On Saturday night at the 2025 Motocross of Nations, fans were transported back to the Golden Age of motocross as a legendary lineup of riders gathered for Jeremy McGrath’s Holeshot King Challenge. Past champions such as Ricky Carmichael, Jeff Emig, Damon Bradshaw, Jeff Stanton, Chad Reed, Jeff Ward and The King himself, Jeremy McGrath, competed in a best two out of three race format. Most of the races came down to a third gate drop.
Bradshaw showed he still has speed, but keeping his bike straight proved difficult for The Beast from The East, as he was beaten by Stanton. Jeff Ward rode a new Triumph, a bike he had never even sat on before the event, and was eliminated early on.
Ricky Carmichael abandoned his usual Oakley goggles and rode only with his prescription glasses so he could see the dimly lit course. He also couldn’t keep his bike in a straight line and fell behind the other champions.
Ryan Villopoto rode a YZ450F and did power wheelies down the start straight during his runs. Eventually, he lost his matchup with McGrath.
Chad Reed reached the final, racing his personal Yamaha YZ450F against his childhood hero, McGrath. The two legends battled until the third and final gate drop, with Reed gaining a slight lead at the final start. Reed was the only rider of the night to beat MC.
Even though McGrath’s factory Kawasaki KX450 has had little use, his mechanic, Derik Dwyer, said he was, “still going to frame it the next day to keep it fresh for the King.”CN
