Next weekend it is the Ironman National and this is a special one for the Europeans. Not only because of that performance by "The Bullet" in 2017, but also because it is the facility for this years Monster Energy Motocross of Nations and without question, its going to be a stunning event.

Pretty interesting looking through the winners of the Ironman National and its a very international flavour. Aussies, Dutchies, Japanese, French, Germans have won nearly half the Nationals held at the circuit, with the first winners being Ken Roczen and Marvin Musquin in 2014. Of course the most well known Ironman winner, is Jeffrey Herlings and that legendary 2017 performance where he won a moto and came from the back to win the overall.

Cruising up to the Ironman National, not far from the motorsports mecca of Indianapolis, Indiana, you’ll see picturesque views of small town America. The late summer date produces porch weather, and that draws all the locals who marvel at the professional cavalcade that has rolled into their town. You get a sense that this race offers up everything you want in a big-time motocross race….well, except one thing. The land surrounding the track looks flat. Where are the hills? Where’s the elevation change? Can this possibly work?

You park your crew in the huge flat field—perfect for camping and pitting, and head out to check out the big rigs in the easily accessible pro pits. Then you walk toward the track and suddenly something happens: the ground opens up, drops down, and practically swallows the race track whole. The Ironman Raceway track doesn’t just offer up elevation change, it offers up some of the biggest, steepest combinations of jumps and hills in the entire series, including Godzilla, a massive uphill jump.

You’ve already sensed that the rest of the track is perfect: the dirt, the obstacles, the sightlines. Add in those hills, and you’ve got pure motocross. By the end of the day that deep soil grows hugely rough and rutted, and only those wise in old-school motocross techniques like, standing up and changing lines, and riding smarter not harder, can succeed.

This is Motocross, and we’re back at the racetrack. This one is perfect:the dirt, the obstacles, the sightlines.Add in those hills and you’ve got pure motocross. By the end of the day that deep soil grows hugely rough and rutted, and only those wise in old-school motocross techniques like standing up and changing lines, and riding smarter not harder, can succeed.

Ironman National Winners

450 Class 

8/24/24Chase Sexton

8/26/23Jett Lawrence

8/27/22Chase Sexton

8/28/21Eli Tomac

8/29/20Eli Tomac

8/24/19Eli Tomac

8/25/18Justin Barcia

8/26/17Jeffrey Herlings

8/27/16Ken Roczen

8/22/15Ryan Dungey

8/16/14Ken Roczen

250 Class 

8/24/24Tom Vialle

8/26/23Jo Shimoda

8/27/22Jett Lawrence

8/28/21Jett Lawrence

8/29/20Jeremy Martin

8/24/19Dylan Ferrandis

8/25/18Aaron Plessinger

8/26/17Zach Osborne

8/27/16Austin Forkner

8/22/15Aaron Plessinger

8/16/14Marvin Musquin