The 2023 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations:
SA 13th out of 38 countries!
This race is often referred to as the motocross equivalent of the Olympics, it’s the biggest and most anticipated annual race where nations from around the globe select their three best riders to compete, with the best nation ultimately coming out on top. This year’s South African team featured the experienced and talented Camden Mc Lellan, who boasts an 85 European Championships, the reigning double South African champion, Cameron Durow, and the promising rising talent, Jesse Wright.
Tiegan Reed went along and sent us the story.
Arnu Saaiman did the vids.
After battling torrential rains and unforgiving weather conditions at the Motocross of Nations event for three or four years, this year in Ernée, France, Team SA was set for success with drier conditions, which they are more familiar with.
The MXON event follows a 3-day format featuring two days of intense racing action. Friday kicked off with registration, scrutineering, the starting grid ballot, and the team presentation. Saturday commenced with practice/warm-up sessions and qualifying races, while Sunday was reserved for the B Final and main races. Qualifying for the main races was a significant challenge, as only the top 19 countries from the qualifying races and the winning country from the B Final secured their spots.
The team’s primary objective was to secure a direct entry into the main races, avoiding the need to use their second lifeline, which was the B Final.
The team made the most of the 40-minute practice/warm-up sessions to acquaint themselves with the track and fine-tune their bikes for peak performance in the qualifying races.
Team SA secured the 15th gate pick for the Saturday qualifying races, determined by the starting grid ballot, which gave the team a promising chance of getting on and off the gates in the best position possible. The qualifying races saw some impressive results.
Camden, with an outstanding performance, narrowly missed out on 5th position in the last laps, finishing in 6th place.
Durow was mixing it up in the top 20, settling for 22nd place, and Jesse Wright was also in the top 20, when a nasty crash left him and his bike in rough shape, nursing it to the finish.
Despite bad luck for a third of the team, it was the best two-thirds combined qualifying results that earned Team SA a deserving 16th place, which meant that they went through!
A huge relief, providing more preparation time and, for Wright, more recovery time.
It’s worth noting that SA has made it straight into the main heat races for three consecutive years, avoiding the B Final, with this year being Team SA’s best qualifying result to date.
Sunday morning’s warm-up sessions arrived, and Wright used the opportunity to assess the extent of his injury, while Camden and Cameron took advantage of the extra time to perfect some laps.
With Team SA not being able to complete all the main races in recent previous years, the next goal was to cross the finish line and have all three Team SA riders on the scoreboard.
The first main race of the day had Mc Lellan and Durow lining up together for the gate drop of the MX2 and MXGP class.
Both boys have plenty of international experience under their belts which ensured an exciting race.
The gates dropped, and the track conditions had already deteriorated significantly since their earlier warm-up sessions. Mc Lellan and Durow didn’t make it easy on themselves, as they were closer to the back of the pack, and they had their work cut out for them. They pushed hard to make passes and get through the pack, Mc Lellan went down as a result of another rider colliding with him, forcing him to settle back into 22nd place, where he finished the race.
Durow wasn’t far behind, breaking through the pack to finish in 28th place. An admirable finish, but both riders knew they could do better.
After a short break, Mc Lellan was back out for the second race of the day, where Jesse Wright made his debut in the Motocross of Nations paddock.
The opening laps of the MX2 and MX Open race weren’t much different to begin with, as Team SA fought through the pack. Wright struggled with a mechanical issue, and Mc Lellan aimed for better results.
Mc Lellan scored several positions, making passes on almost every lap, finishing in an exceptional 13th place, while Wright just missed out on a top 30 score, finishing 33rd.
The third and final main race saw MX Open going back-to-back, and MXGP heading back to the line. Jesse and his crew scrambled to get his mechanical issues sorted in time to get to the line with teammate Cameron Durow. The two were eager to end the day on a high note, knowing that getting to the finish was the easy part, but aiming for good scores was their goal.
A first-turn pile-up caught Jesse out right after the gate drop, but for Cameron, a really good start had him pushing for the results he wanted.
A phenomenal, action-packed few laps had Cameron and Jesse battling back and forth with some noteworthy riders.
Some minor mistakes from the two and an unfortunate crash for Cameron in the tough conditions had both riders aiming to make it to the finish.
And they did just that, with Jesse in 30th and Cameron right behind in 31st.
Team South Africa achieved their set goals and more this year. Qualifying for the event had been an achievement in itself in the past, but this year, exceptional performances from all riders gave the team its best finish in recent years, with the SA flag flying high.
Cameron Durow on the Motocross of Nations in the MXGP Class.
Finishing in 22nd in the Qualifying race, “I was stoked” Cameron added, then having 2 impressive results under the tough conditions: “Track was super gnarly, really rough”. Coming 29th and 31st after intense racing and a consequential crash that left him fighting from the back of the competition. Durow told us that it was a good weekend for the team overall, with all the riders finishing their heat races. – This is actually something the SA Team had struggled with (Due to mechanical issues and extreme weather conditions) in the past 3 years competing in the Motocross of Nations.
Camden Mc Lellan on the Motocross of Nations in the MX2 Class:
Team SA earned a 15th place in the Starting Grid Ballot, which gave the riders 15th gate pick in their qualifying races. “It was ok, but would’ve helped more if it was lower. Can’t complain though compared to last years ballot where we went to the gate in second last.” Mc Lellans qualifying race was a show of great skill and performance, in 4th for a few laps before settling and finishing in a remarkable 6th place.
“I don’t know what I did on the first laps, I just charged, and at one point I looked up and there were 3 riders in front of me,” Two tough races followed for Mc Lellan on the Sunday, finishing the first race in 22nd, but he persisting and fought through the pack in the second race to finish in a strong 13th place. “I’m really happy about our team result, and the vibes were insane. My riding was also a lot better which I’m happy about”
Jesse Wright on the Motocross of Nations in the MX Open Class
With his first time at an event of this scale and prestige, Jesse remarks that in the beginning:
“I was way too overwhelmed to even put in a proper lap…” But, determined to do his nation proud, Jesse put together a great performance in the qualifying when an unfortunate crash left him and his bike second hand.
“The bike fell apart…It was really unfortunate because I was doing really well, moving up every lap.” Some more mechanical issues in the first main race on Sunday, disappointed again, Jesse went into his last race, giving it everything and making sure to cross the finish line, bringing home scores of 30th and 33rd. Mentioning that there is always more one can do to prepare, but feels he did himself and his supporters proud.
A words from Team Manager Cheryl Mc Lellan
“The camaraderie within the team was palpable, with mechanics, and riders working seamlessly to fine-tune & repair the bikes so we could put our best foot forward. The experience gained by each rider will undoubtedly serve as a strong foundation for future International races to come.
As Team Manager, I’m immensely proud of our team’s performance.
Each member demonstrated unwavering dedication and showcased their skills on a challenging track. With continued effort and determination, we’re poised to make an even greater impact at the next MXoN.”
