Image: Octopi Media.

The AMA has confirmed that Team USA will officially sit out the 2021 FIM Motocross of Nations, with logistical challenges created by Covid-19 hindering their ability to move forward.

The ever-changing landscape of travel restrictions and current mitigation efforts created by the Coronavirus pandemic have unfortunately put a stop to Team USA’s hopes of competing for the Chamberlin Trophy in Mantova, Italy on 25 September.

While it was initially thought the team would continue on after many countries announced that top talent had decided to sit out, the AMA confirmed its withdrawal on Friday.

“A number of issues have contributed to the logistical difficulty of attending the 2021 Motocross of Nations, on both an individual and team level, and these have been exacerbated greatly by current and expected COVID-19 mitigation efforts surrounding the event,” explained AMA Director of Racing Mike Pelletier.

“Due to the sizeable financial risk faced by all the team stakeholders, and the unknowns in play here, we came to the unanimous conclusion that suspending our participation was the responsible decision.”

While the future is largely unpredictable as the pandemic is changing day to day, Pelletier says the AMA is fully planning a return to the race in 2022.

“The AMA takes great pride in our efforts to compete in the Motocross of Nations each year, and we hope to return to the Motocross of Nations in 2022,” he continued. “As we look forward to competing again in 2022, it’s our goal to bring back the Chamberlain Trophy to the US once again.”

It remains to be seen if the race will continue altogether as Coronavirus continues to ramp up across the globe.