USA names Motocross of Nations riders.

It has been announced that AMA Team USA for the 2009 Motocross of Nations will consist of Ivan Tedesco, Ryan Dungey and Jake Weimer.

The trio will be targeting the USA's 20th Motocross of Nations victory at the Autodromo Daniel Bonara in Franciacorta, Italy, this October 4-5.

"We feel confident that we have the right three riders for Team USA," said AMA Team USA Manager Roger DeCoster. "This is one of those years when it's not easy to pick the team. At the start, it seemed pretty obvious, but then came injuries. We spent a lot of time talking among the AMA, with Davey Coombs of MX Sports, and even Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart weighed in on the final choice. With the support we have in place, we feel these three riders can do the job."

Dungey will race the MX1 class, which features 450cc four-stroke machinery. Weimer will compete in the MX2 class, which features 250cc four-stroke motorcycles. Tedesco will race the MX3 class, the open class.

Tedesco, who races for Honda Red Bull Racing, also rode for AMA Team USA when it won the Motocross of Nations in 2005 and 2006. Tedesco is currently fourth in points in the 450 class in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championships.

"It's an absolute honor to be chosen to be a part of Team USA to represent America at the 2009 MX of Nations," Tedesco said. "Having the opportunity to represent your country on the world stage and race against some of the best motocross racers from countries right across the globe is something every rider can only ever dream of doing. I couldn't be happier to have this opportunity again in 2009.

"This will be my third time racing for Team USA,'' Tedesco added. "I'm definitely going to draw strength from my previous experiences racing at this international level to help Team USA win."

Dungey, who races for Rockstar Makita Suzuki, will be competing on AMA Team USA for the first time in his career. Dungey is currently tied for the lead in the 250 class in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championships.

"Getting invited to represent the USA for this year's Motocross of Nations is literally a dream come true," declared Dungey. "Ever since I was a little guy growing up in Minnesota, I have dreamed of one day representing my country for our team. I think with Ivan and Jake, we'll have a really strong team, and I'm looking forward to making my outdoor debut on an RMZ450. After the outdoor season wraps up, I'll probably head out to California and begin testing with our Rockstar Makita Suzuki team to get things dialed in."

This also will be the first time on AMA Team USA for Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Jake Weimer. Weimer is coming off a solid AMA Supercross season where he finished second in Supercross Lites West behind Dungey. He is currently fifth in points in the 250 class in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championships.

"It's a huge privilege to represent the USA and be a part of the Motocross of Nations," Weimer said. "I'm super excited about this. I've been to Italy to race a Supercross in 2007, so it will be cool to go back and race for Team USA. Growing up and watching the Motocross of Nations and seeing it on video, it's such an honor to be picked. This is definitely something that I think every kid racing would want to be a part of."

The Motocross of Nations is one of the most prestigious motocross races in the world. It features national teams competing for a combined score to determine the overall championship-winning team.

The event emerged in post-war Europe in 1947 and has run uninterrupted since. The United States is the all-time leader in Motocross of Nations overall victories with 19. Great Britain is second with 16.