With just over a month to go until the FIM Motocross of Nations returns to Matterley Basin on the weekend of October 4-6, the host nation has announced their trio that will go into battle.
Team GB manager Mark Chamberlain, in collaboration with the ACU Motocross Commission, is proud to reveal the three riders selected to represent Great Britain: Tommy Searle (MXGP), Max Anstie (MX2, pictured here) and Conrad Mewse (MX Open).
Leading the charge for Team GB in the MXGP class is the experienced Searle.
Returning to the Motocross of Nations (MXoN) after his last appearance at Red Bud in 2022, this year’s event marks Searle’s 13th time representing his country.
Searle, who first competed in the MXoN at Matterley Basin in 2006, currently holds second place in the ACU British Motocross Championship (MX2 class). For this event, he’ll be stepping up to the 450cc class on a Kawasaki.
Searle is a three-time MX2 world championship runner-up and a four-time British Motocross Champion. His 14 MX2 Grand Prix victories make him Britain’s most successful MX2 rider and ranks third in total victories across all classes to multiple world champions David Thorpe and Jeff Smith.
Reflecting on his MXoN selection for 2024, Searle said: “I’m really looking forward to representing Team GB. I’m going all in now for the next few weeks to do my very best. With Max and Conrad on the team, we have a great lineup.
“To be doing what I imagine will be my final MXoN in the UK is something dreams are made of. I’ll put in the graft now to get the results that can make the nation proud.”
Joining Searle in the team is the reigning British MX1 Champion and three-time British MX2 Champion Mewse, who will compete in the MX Open class aboard his 450cc Honda machine.
Mewse has been in top form this season, currently locked in a close battle with Dutch five-time world champion Jeffrey Herlings, sitting just 15 points behind in the British Championship standings.
Mewse represented his country at the MXoN twice previously, most recently in 2023. In 2021, he helped Team GB to finish third overall.
In addition to this, he is a four-time British Motocross Champion, winning his most recent one in the MX1 class in 2023.
“It’s an honour to represent Team GB at our home MXoN,” Mewse said. “With the experience that Max and Tommy bring, I feel confident and ready. I want to extend a massive thanks to Mark Chamberlain for the selection, and I’m committed to giving my all for our nation.”
Rounding out the team is Anstie, who will take on the MX2 class riding his 250cc Yamaha. Anstie returns to Matterley Basin, the scene of his historic 1-1 victory at the 2017 MXoN.
Anstie has consistently delivered top-10 finishes in the AMA Nationals this season, including impressive top-5 results at Spring Creek and Unadilla.
“I’m excited to be coming home for Matterley,” Anstie stated. “We have a strong team, and I’m looking forward to an amazing event. Last time we were here for MXoN, it was a dream weekend, so let’s go make it another great one! I appreciate the team and Mark working together to make this happen.”
It’s interesting to note that his father, Mervyn Anstie, was also a world championship-level professional motocross racer.
Meanwhile, Chamberlain commented: “Lots of work has gone into getting the best team that we can for our home nations, it was important to put every effort into securing Max.
“Then you add Conrad who has had another great season racing Herlings at the British Championship and it has elevated his level, so excited to see him on his Honda.
“Tommy Searle, what can you say? Six weeks ago, I asked if he could help with the team to prepare leading up to the race. Tommy has come into form at the right time, and I believe is the man for the job. He is happy in the Dirt Store Kawasaki Team and it’s showing.
All three riders have stood on the podium for Team GB over the past few years and have had great results at Matterley individually. Let’s get behind them as I’m sure they will give everything for the home fans.”
Team GB finished 10th at the MXoN in France last year.
But we still await the naming of riders to represent Italy (third last year), Slovenia (9th in 2023), Estonia, Finland, Chile, Ireland, Guam, Mexico, Croatia, Puerto Rico, Poland, Morocco, Luxembourg, Ukraine, Greece and Norway, for example.
There are obviously plenty of other countries, besides these ones, who could still enter the event, but the nations we’ve listed were among the 37 countries that did race the MXoN last season and could reasonably be expected to also show up this time around too.
The top five nations at the MXoN at Ernee, in France, last season were France, Australia, Italy, Germany and Belgium, with Team New Zealand finishing 14th.
Here we have a list of entries so far for the MXoN 2024:
France (winners in 2023): Romain Febvre, Maxime Renaux and Tom Vialle.
Australia (2nd in 2023): Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence and Kyle Webster.
Germany (4th in2023): Ken Roczen, Simon Längenfelder and Max Nagl.
Belgium (5th in 2023): Sacha Coenen, Lucas Coenen and Liam Everts.
Switzerland (6th in 2023): Jeremy Seewer, Arnaud Tonus and Valentin Guillod.
Spain (7th in 2023): Jorge Prado, Oriol Oliver and Rubén Fernández.
United States (8th in 2023): Chase Sexton, Aaron Plessinger and Chance Hymas.
Britain (10th in 2023): Tommy Searle, Max Anstie and Conrad Mewse.
New Zealand: Brodie Connolly, Hamish Harwood and Josiah Natzke.
The Netherlands: Jeffery Herlings, Kay de Wolf and Calvin Vlaanderen.
Japan: Haruki Yokoyama, Yuki Okura and Kainosuke Oshiro.
Brazil: Fabio Santos, Enzo Lopes and Bernardo Tiburcio.
Denmark: Mikkel Haarup, Mads Fresoe and Nicolai Skovbjerg.
Latvia: Karlis Reisulis, Mairis Pumpurs and Edvards Bidzans.
Ireland: Cole McCullough, Martin Barr and Jason Meara.
South Africa: Tristan Purdon, Camden McLellan and Cameron Durow.
Czech Republic: Petr Polak, Julius Mikula and Jakub Terešák.
Austria: Michael Sandner, Michael Kratzer and Marcel Stauffer.
Lithuania: Domantas Jazdauskas, Marius Adomaitis and Erlanda Mackonis.
Canada: Dylan Wright, Kaven Benoit and Jess Pettis.
Portugal: Luis Outeiro, Sandro Lobo and Paulo Alberto.
Venezuela: Anthony Rodriguez, Lorenzo Locurcio and Daniel Bortolin.
Iceland: Mani Pétursson, Eiour Palmarsson and Alexander Kuc.
Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
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