2009 MX of Nations Team USA Announced

The three riders will form AMA Team USA and attempt to win Americas 20th MotoCross of Nations victory.

We feel confident that we have the right three riders for Team USA, says Roger DeCoster, AMA Team USA manager. This is one of those years when its not easy to pick the team. At the start, it seemed pretty obvious, but then came injuries. We spent a lot of time talking among the AMA, with Davey Coombs of MX Sports, and even Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart weighed in on the final choice. With the support we have in place, we feel these three riders can do the job.

Dungey will race in the MX1 class featuring 450cc four-stroke motorcycles. Weimer will compete in MX2, featuring 250cc four-strokes. Tedesco will compete in the open MX3 class.

Were thrilled with the talent on AMA Team USA this year, says Joe Bromley, AMA Director of Racing. Sharp and ready thanks to a summer of doing battle in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championships, these riders are performing at the peak of their abilities, and were honored that they have agreed to represent the United States and the AMA at this prestigious event.

Tedesco will bring experience to the team. The Honda Red Bull Racing rider was part of the 2005 and 2006 Motocross of Nations winning teams.

Its an absolute honor to be chosen to be a part of Team USA to represent America at the 2009 MX of Nations, says Tedesco, who currently sits fourth in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championships 450 class. Having the opportunity to represent your country on the world stage and race against some of the best motocross racers from countries right across the globe is something every rider can only ever dream of doing. I couldnt be happier to have this opportunity again in 2009.

This will be my third time racing for Team USA, Tedesco adds. Im definitely going to draw strength from my previous experiences racing at this international level to help Team USA win.

Dungey, who is currently tied for the lead in the AMA MX 250 class with Christophe Pourcel, says representing the United States is a long-time dream of his.

Getting invited to represent the USA for this years Motocross of Nations is literally a dream come true. Ever since I was a little guy growing up in Minnesota, I have dreamed of one day representing my country for our team. I think with Ivan and Jake, well have a really strong team, and Im looking forward to making my outdoor debut on an RMZ450. After the outdoor season wraps up, Ill probably head out to California and begin testing with our Rockstar Makita Suzuki team to get things dialed in.

Dungey will be on the same team as one of his rivals, Weimer. The Monster Energy Kawasaki racer finished second to Dungey in the 2009 AMA Supercross Lites West championship and currently sits 122 points back in the MX 250 class. Though this is his first time on AMA Team USA, Weimer has raced in Italy before.

Its a huge privilege to represent the U.S.A. and be a part of the Motocross of Nations, says Weimer. Im super excited about this. Ive been to Italy to race a Supercross in 2007, so it will be cool to go back and race for Team USA. Growing up and watching the Motocross of Nations and seeing it on video, its such an honor to be picked. This is definitely something that I think every kid racing would want to be a part of.

The three riders will work together to continue Americas winning tradition at the Motocross of Nations. The U.S. leads all nations with 19 wins in the events 61-year history.