We all made it in one piece. About 4 o’clock I met up with the team at the track in Commercy. The weather is colder than it ever has been in past years and it’s raining. 

We had a short meeting to go over some of the basics do’s and dont’s at the track and what we have to expect for the days to follow. The team decided to get together and stay in one hotel instead of splitting into two this year. We had a caravan of 7 cars and drove about 25 minutes away to the town of Toul. They checked in, unloaded their luggage and we were off to La fiesta, a local pizza place where most of us enjoyed margarita pizza with our favorite topping made in an authentic brick oven using wood.

The team seemed to get along really well. A new motocross family is born. Tomorrow we will all meet at the track in the morning. We will do a few hole shots to make sure these brand new bikes are ready to go. Then we’ll head off about 40 minutes north to a practice track. After practice tomorrow we will have our team dinner sponsored by Keith Tucker @tucker_641 @641_dad and family and Associated Contract Services. The restaurant we are going to has already given us our menu choices and will prepare a special meal for the team. Today the team met at the track in Commercy. The local TV station showed up and got some shots of the team standing with their bikes in our pit.

Then we loaded up the bikes and headed about an hour and a half north to the city of Etaine for some practice.

It was the best practice track the we got to ride in years. There were a lot of rocks, but good jumps & the laps time were over 2:30. The guys got a chance to get a feel for their new bikes and are ready to go for practice at the main track at commercy tomorrow. On the way we stopped at Mont Sec a French monument built for the USA in appreciation for helping them in world war 1. It was an amazing sight on top of that hill.

The group then went back to Commercy for our team steak dinner at fer à cheval, which is right next to a Commercy castle. The dinner was sponsored by @Tucker_641 641_dad and Associated Contract Services & Radmx.com

Morning practice was a bit muddy, but the track got better as the day went on.

Day 1 Practice and race 1 Ethan Mann and his Mom Jennifer traveled across the big pond. Ethan was up 1st racing in class F div 2 of 3 divisions. With a pretty good gate pick, he got 3rd place hole shot lead for most if the race. #177 from Denmark came battling up from a bad start, challenged Ethan and got by him with about 2 laps to go. What I liked is Ethan continued to pressure the 1st place rider to the end. Colton Eigenmann and his Dad Conrad both seasoned vets, coming for their 5th year in row. Colton started from the far right side, 29th gate pick, got a mid pack start and continued to pass the entire race finishing somewhere in the top 10. His rear brake line came loose on his brand new bikes king it hard to get into his turns. Casey, Doug & Amanda Cochran made their way to Commercy via Paris. Racing 2 classes his 1st was class B. He got a 3rd gate pick, rolled up to pick and the next kid behind him pushed up in the gate they wanted. We probably could have attempted to rectify it but the next gate was really good too. You gotta pick fast over here. Despite his gate bouncing back up he got the hole shot. With every lap his lead grew nearing the end of the race the #1 rider, the champ from last year, closed the gap but in the end Casey finished 1st. After being overcast and threatening to rain all day the sun popped out for Casey’s Class C race. A bad gate pick put him on the far outside. He ran a smart race making passes the entire race.

Jackson Gray was up next in class D. He got a great start, battled with the 1st place rider the entire race, ending up 2nd. Jackson is running 2 classes, this one was on the 65. With a 2-race break before his class E race, he stepped back up to the plate a took another swing at the best young 85 riders from Europe and beyond. He pulled a nice wheelie to get over the berm that developed in front of the gates in the far inside. He was in 3rd place till the 4th corner and had a problem, putting him far in back of the pack. He got to 5th in about a lap and got by the last few guys and finished 1st.

Next after that was class H Dylan Greer on his Ktm 2-stroke. He got a bad gate pick and lined up way outside. It worked for him. He got a 2nd place start quickly got around the two riders ahead of him and sailed into victory was an easy win in his division race. Dylan rode really well for his first race in Europe.

Next up to bat was Andy Kost in class I. Andy got the second gate pick. He got a top 10 start and moved his way to the front. He had to pass our friend Pierre Luis Costich, making a clean pass and pushed on towards the front. He looked great out their riding aggressive every place he could. That brand new Yamaha was sounding good and he sure looked good finishing 1st in his divisional race.

David got almost last gate pick in class J. He lined up way inside. He got a great jump and his front tire started to wheelie is he had to let off a little bit to bring it down. He was about a top 10 start on the hole shot. The guy that got the hole shot #161 started to check out. David made his way all the way to second place within a couple laps but the first place rider was already too far ahead. He put it in cruise control and finish the race.

Overall I thought the team did very well. Team USA always does really well on the first day, it’s the second and third days that count. Hopefully tomorrow in the second moto’s, things will go the same or even better. Everyone will qualify for the gold medal round on Sunday, and we bring home the championship.

Day 2 MX Master kids race report from a guy that knows cause I am filming it all. None of the guys and gals have service accept when they get back to Toul near their hotel, they go to McDonald’s for WiFi late at night here. Ethan Mann got a top 5 start with the #13 rider with the hole shot. Ethan didn’t let him get too far at all. He made a nice pass in the zig zags near the finish to go into 1st place, then cruised to victory in his 2nd moto. He is 1-1 going into to the Gold Finale tomorrow afternoon. @ethanmann52 #istheman

Colton Eigenmann 4th place start, stayed in 4th for 3 laps. Got passed by #22 then passed him back. #22 got him back right before the finish and wound up 5th. Something he is not used to over here considering his results the past 5 years. It’s no secret Colton is big on the bike. He will put his mod in for the Gold Finale.@colton815

Casey Cochran got about a 5th place start for his 2nd 50 moto. Before I knew it he was 2nd. The #1 rider got the hole shot, so Casey had to slowly reel him in and overtake him for a relatively easy win. But as we all know nothing comes easy in Motocross. Later we found out he got docked 9 spots and will get 10th gate pick for the finale. They said he jumped on a medical flag. For the 65 class, crashed somewhere in 1st lap. Got up And passed riders the entire race. Casey kept charging all the way back to the front, not sure where he finished. @casey_mx66

Jackson Gray got the hole shot and held a 5 bike lead for a couple laps. The 2nd place rider closed the gap. They were almost bar to bar going over a jump when the 2nd place rider swapped out on the downside, which I was abler get on video. Jackson is big on that 65 but he handled it pretty well going on to win. In E class Jackson pulled another hole shot in his 2nd moto. 1st lap he held a 7 bike lead over #911. Pulled a larger lead from the battle going on behind him between the 2nd, 3rd and 4th place riders. He developed an 8 second lead halfway thru the race coming up to lappers quickly. Jackson maintained an 8 sec lead over #80. Another moto win in the books from this kid from Georgia. @jacksongray77

Dylan Greer got a sweet hole shot and got a 7 sec lead by the end of lap 2 in div 1 of 3 divisions. By lap 4, that doubled. He looks so smooth and comfortable out there. It was another easy win for this hard charger from Florida.@dylangreer777_

Andy Kost rolled up to the gate confident that the I class was his to win if he could just do as well as his 1st race. Well he got a hole shot and pulled a gap on #454 Pierre Louis Costich. Way out front, Andy was still pinned working that brand new Yamaha out. He cruised to victory and pulled a nice wheelie after the finish as he exited the track. It’s looking bright for this kid. @andykost31

David Buller got the hole shot baby! #161 that won the 1st moto was hot on his tail. About the 3rd lap #161 crashed and David wound up with a commanding lead over #92. He put his Honda 480cc on cruise control and went on to victory. @davidbuller

We are currently still racing motos till 8:45 tonight. After racing today comes the biggest party on the track most of our riders have ever seen. 27 countries & teams form our groups and walk the track making as much noise as humanly or mechanically possible. KC & I brought some beach balls that we will put glows sticks in & red, white and blue bracelets as well as bright red glow sticks to carry in for the night parade.

Day 2: 3 moto race report. Viva La France!! Ethan Mann was Mr Rock Solid. Got the hole shot and convincingly won his race giving him the 1st Gate pick in the gold finale round tomorrow. It doesn’t matter if Ethan is covered in mud or dripping with sweat this kid always has a smile on his face. @EthanMann52

We we the veteran on the team Colton Eigenmann rode like a champ. Doing the best he could, he stayed within a few seconds of the lead pack. Taking advantage of every mistake they made. Colton goes into the Gold metal finale with a top 10 gate pick. Winner takes all. Good luck Colton! @colton815

Casey Cochran with his 10th gate start was in 3rd Place before the 1st lap was over. 2nd lap in 2nd place and Positioning for the lead. Before they could Finish the 2nd Lap Casey had moved into 1st!!! Took control of the race and started to gap the 2nd place rider. On the 4th lap he had a 4 second lead over the #42 rider hanging in 2nd. Casey will go into the gold finale round with a 1st gate pick and a 1-1-1!! Casey got a ninth place hole shot on the Cobra 65. Moved into 5th battling #448. Casey rode hard against the older and bigger riders And will go into the gold finale round with a top 10 gate selection! Evidently the pizza/margarita pizza that Casey’s been living on here in Europe is keeping him fast!! Bring on the pizza!! @casey_mx66 caseycochran.net

Multi-class rider Jackson Gray stepped up next. Ooooh La La La La! He pulled a 3rd place hole shot passes 2 at the next corner. Two obstacles later he blows by the #917 while the crowd is blowing their horns behind him, the announcer says his name perfectly… A-merri-cun Jack-sun Graa!! Jackson manhandled the smaller 65 bike and managed to keep a 2-3 second lead that he stretched to over 7 seconds between him and the #917. Next race on the 85 Jackson pulled a 3rd place hole shot. Jackson jumped passed the 1st place rider #25 at the finish line on the first lap. He looks very comfortable on this bigger bike. He pulled away for the next several laps putting himself in a fantastic position. Once again, A-merri-cun Jack-sun Graa makes it look easy with an 11 second lead over the 2nd place rider, next lap he had pulled it out to 16! On to the Gold Medal Finale tomorrow afternoon, it’s how this kid rolls! @JacksonGray77

Oh Lay O lay O lay O layyyy, from the second race on Dylan has had his choice of gate picks due to his winning performance in his 2 previous motos. Dylan flew out of the gate blowing by #323, who was able to hang for a short time but he was no match for Dylan who quickly left him in the dust. Scrubbing jumps and riding fancy free, he looks amazing! @DylanGreer777_ DylanGreer777.com

Andy Kost grabbed a 5th place start but quickly moves into 2nd place behind #454 Pierre-Louis Costich. By the time they come about a quarter turn Andy takes over 1st and it’s on! He started to pull away with about a 7 second lead with #454 still gunning for him. Andy back it down and starting goon riding together, looking over, at one point colliding with Pierre-louis. Andy eventually extended the lead by a huge margin and in the end, he just couldn’t be caught. Not sure anyone will be able to catch this guy in his Gold Metal finale, we’ll see. @andykost31

David Buller got the hole shot over the #161 bike and rode hard the 1st part of the racing. He gapped the field and had what looked like an easy win. Our top pilot is performing mag-ne-feek! It’s great to be able to film a ride I started filming over 11 years at the 2003 Mosier Valley race. David was then and still is one the best kids I’ve ever worked with. He should win tomorrow. With 14 wins today and all of our riders going to the gold metal finale. No joke people we should a very possibly could win this thing!

Day 3 race report The rains have come and the track conditions have worsened for the Gold, silver & bronze metal finales. They run the bronze and the silver before the gold. Class B the older 50 class is up 1st Casey Cochran goes in with the 1st gate pick. Choosing right in the middle. He got a 4th place hole shot. The track is so muddy these kids are in survival mode. Most if his opponents are using big wheels in their 50′s. He had some problems on the 1st lap to put him further back. Since then I have watched him pick off over 15 bike positions. Not sure how the scorers can even read the numbers. 65 hole shot pile up took him out. Rode the whole race without going down again coming in 2nd place. @casey_ mx66 caseycochran.net

Class D 65cc Jackson Gray got a 4th place hole shot. Moved into 2nd within the 1st lap. Ran in 2nd most of the race. The kid out front was making no mistakes keeping distance between himself and the USA pilot finishing in 2nd. He headed straight back to the gate for his 85 race. He got the hole shot with the #917 right on his heels until 917 crashed at the starting line berm giving JG a comfortable lead. With a 7 second lead in the 3rd lap over #38 he settled down, ran his pace and brought our team it’s 1st individual victory. @jacksongray77

Class E brings Ethan Mann to the gate. 1-1-1 gives him choice at the starting line. Our riders are lining up dead center for these Gold metal finales do far. He did not get the jump he was looking for. He got caught up in a pile up in the 1st corner and was in 19th place after 1 lap. Mr consistent had a ruff time making passes on the muddy, one lined track. While #61 & #403 took turns for the lead up front. 18, 17, 16 but I am sorry to say its not enough time to salvage even a podium position. @EthanMann52

Class G brings up Colton Eigenmann who has been in 5 Gold metal finales before today. Colton got a 5th place start after one of the other riders crashed the gate before it dropped and kept going. He was in 4th place on the 2nd lap nudging towards the pack in front of him. Moving into 3rd place about halfway he looked to put Team USA and himself up higher on the podium over the #11 & #22 riders. @colton815 coltoneigenmann.com

So far we got a 2-2-1-3 finishing positions that count towards the overall team scoring.

Class H comes next on to the big bikes 14 year old Dylan Greer got 4th place hole shot. #103 & #259 both former & current French champions were out front. Navigating thru lappers and the thick mud made it a true challenge for this young big bike rider. He rode a good race but the experienced French champions went 1-2. Dylan finished 5th. @dylangreer777_ & dylangreer777.com

Class I comes next with hard charger Andy Kost. Andy got a 10th place hole shot, making his race that much harder to win. These French riders are getting some starts over our guys in the mud & rain. It’s raining a lot harder as this race goes on. These guys are animals! Mid race Andy was sitting in 5 or 6th place. Another good battled developed with #454 Pierre-Louis. 4th place went down putting Andy in 5th place with one lap to go as the rain stops. @andykost31

Class J brings David Buller our last shot at a victory. As the gate dropped David shot out for the gate and took the early lead and was able to gap the pack quickly. The track conditions were treacherous but he was able too keep it on two wheels and finish with the win. David was the only rider from team USA to pull the hole shot and go on to win the race. @davidbuller Our top 6 results were 2 1st, 2 2nds, 1 3rd & 1 4th

I would have to say our hole shots are what hurt us the most today. But our results are better then last year. 2 1st, 2 2nds, 1 3rd and 1 4th for the overall team results. We will find out in a couple hours who won. 1 SORBY TEAM ; 2 GRANDE BRETAGNE ; 3 USA ; 4 MIKA SCHOOL ; 5 DANEMARK ; 6 ESTONIE ; 7 PRO STAGE SMX ; 8 CRP ; 9 QB SCHOOL ; 10 SUISSE ; 11 COMMERCY JMG ; 12 BELGIQUE ; 13 LORRAINE ; 14 BUILT TO RIDE ; 15 GIPSY SEGUY ; 16 MOREL MX ; 17 BALDAGONES TARARE ; 18 CHTIMIDES ; 19 BOURGOGNE ; 20 ILE DE France ; 21 MC BOUAFFLES ; 22 PAYS DE LOIRE ; 23 AFRIQUE DU SUD ; 24 LETTONIE ; 25 515 MIKA ; 26 JMF RACING ; 27 RUSSIE ; 28 Autriche ; 29 PICARDIE ; 30 TCHEQUIE ; 31 TEAM LA RUCHE ; 32 Allemagne ; 33 FRANCHE COMTE ; 34 AUDUN RACING CROSS ; 35 CHAMAPGNE ; 36 Luxembourg ; 37 HONGRIE ; 38 LITUANIE ; 39 CEVENNES OFf ROAD ; 40 ALSACE ; 41 TEAM 50 BREIZH ; 42 MX DRINKING ; 43 MX SARRIANS ; 44 PLANKS motorsport ; 45 nORMANDIE ; 46 HOLLANDE ; 47 XX ; 48 PROVENCE ; 49 red box ; 50 Espagne ; 51 TEAM HAUTES ALPES ; 52 Portugal ; 53 GOUGOUTTES ; 54 aquitaine ; 55 HPR RACING ; 56 POITOU CHARENTES ; 57 TEAM 50 BREITZ ; 58 CENTRE Stay tuned.We have over 1000 photos and a couple of hours of footage to share in the next few weeks. Only available at Radmx.com