So how about 2024? The team has to be picked by September 3. The race takes place October 6. Here are some riders who could or should be considered for the team.
Chase Sexton: Well, duh. Barring a disaster, Sexton is in.
Haiden Deegan: The obvious pick is the new 250 Class AMA Pro Motocross Champion, but Deegan has said he needs an off-season surgery to remove some hardware. Will MXoN eat into his recovery timeline? Can he handle both? In the post-race press conference last week, Deegan said of the AMA approaching him for MXoN:
“I honestly haven’t gotten talked to much about it. It’s kind of up to the team to let me know what the deal is.”
We’ll take that as meaning Deegan isn’t out.
Chance Hymas: What if Deegan can’t go? We’ve heard Hymas wants to race the event so badly that he’s been visiting the AMA truck on weekends to let them know he wants to race. If Deegan can’t go, this could be the 250 pick, as Honda HRC promises full support for the event.
Levi Kitchen: Levi’s been on fire as of late and is as deserving a candidate, performance-wise, as Hymas. The one question might be his team. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki and owner Mitch Payton was once a stalwart supporter of this event, not even just for American racers but in support of any non-U.S. riders who were selected to their own respective teams. But the Monster Energy Kawasaki 450 team has not supported any ‘Nations races outside the U.S. in awhile. Can Pro Circuit operate as a separate entity? Remember our note above on AC not going to the Netherlands in 2019.
Now, some trivia: Who was the last Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider to compete at a Motocross of Nations?
