The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has officially announced the 2023 Motocross of Nations team for the U.S. The team consists of three highly-skilled motocross racers: Aaron Plessinger, R.J. Hampshire, and Christian Craig. The announcement came after speculation that there would be no U.S. team at the event due to funding and testing constraints. Despite these challenges, key figures stepped up to support the effort. All team members are from KTM and Husqvarna teams.

The Motocross of Nations event will take place in Ernée, France from October 6-8. The U.S. team is looking to defend their championship title from last year’s competition. AMA Director of Racing Mike Pelletier expressed his excitement about the team’s potential and their eagerness to represent the United States.

Aaron Plessinger, the team captain, will be racing in the MXGP Class. This will be his second time representing Team USA in the Motocross of Nations event. Plessinger expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to race for his country and his determination to live up to the team’s past success.

R.J. Hampshire will be making his debut appearance in the Motocross of Nations competition, racing in the MX2 Class. Hampshire is excited to represent his country and aims to perform well.

Christian Craig will also be representing the U.S. in the Motocross of Nations for the first time, competing in the Open Class. He expressed his honor and commitment to making the country proud alongside his teammates.

Roger DeCoster, an AMA Motocross Hall of Fame Legend, will manage the U.S. team. DeCoster, who leads KTM, GASGAS, and Husqvarna’s racing efforts in the AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross series, has a distinguished career in motocross. He has taken part in six victorious Motocross of Nations teams and is a five-time motocross world champion.

DeCoster mentioned the challenges faced in assembling the team due to the long race season, injury concerns, and riders switching teams. However, he expressed his happiness that Plessinger, Hampshire, and Craig eagerly accepted the opportunity to represent the USA. The team is looking forward to competing against the French Team and showing the world their capabilities at the stunning Ernée track.

The FIM Motocross of Nations is a prestigious motorsports event that has been held since 1947. National teams from around the world come together to compete for the championship title based on a combined score. The U.S. team holds the record for the most overall team victories in the Motocross of Nations, with 23 wins, 21 of which were achieved under DeCoster’s management. The defending champion, Team USA, aims to secure another victory this year.