Motocross des Nations trophy on display at Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum
21 October 2000
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- Now that the U.S. Motocross des Nations team of Ryan Hughes, Ricky Carmichael and Travis Pastrana has returned from France with a victory, the championship trophy is back Stateside once again. Fans can see the well-traveled trophy for themselves at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in Pickerington, Ohio. Once a fixture in America, the trophy hasn't spent much time on this side of the Pond in the past decade. The American Motocross des Nations team dominated the annual race beginning in 1981 when Chuck Sun, Johnny O'Mara, Danny LaPorte and Donnie Hansen gave the U.S. team their first-ever victory in Beilstein, Germany. The unprecedented 13-year win streak continued until 1994 when the U.S. suffered a stunning defeat, falling to the Great Britain team. Although the U.S. team rebounded with a victory in 1996, the mid-to-late 1990s marked an era when there was no longer a guarantee that the Americans would be victorious in the prestigious international race. Fans of American motocross and the U.S. motocross racers hope that the new millennium will see another reign for the home team. Mark Mederski, director of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, plans a special exhibit space for the trophy in the Museum. "The trophy will be in a case with an interpretive panel in our Hall of Fame on the lower level," says Mederski. "For a long time, this trophy pretty much lived with us. It's good to have it back." One of the more interesting features of the Museum, which shares grounds with the AMA national headquarters in suburban Columbus, is the Hall of Fame, which not only commemorates legendary motorcycle racers, but also has on display some of the exact machines ridden to fame by the inductees. In fact, 15 members of past U.S. Motocross des Nations teams are in the Hall of Fame. Despite what some may consider lackluster performance during the past decade, the American team has won over half of all the Motocross des Nations events it has attended, and its 13-year win streak will likely never be matched. In all, the U.S. has won 15 of the 26 Motocross des Nations races they've contested. Still, the British have the record of 16 all-time wins, a record which the Americans could tie with a victory in 2001. And while the U.K. team was the spoiler in 1994 to end America's dominance of the event, it was the first and only time the Brits have won the event since 1967. The Motocross des Nations has become recognized as the premier annual international motocross racing event, sometimes called the "Olympics" of motorcycle racing, fielding teams from dozens of countries from around the world every year. The Motocross des Nations is under the jurisdiction of the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the international sanctioning body for motorcycle competition since 1904. The AMA is the only U.S. sanctioning body affiliated with the FIM. Champions list by nation: Great Britain, 16 wins; U.S., 15; Belgium, 10; Sweden, 7; Italy, 3; Soviet Union, 2 wins; Czechoslovakia, 1. Past U.S. teams and their finish: (*denotes Hall of Fame inductee) 2000 - Ryan Hughes, Ricky Carmichael, Travis Pastrana - 1st 1999 - Mike LaRocco, Kevin Windham, Ricky Carmichael - 4th 1998 - John Dowd, Doug Henry, Ricky Carmichael - 5th 1997 - John Dowd, Jeff Emig, Steve Lamson - 8th 1996 - Jeremy McGrath, Jeff Emig, Steve Lamson - 1st 1995 - Steve Lamson, Jeff Emig, Ryan Hughes - 2nd 1994 - Jeff Emig, Mike Kiedrowski, Mike LaRocco - 2nd 1993 - Jeff Emig, Jeremy McGrath, Mike Kiedrowski - 1st 1992 - Billy Liles, Mike LaRocco, Jeff Emig - 1st 1991 - Mike Kiedrowski, Jeff Stanton*, Damon Bradshaw - 1st 1990 - Jeff Ward*, Jeff Stanton, Damon Bradshaw - 1st 1989 - Jeff Ward, Jeff Stanton, Mike Kiedrowski - 1st 1988 - Ron Lechien, Rick Johnson*, Jeff Ward - 1st 1987 - Bob Hannah*, Rick Johnson, Jeff Ward - 1st 1986 - David Bailey*, Rick Johnson, Johnny O'Mara* - 1st 1985 - David Bailey, Jeff Ward, Ron Lechien - 1st 1984 - Rick Johnson, Johnny O'Mara, Jeff Ward, David Bailey - 1st 1983 - David Bailey, Mark Barnett, Jeff Ward, Broc Glover* - 1st 1982 - David Bailey, Johnny O'Mara, Danny Chandler*, Jim Gibson - 1st 1981 - Chuck Sun, Johnny O'Mara, Danny LaPorte*, Donnie Hansen - 1st 1980 & 1979 - No U.S. Team 1978 - Bob Hannah, Rick Burgett, Chuck Sun, Tommy Croft - 4th 1977 - Kent Howerton*, Tony DiStefano*, Gary Semics, Steve Stackable - 2nd 1976 - Rex Staten, Bob Hannah, Tony DiStefano, Kent Howerton - 5th 1975 - Jim Pomeroy*, Brad Lackey*, Kent Howerton, Tony DiStefano - 9th 1974 - Jim Pomeroy, Brad Lackey, Tony DiStefano, Jim Weinert* - 2nd 1972 - Gary Jones*, Jim Weinert, Brad Lackey, Jim Pomeroy - 7th