Image: Foremost Media.

Australian MX1 champion Dean Ferris is ‘honoured and excited’ to be representing Team Australia at the Motocross of Nations (MXoN) this year at Ernee, as the Brisbane Motorcycles Yamaha racer is determined to extract the maximum out of himself to achieve the best possible result.

Team Australia for the prestigious event in France was announced earlier today, with Ferris (Open) joining 450MX champion Jett Lawrence (MXGP) and 250MX title-winner Hunter Lawrence (MX2) in the green and gold line-up.

A grand prix winner during his international career, Ferris’ previous MXoN experience includes claiming second in MX2 at the 2013 edition of MXoN in Germany, with 2023 marking his seventh time representing Team Australia. His last appearance came in 2019 at Assen.

“Obviously honoured and excited, especially given that Hunter and Jett are on the team and it is super strong,” Ferris said. “It’s been a goal of mine all year, to rise to a level to where I could get selected to go. Super excited, I’ve got to put in some work now to make sure I can ride my best.

“It’ll be just trying to squeeze everything out of myself. I took a couple of weeks off after Coolum, so now I’ve got to build back up and make sure I am in tip-top shape by the time that we get on the bird.

Team Australia secured its second-ever podium in the event last year at RedBud, with the line-up of Mitch Evans (MXGP) and the Lawrence brothers. It is understood the Open spot on the team this year was between Evans and Ferris, with Evans now seemingly managing a wrist injury that impacted his performance at the recent MXGP of Turkiye. Ferris himself found out that he was selected this week.

“It was actually all this week, really late decision I guess,” Ferris added. “The selectors had a lot to consider, and yeah it was news to me as well.”

The 2023 Motocross of Nations takes place at Ernee, France, between 6-8 October, with this year’s running marking the 76th edition of the event.