It was a dark day in American motocross as a couple of European riders took it to the best riders from the United States.
Dutch rider Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) had just come over for a one-off, guest appearance race at round 12 of the AMA National Pro Motocross Championships at the Ironman circuit in Crawfordsville, Indiana, in August 2017… and he won the weekend.
Even coming from last place after a first turn crash, all the way back up to lead before the chequered flag, passing Eli Tomac (Kawasaki) and all the rest of them along the way like they were standing still.
But the real reason Herlings was stateside? To acclimatise himself in preparation for the next round of his MXGP World Motocross Championship, which was set to take place in Jacksonville, in Florida, the following weekend.
And let’s not forget that Italian multi-time former motocross world champion Antonio Cairoli (pictured here, KTM) was at the event too.
In light of all that’d happened, Tomac and a number of other American riders entered themselves as exhibitionists, and the world watched on with bated breath as it seemed like we were finally about to get a definitive answer to the age-old question … who’s faster, the Europeans or Americans?
Photo courtesy KTM
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