The Donington Park circuit, located in North West Leicestershire, England, is a very historical place. First opened in 1931, Donington hosted the Donington Grand Prix in both 1937 and 1938. The precursor to Formula 1, two former motorcycle racers named Bern Rosemeyer and Tazio Nuvolari won the two races, respectively, in their otherworldly futuristic Auto Unions. Designed and built in pre-World War II Germany, the cars were so radically fast and advanced, their very presense in the United Kingdom spun the motor racing world on its axis. In fact, it would take decades for automakers to build racecars as quick and powerful as the machines termed the “Silver Arrows”. As fate would have it, in 1939 Donington Park was closed due to World War II, only to finally be reopened on May 27, 1977. On April 11, 1993, the late Ayrton Senna won the European Grand Prix on the rain lashed circuit, many calling it the greatest single drive in the history of Formula 1. Coincidentally, on July 4, 2008, Formula 1 overlord Bernie Ecclestone announced that beginning in 2010, Donington Park with hold the British Grand Prix Formula 1 race. Throughout its fabulous history, the 2.5-mile, 12-turn race circuit has hosted a number of classic, world-renowned events, and on this Sunday, September 28, 2008, Donington Park will hold the biggest, most historical and most important motocross in the world: The Motocross of Nations. Known as the “Olympics of Motocross”, the event has been held every year since 1947 when a British team consisting of Bill Nicholson, Fred Rist and Bob Ray won the Chamberlain Trophy.

61 years later, Team USA, which first won the Chamberlain Trophy in 1981, is the most successful country in the Motocross of Nations, winning the event 18 times since. To that end, last year, on September 23, 2008 and for only the second time on U.S. dirt, Team USA — consisting of riders Ricky Carmichael (MX1), Tim Ferry (MX Open) and Ryan Villopoto (MX2)— convincingly won the event at Budds Creek Motocross Park in Maryland, all three riders winning overall victories in their respective classes.

Now, the 2008 Motocross of Nations is just a few days away and history is, once again upon us.

On July 19, 2008, the American Motorcyclist Association announced that both Ferry and Villopoto would be members of version 2008 of the U.S. echelon, as would be James Stewart. Virtually unprecedented, all three riders compete for the Monster Energy/Kawasaki racing team.

Virtually unprecedented? Huh? In 1981 and 1982, Team USA was made up of all Honda riders. In 1986, it happened once again, as David Bailey, Rick Johnson and Johnny O’Mara (O’Mara, who would go onto coach Ricky Carmichael, was also on the 1981 and 1982 teams) — all on Hondas — dominated the event so thoroughly, they became the first team in the modern era to place first and second in all three motos. In the eyes of many railbirds, experts and enthusiast, it was the greatest single day performance since the birth of the event in ’47. Now, for the first time since 1986, all three Americans will all be on the same colored SR-71 jet black and electric green motorcycles.

Heading the team up in the MX1 division will be the sensational James Stewart. Beginning on Sunday, May 25, 2008 at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California, Stewart won the opening moto of the 2008 Motocross National Championship. 19 motos and three months later, he had still not lost, becoming the only rider in history (with the exception of Ricky Carmichael) to score a perfect season.

"I'm excited to be a part of Team USA," says Stewart who was a member of the winning American Motocross of Nations team that got the job done in Matterley Basin, England in 2006. "My main goal this season was to win the motocross championship and I knew if I could do that I would have a good chance of representing the USA at the Motocross of Nations."

Three-time AMA Lites National Champion Ryan Villopoto will ride for Team USA for the third consecutive time on Sunday. Last year at Budds Creek, Villopoto shocked the world by beating ALL the world’s best riders on his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki 250F, handily winning both motos and finishing in front of every 450F and 250 on the track.

"Riding for Team USA is a great experience," says three-time winning team member Villopoto. "This will be my last race on a Kawasaki KX250F and I really want to end my Lites career with another great run against the world's best."

Riding the big green Kawasaki 450F in the MX Open classification for Team USA will be Tim Ferry. A member of last year’s winning team and runner-up to Stewart in the 2008 AMA National Championship, the veteran rider puts a perfect exclamation mark on the team.

"It is an honor to be a part of this team," declares Ferry, who claims last year’s Motocross of Nations victory is the highlight of his career. "Being on the team with James and Ryan is awesome and I know we are going to do our best to win it all again."

And who will be the riders to threaten U.S. dominance at Donington Park? Well, to begin with, one will be recently crowned MX1 World Champion David Philippaerts. Philippaerts, who rode for the Monster Energy Yamaha team in 2008, will lead Team Italy. Other 450F-mounted riders of note in the MX1 and MX Open classes will be Josh Coppins of New Zealand, Chad Reed of Australia, Ken De Dycker and Steve Ramon of Belgium, Cody Cooper of New Zealand, Marc De Reuver of the Netherlands, Jonathan Barragan of Spain and Max Nagl of Germany. Heading up the MX2 classification will undoubtedly be new World Champion Tyla Rattray of South Africa and MX2 World Championship runner-up Tommy Searle and Shaun Simpson of Great Britain and Brett Metcalfe of Australia.

Eric Johnson