Welcome to Racerhead, and the blessed end to what's been a really long but awesome season. The FIM Motocross of Nations is the cap of each season, and with that now in the rearview mirror, we can breathe a collective sigh of relief and take a break... Sure, there are some cool races still ahead, like the Paris Supercross, the All-Japan race, the AUS-X Open, Fastcross in Italy, and more, but we're past the more serious racing of SX, Pro Motocross, MXGP, SMX, and the MXON. Jason Thomas will have more on the off-season below.

So Team USA once again was beaten at the MXON, and beaten by another set of brothers. No, the Lawrences were not there, but the Reisulis brothers of Latvia—Janis and Karlis—were, and they teamed with Pauls Jonass to edge out the Americans for fourth overall. Yes, Latvia, an Eastern European country with less than 2 million residents, beat the USA, a country of nearly 350 million people. Also ahead of Team USA were the overall winners from Belgium, also featuring brothers. This might also possibly be the youngest team to ever win, as Liam Everts is 22 and the Coenen twins are 19—followed by Spain, the Netherlands, and then Latvia.

It wasn't for a lack of effort by Cooper Webb, Levi Kitchen, and Julien Beaumer, all of whom rode with heart and pride but didn't get many good breaks. Regardless of the result, these three American heroes stepped up despite some real hurdles. Webb was on a Yamaha one week earlier; Beaumer was on a 250 and had no idea he would be called on until we found out that Chance Hymas had injured his wrist at the SMX Finals; and Levi Kitchen, who won the SMX 250 title and the half-million-dollar bonus that came with it, could have called it a season then and there but wanted to race for his country, so off to France he went. Thanks to all of them, as well as their teams and sponsors, for giving us a team to cheer for.

In case you're wondering, Team USA was given a very warm reception in France. There was no slight by the fans over there for them, though there were a few shirts and homemade signs showing displeasure with a certain #38 who was not there. The Americans once again got crucial support from Alpinestars, who gave the team a home for the weekend with their mobile hospitality unit. The fans were very respectful, and the place was packed, despite the lack of several big names, including Haiden Deegan, the Lawrences, Monster Energy Supercross Champion Ken Roczen, the now-retired Eli Tomac and Dylan Ferrandis, multi-time FIM World Champion Tim Gajser, the injured Chase Sexton and Jo Shimoda and Kay de Wolf, and more. All weekend long the fans made noise with airhorns and cowbells, set off smoke bombs, waved their flags, and many even dressed the part. The MXON is a very special race that is also part international reunion, costume party, national celebration, and just a damn good time. If you've never been to one in Europe, I strongly recommend you add it to your bucket list, because it's an event unlike any other in our sport.

That said, how did Team USA get beaten so badly? Well, there are lots of contributing factors. There's bad timing for some riders who were switching teams (though that did not stop Webb, who was there on a brand he's never raced before, Husqvarna, and on a team he's never been with before, Tedder Racing). There's the seeming indifference to the event from Yamaha Star Racing, and Deegan in particular (though Yamaha heavily supports the event with their bLU cRU Championship finale, which means 120 kids in three different classes, all on identical YZs). And there's also the fact that we've reached a point where many of the best riders in the world are not from the United States, at least not like it was in the 1980s when Americans dominated this event. Jeffrey Herlings proved himself to be the fastest man on the planet right now by putting on an absolute clinic, and Jorge Prado continued his excellent late-season run. On the domestic front, we haven't had an American win a 450 National since Chase Sexton back in July '25. The current AMA Pro Motocross Champion, Hunter Lawrence, is from Australia. The AMA Supercross Champion is Ken Roczen, a German; one of the two AMA 250 SX Champions is from New Zealand, and he's also the 250 Pro Motocross Champion, Cole Davies. The AMA 250 Pro Motocross Rookie of the Year, Kayden Minear, is from Australia. New Zealand did not send a team, though they were well-represented by Levi Townley, who finished second in the bLU cRU 125 race. (Townley and his little brother Jagger are at this very moment moving into a home in Tallahassee, Florida, as their dad Ben Townley told me they both have development deals with Yamaha Star Racing.) And the domestic circuit here is about to add two-thirds of the winning Belgian team as Sacha and Lucas are U.S.-bound too.

Add it all up, and there are a lot of reasons why there's nothing shocking about a Team USA loss anymore at the MXON, though fifth place is a little concerning. We need to do a better job of supporting the riders who do step up and also figure out a way to make it more attractive for the very best, whether it's with more fundraising, new management, more emphasis during the domestic season, or just any other way to get Team USA back on the podium and even the winner's circle.

Next year's event will take place in Assen, the Netherlands, and the sand there will be a challenge for our boys. The next year it returns to the U.S. and I'm sure that race will be more attractive to the Deegans of the world if Yamaha Star Racing decides to support the MXON again as they did from 2014 (Jeremy Martin) until just last year (Tomac and Justin Cooper). The AMA allocated $25K for each team this year—is that going to cut it next year?

Last Saturday morning, I was in the hospitality tent when I ran into an old friend, Australian motocross legend Jeff Leisk. He was there in his colorful Aussie shirt, with a bunch of other fans from Down Under in the same brightly colored shirt, almost as many as we saw last year at the Ironman MXON when Australia won for the second year in a row. I told Jeff that I was surprised that so many Aussies turned up in France, despite the fact that everyone has known since last December that the Lawrence brothers were not coming, as they were taking a long overdue break from this race, the Paris SX, and the AUS-X Open after several years in attendance. Leisk explained that the Australian fans were loyal to the core, and their presence at the event was part of a VIP package that his fellow legend Stephan Gall had put together years ago to support Australian motocross and supercross. All of the proceeds from this package went directly to the team and the riders, because if we think getting to Europe from the U.S. is difficult, imagine how far/expensive it is for Australians. He asked if we had any kind of program like that to help support Team USA. I was embarrassed to answer that we did not.

Anyone know a good travel agent who happens to like dirt bike racing?

Congratulations to Team Belgium on their first win in 13 years, to Jorge Prado and Team Spain on their runner-up finish, to Jeffrey Herlings for still being an absolute badass, to the rest of the Dutch team, to those Latvian brothers who punched way above their size, and to Team USA for showing up and representing well, despite everything. Hey, it could have been worse—we could have been France.

The 2026 version of Team USA did the best it could. But what are the actual prospects for it getting better? I've been thinking about it all week, as have others, but the trouble with this event is that the fervor roars for only a week or two, and then everyone forgets and goes back to Anaheim mode. Whatever riders chose not to race, that will be forgotten by January, and all the issues in finding a better way for Team USA will also get forgotten. I've seen this drill over and over and over. I can't emphasize enough how this is not a new problem. Did you know that the two years before Team USA grabbed its first win at this event (in 1981) Team USA didn't even go to the race? Teams and riders choosing not to go is a constant theme. We're back on it this year, but if the fervor fades, nothing will get solved.

I have a few suggestions. First, the event needs to remain relevant all year. I've been telling the folks at Monster Energy Supercross that the schedule should include a themed event dubbed "the International Race." Similar to the Military Appreciation Race and the St. Jude event, the International Race would encourage riders to wear gear matching their home country colors, just like the stuff you see at MXoN. Get the gear and graphics people on it (they build special stuff for the Military and St. Jude races). Then, create a special ceremony on the podium for each rider that chose to represent his country at MXoN. We tend to think of all the 'Nations stuff as Team USA-centric, but the truth now is that tons of AMA Supercross talent races the event. So Cooper Webb, Julien Beaumer, and Levi Kitchen should be part of the ceremony, along with Prado and anyone else (Valentin Guillod, if you're racing supercross again in '27, you're invited).

Think about it. If this International-themed supercross round had existed in previous years, the Lawrences, Ken Roczen, Max Anstie, Dean Wilson, and all the other non-Americans who race in America but also participate in the 'Nations could have been recognized. It's a way to keep this race relevant six months after the race and six months before it. Consider that through all those glorious Team USA victories, the Team USA winning members never got a huge standing ovation from a sold-out stadium. In fact, the only times Team USA ever really got cheered by Americans were the times it won the event in America, which was 2022, 2010, 2007, and 1987. That's a missed opportunity. Can you imagine the cheers Ricky Carmichael, Kevin Windham, and Ivan Tedesco would have gotten in '06 to celebrate winning at Ernee in '05? It's easy. Let them wear cool gear, invite them to the podium, ask the crowd to cheer for them. Done. Makes it relevant, and reminds the riders how cool it was to race the event.

Also, Team USA has a golden opportunity with Cooper Webb. He's a smart, experienced, and determined rider who loves this event. As proof, Coop rode his tail off last weekend in what was likely his last-ever motocross race. As an SX-only rider now, he probably won't ever get selected for the team again, but he has a lot to offer.

I say the AMA should nominate him as the new Team Manager. You'd get a current rider who knows every single aspect of the event from the inside, who isn't afraid to speak his mind and take a leadership role, and who is now going to race supercross-only, so he would be free over the summer to really focus on the job. This also means Coop isn't going to be asking riders to race the event while also racing against them. Also, Coop's new team gets Husqvarna factory support, but it operates as more of an independent unit, so he won't appear biased for or against certain brands or teams. Guys like him do not come around often. Take advantage.

I have nothing against Mike Pelletier in his current role as Team USA manager; he should stay on as part of the operation, like General Manager. Mike really is someone who keeps MXoN and Team USA at the forefront of his thoughts all year, which is cool and also rare. However, there is something to be said about a guy like Coop, who just came off the track at the event. Do you notice that Team France, really the most successful operation in recent times, picked up ex-racer Gautier Paulin as Team Manager pretty much the instant he retired? Paulin was a hero at this event before, and he carries that experience into the role.

There you go. Also, collectively, as an industry, we need to do a better job explaining how people can donate to the team. Do you know how many signed, rider race-worn jerseys exist for bidding right now at Raiseit4USA.com? I bet most don't. It's a donation site, but it has tons of merch. Go get it! We in the media should be explaining this better.

That's it. Let's not forget about all this for the next 11 months and then complain if the team gets fifth again.

And then the racing world went quiet. With WSX hitting the eject button, the next SMX-related event isn't until Halloween in New Zealand (ok, Webb is racing Fastcross, but still...). The industry is taking a well-deserved deep breath. It's been a long season, and everyone is feeling it on some level. Riders are able to recover and tend to nagging injuries, mechanics and staff are able to see their families for once and work less than 14 hours a day, and everyone that travels to the races gets to avoid an airport, unless it's for a long overdue vacation. It's a much-needed break.

That doesn't mean it's a full disconnect from riding and testing, though. Some are already in testing mode, getting a base setting and providing time to build parts for 2027. Depending on if you're changing teams or simply getting a new chassis for '27, this can be a very busy time. Riders like RJ Hampshire and his change to Red Bull/TLD Ducati need to take advantage of the extra time, as does Hunter Lawrence, because Honda has an all-new bike for 2027. Less hectic than race mode? Yes. But that doesn't mean switched off. And Hunter is planning on going to at least one race: the F1 race at COTA in Austin in two weeks.

More interesting is what will happen for Chase Sexton. I have no idea where he will end up for 2027, but every day that goes by makes things more difficult to sort through. He has another two years of a very nice contract at Monster Energy Kawasaki, but every sign indicates he doesn't want to fulfill it. Where could he go? Will Kawi let him out without litigation? All of that portends a difficult equation to crack with—checks watch—less time to sort it than when I started typing this paragraph. He is hoping to start riding sometime in October, but riding what? And for whom? I am shocked we don't have more news on this situation because, make no mistake, he is one of the best riders on the planet. If he gets into a situation he believes in, it's game on. That, though, has been the rub. Happy riders make for fast riders, and Sexton is the most notable in that department. Your guess is as good as mine on this one, folks.

The rumors of a pending shutdown of the rest of the 2026 FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) came to fruition this week when SX Global announced that they were shutting down the series for the rest of the year. The series was looking for a new buyer/investor and had already postponed the Birmingham, UK round, which was supposed to be this weekend.

"World Supercross remains in advanced discussions with potential investors regarding the future of the series," read the press release.

https://racerxonline.com/2026/10/07/fim-world-supercross-championship-announces-2026-season-is-over-effective-immediately

"While those discussions continue, the decision has been taken to conclude the current season."

Only one of the original six rounds was completed before Wednesday's announcement. With no more races on the schedule, that means the winners of the weather-shortened Calgary race back in August—Cooper Webb (450) and Max Anstie (250)—are the 2026 FIM World Supercross Champions. Webb leaned right into it with this Instagram post:

Some of his followers took over from there:
@crtwotwo: I knew you could do it
@rjhampshire: 4 time
@PulpMX: 16 min of hard fought racing. I was lucky to be there to witness it all. Congrats champ
@supercrossvoices: revs are up, gates are down. PAUL WEBB IS YOUR CHAMPION
@ben.george15: When they say you can’t win it at the first round but you can lose it
@peteshepherd8: smx playoff needs 3 races to crown a champ… WSX said hold my beer
@caid_c: does this count as a perfect season?
@evanloibl: Took it down to the final round, clutch!
@_jpayne18: Bro swept every round

If you have not been able to keep up, here are the confirmed roster moves so far this off-season:

• Gage Linville and Derek Kelley to Liqui Moly Beta Race Team
• Aaron Plessinger to 5.11 Triumph Racing Factory Team
• Cooper Webb to Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Monster Energy Team Tedder Husqvarna
• Justin Barcia to Pipes Motorsports Group Suzuki
• RJ Hampshire to Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing Team
• Luke Fauser, Trevor Colip, and CJ Benard to Dirt Legal DBD Racing KTM Team
• ROKiT Partzilla Racing Moves to Yamaha for 2027 (Roster TBA)

We still have a lot more announcements on the way! Chase Sexton, anyone?

It was a busy week of racing around the dirt bike world. Here's a shortcut to see the big winners, according to the win ads in cyclenews.com.

The Legacy of Beast Mode | Eli Tomac

Our guy Cody Darr got some seat time in at Doublin Gap—and took a moto win!

Cody Darr | 35+ C Moto 2 | Doublin Gap Vet Fest | Insta360 X6

"U.S. Team Claims First-Ever FIM Enduro Vintage Trophy Victory in Germany"—AMA

"Texas Tech fan claims to find part of Colorado's playbook at hotel bar, shows plays that match opening drive"—Fox News

"Men stopped for driving 'an actual couch' on North Carolina road" -UPI

“Dear Racer X,
Can we schedule an interview for National Pumpkin Day (October 26) with Phil Cohen, co-founder of CRUSH!, the brand behind the unique crush-and-sniff floor mat? Pumpkin spice has officially hit the floor! CRUSH! is launching its first-ever seasonal collection of crush-and-sniff mats, including a Pumpkin Spice Latte scent that releases its fragrance every time you step on it.” —Random email we received this week

"Fitness Influencer Apologizes for Allegedly Riding Bike in Berlin Marathon After Boasting About Beating ‘Personal Best’"—People

"Horror scene as NFL star snaps ankle, realises mid-celebration before collapsing to floor"—News.Com 

"Ohio man jailed for texting Shrek’s penis to a state senator. Your questions about Shrexting, answered."—Fire.Org