£ Team GBR’s
Dean Wilson
Team Belgium came in second,
earning their twenty-third podium
appearance from the last twentyfive Nations – a phenomenal
record. There was more heartache
reserved for Team USA who have
not seen a chequered flag since
2011 and are in their longest dry
spell since their first attendance
at the Nations. AMA 250MX
Champion Jeremy Martin did
p. Monster Energy
The perils of premature chickencounting-before-egg-hatching
can be seen with the Brits.
Monster Energy Kawasaki duo
(both now Red Bull KTM) Dean
Wilson and Tommy Searle were
backed up by British Champion
and MXGP star Shaun Simpson.
This meant Team GBR had one
of their best chances of podium
success in recent years and they
came within half a lap of walking
the box. Searle won the MX2
class, Wilson was second in MX
Open and Simpson’s bike made
the difference. A dislodged oil
cap in the first moto meant that
the KTM smoked away for the
best part of five laps. Simpson
was passed by Portugal’s Rui
Gonçalves for twelfth position
on the final lap. In the second
moto a broken chain caused a
DNF and an anxious wait to see
if the fallen Team USA duo of Eli
Tomac and Ryan Dungey could
gain enough places and points
to move ahead. The Americans,
record twenty-two times winners
of the Nations, pulled through and
caused a tie with GBR. The final
ranking earned USA the last step
of the podium, meaning the Brits
would be fourth once more. “The
other two boys did a great job
and unfortunately I was the weak
link – or had the weak link,” said
Simpson. “We’ve hardly had any
problems all through the season
and it is so frustrating for this to
happen at the last race and when
there was so much on the line.
Tommy said to me this morning
‘come on, let’s do this, let’s not
be fourth again’ and that’s what
we’ve done. It is even worse
that we tied on points with the
Americans.”
not have an easy first overseas
experience. He broke his right toe
and foot on Saturday, which left
Dungey and Tomac doing their
best to play catch up. Tomac was
disappointing in his first race,
but a set-up change later and
his charge from a first corner fall
to third position in the final moto
was fantastic stuff and saved
the day for the USA. America
always comes to the Nations as
favourites due to their pedigree
and the high level of their national
supercross and motocross series.
“It was rough to say the least,”
summarised Tomac. “We all
fought as hard as we could and