because it was slightly easier than taking the MXdN route, due to everyone being on 250s. The Aussies didn’t qualify and of course, Team USA won both the Trophee and des Nations.

Not a lot changed in the 1980s, with USA winning everything and Australia trying to find its way on the world scene. Obviously, while America had names like Ricky Johnson, Jeff Ward, Ron Lechien, David Bailey, Broc Glover, Johnny O’Mara and so many more, the Aussies only really had Jeff Leisk, and two very good, but unknown riders in Craig Dack and Glen Bell.

Now, both Dack and Bell, could easily have turned into top ten, or even top five Grand Prix riders, as Dack showed in the 1986 MXdN at Maggiora, when he finished fourth in the final moto behind Bailey, Johnson and Dave Thorpe and Bell finished a stunning French Grand Prix at Ahun, France, where he delivered an impressive performance in his GP debut, finishing 8th overall with moto results of 7th and 5th in the 2 x 40-minute motos. Unfortunately, Bell never raced another Grand Prix, as domestic racing became his main goal.

Bell also holds the record for the most Motocross of Nation appearances, representing Australia eight times. He first represented Australia at the 1985 MXoN’s in Gaildorf, Germany, with his last appearance in the green and gold in 1993 at Schwanenstadt in Austria).

Dack, who was the more successful of the two, raced some GPs in 1989, didn’t do as well as expected and returned home to OZ, homesick and never to return to the GP scene. That Maggiora result, remaining his shining light in a career that could have been so much more. Europe was a tough place for Aussies back then.

Of course, Australia has had their moments and while Team USA dominated until 1994, and then again more often than not from 2000 until 2011, Team Australia, with help from names like Leisk, Brett Metcalfe, Chad Reed, Matt Moss, Micheal Byrne, Andrew McFarlane, Dean Ferris and Todd Waters, started making big progress.

A podium in 2011 at St Jean d’Angly was their first step towards challenging Team USA, who obviously won in France that year and then strong performances from Ferris in Germany in 2013 and the top qualification spot by the Aussies, you could feel they were finally becoming dark horses in the event.

While Reed won motos in 2001 and 2011, he was often needing a stronger back-up and unfortunately, when he retired from the sport, it seemed we were left with not a lot of confidence in making another podium finish. That was until, the name Lawrence started appearing on the Aussie team sheet. First it was Hunter, who won the MX2 class in 2017 in England and helped the Aussies to sixth place. We also got a victory over Team USA, something we never could have imagined back in 1984.

A year later we finished fourth with Hunter Lawrence, Mitch Evans and Kirk Gibbs, beating Team USA in the process, despite them having Eli Tomac, Aaron Plessinger and Justin Barcia, a strong, although maybe a B team.

2022 would be the big change for the Aussies and while it was Team USA who took victory at the Redbud circuit, the arrival of Jett Lawrence in Team Australia would start what is without question, the glory years for the Aussies at the MXdN. Third place in 2022 with Jett going 1-2 for the MXGP overall win and suitable backup from Hunter with 8-10 and Mitch Evans 5-28.

A year later, the Aussies claimed their best performance at the Nations in their 40-year challenge to this tough event, with the Lawrence brothers and Dean Ferris scoring second overall behind France. Jett going 1-5, Hunter 6-10 and Ferris 12-16.

Now, when we talk about the 2024 MXoN victory at Matterley Basin, many names have to be remembered, because while it was the Lawrence brothers who took victory, the road to the biggest win in Australian motocross history didn’t happen without names like Stephen Gall, Jeff Leisk, Glen Bell, Craig Dack, Dean Ferris, Chad Reed, Brett Metcalfe, Micheal Byrne, Andrew McFarlane and many others fighting for Aussie pride. Many times, down and out and not even competitive, to finally winning the biggest trophy in the sport.

Now, while the Aussies got to celebrate their victory last year, and arrive at Ironman in the first week of October with the number 1, 2 and 3 on their bikes, you just know that Team USA will be concentrating on their own riders, their own history and their own way of grabbing that Chamberlain trophy again.

Let's not forget, Team USA finished second last year, just three points off the Aussies and will be hungry for victory at home and stop what has been Aussie domination in America in 2025.

The talk is, its Team Australia vs Team USA, and no matter what happens, Australia can be proud of their climb to the very top of this event. Because back in 1984, when they didn’t quality, nobody could have thought some 30 years later, we would be the favourites, along with Team USA. Dreams do come true, no matter how big a country or how long the history.

As Team USA found out in 1981, being the underdog and fighting to become the world power is what makes the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations such a classic and historical event. Let’s not forget, it was around 50 years ago, that it was team USA who struggled to qualify, similar to the Aussies in 1984. Now, these two proud nations will battle for victory in 2025 and don't you just love the story-line?