Team Australia will take a star-studded line-up into the 2024 FIM Monster Energy Motocross of Nations (MXoN) in England from October 4-6, with the precociously talented Lawrence siblings – Jett and Hunter – to be joined by local star Kyle Webster in the battle for the prestigious Chamberlain Trophy. Words: Motorcycling Australia
The Honda-riding trio will all take exceptional form into the blockbuster international event, with Webster currently leading the premier MX1 class in the 2024 ProMX Championship, while factory-backed duo Hunter and Jett are first and equal second respectively in the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship in the 450cc class – the same category where Jett produced an irresistible unbeaten season in 2023.
Webster, 28, is currently riding alongside the Lawrences in the AMA Pro Motocross paddock during a break in the ProMX calendar, with the MXoN already a major talking point for the Aussie hard-chargers – an event where Team Australia has come tantalisingly close to victory in the past but without achieving the ultimate reward.
Meanwhile, in May, Jett became only the third rookie after Jeremy McGrath and Ryan Dungey to win the 450cc class in the AMA Supercross Championship, adding more silverware to an already burgeoning CV for the 20-year-old Queenslander.
The only major point of CV differentiation between Jett and the American stars is that they are both MXoN winners, which is a gap the Aussie would dearly love to close in 2024.
Team Australia (Jett, Hunter and Dean Ferris) gave it a tremendous shot in 2023 when it finished second behind home team France in front of a boisterous crowd, eclipsing its third-place results in 2011 and 2022.
With all three 2024 MXoN incumbents riding out of their skin, Australian team manager Michael Byrne is exuding an air of cautious optimism ahead of the Matterley Basin event.
“I’d like to congratulate Kyle, Hunter and Jett on their Team Australia selection,” said the American-based Byrne. “For Kyle, it’ll be his first MXoN since 2019, and a just reward for the season he has put together in Australia.
“I’ve been glued to the livestream coverage of ProMX and marvelling at his pace, temperament and work rate – traits that are all required to make a mark in the pressure-cooker of the MXoN.
“The Lawrences are simply box office stars, and I’m confident if they produce their very best it’ll go a long way towards Team Australia winning the Chamberlain Trophy for the first time.
“But I’m under no illusion the MXoN is an uncompromising high-stakes event, and nothing is a given in sport or deserved – it has to be earned.
“We certainly won’t leave any stone unturned in our preparation for Matterley Basin, and I’ve already sat down with all three riders to begin that process.
“We can’t wait to it perform on the big stage, and we know there is a huge amount of support coming from Australia which is absolutely brilliant.”
Byrne will again be supported at the event by Gary Benn – who was previously a long-time Team Australia manager – and Motorcycling Australia motocross commissioner Mark Luksich.
The final entry list for the 2024 MXoN will be released shortly, which will include all the European heavyweights such as France and Italy as well the most successful team in history – America. The list will also include the breakdown of riders across the MX2 (250cc), MXGP (450cc) and Open classes.
All three classes compete against each other once, and a team can drop its worst result.
In 2024, Team Australia will again be supported by online retailer MXstore, which stocks a huge range of riding gear, aftermarket dirt bike parts and accessories.
For more information on the build-up to the 2024 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, keep an eye on the Motorcycling Australia website and MXstore’s blog as well as their respective social media platforms.
Image: HRC
