2008 Motocross of Nations - Preview.

The 62nd edition of the FIM Motocross of Nations will conclude the 2008 season in style at Donington Park in Great Britain this weekend.

35 nations will enter the prestigious event with the goal of winning the special Chamberlain Trophy. Defending champion's Team USA have won it for the last three years, including the last appearance in Great Britain, in 2006 at Matterley Basin.

The American squad is now the most successful team in the history of the event, courtesy of 18 Chamberlain Trophies. The team returns to action after their home clean sweep last year at Budds Creek with a slightly revised line up, following the retirement of Ricky Carmichael.

2007 Open class rider Tim Ferry and MX2 rider Ryan Villopoto remain, but the headline MX1 seat will go to reigning AMA Motocross champion James Stewart, who missed last year's event through injury.

Stewart was however part of the winning team at Matterley Basin, although he will have a point to prove this weekend after being beaten by European legend Stefan Everts at that event.

But Everts retired at the end of 2006 and it will be a major shock if any of the Europeans can topple the American team, with Villopoto - who won both of his races at Budds Creek last year - looking as unbeatable as Stewart, while Ferry is expected to score solid points.

Second last year was Team France, which will return with GP winners Sebastien Pourcel in MX1 and Nicolas Aubin in Open, while youngster Anthony Boissiere completes the squad in the MX2 class.

After a solid mid-season in the MX1 World Championship, Pourcel ended seventh in the standings while Aubin was a positive third in MX2, becoming the highest placed Yamaha rider after defending Champion Antonio Cairoli injured and pulled out of the season. Taking a couple of MX2 podiums this year, Boissiere gained a place in the team when Steven Frossard was injured.

Belgium completed the podium last year making it a positive maiden 'Nations outing for debutants Ken de Dycker (MX1) and Jeremy van Horebeek (MX2) who will be back in the team this year together with two time Motocross world champion Steve Ramon.

Riding for the Teka Suzuki team, Ramon and De Dycker finished second and third in the 2008 MX1 championship while Van Horebeek finished his best MX2 World Championship season in eighth. Belgium was the last non-American winning team, lifting the crown in 2004.

Italy had to make a significant change to their three- man line up when double world champion Cairoli was injured, but they can still boast a reigning world champion in the form of David Philippaerts, who secured his maiden title in the MX1 class at the final GP of the season. Alongside Philippaerts will be MX2 rider Manuel Monni and Open class rider Alex Salvini.

Great Britain is the second most successful team in the Motocross of Nations, with 16 wins, and their line-up of Billy Mackenzie (MX1), Tommy Searle (MX2) and Shaun Simpson (Open) will be desperate to please the home crowd.

While Mackenzie rode a positive first season onboard works Honda machinery, Searle battled it out for the MX2 title with eventual champion Tyla Rattray until the final round of the season. 'Nations debutant Simpson finished his best MX2 World Championship season so far with fourth.

Other teams and riders to look out for include, four-time 2008 MX1 GP winner Jonathan Barragan, will be at Donington riding the Spanish Team's MX1 bike alongside Carlos Campano and Alvaro Lozano.

Another factory KTM rider in the MX1 World Championship, Max Nagl, will lead the German team alongside countrymen Marcus Schiffer and Daniel Siegl.

Estonian stars Tanel Leok and Gert Krestinov will be out to shock for Team Estonia, together with Aigar Leok.

Newly crowned MX2 World Champion Tyla Rattray will represent South Africa, where he will be joined by Neville Bradshaw and Kerim Fitzgerald.

2008 World/AMA Supercross champion Chad Reed will lead Team Australia onboard an MX1 Suzuki - the manufacturer he will ride for in 2009, after ending his long association with Yamaha - and will be joined by fellow AMA regulars Brett Metcalfe and Michael Byrne.

Tarah Gieger, who became the first woman to take part in the MXoN last yea, will return to represent Puerto Rico. MX2 World Championship race winner Zach Osborne will ride in the Open class with Gino Aponte completing the squad.

The Dutch Team will enter GP winner Marc de Reuver alongside Ceriel Klein Kromhof and Herjan Brakke.

New Zealand will line up MX1 grand prix riders Josh Coppins and Scott Columb with AMA Motocross rider Cody Cooper. Ben Townley misses the event through injury.

Among the more unusual entries will be Team Mongolia, which is taking part in the event for their first time with riders Erdenebileg Khaliunbold, Khadbaatar Temuujin and Boldbaatar Ganod.

The Donington Park motocross circuit sits inside the famous road racing track and hosted its first motocross grand prix last season. This year the ground will be enriched with woodchips to make it softer than it was in 2007, while the previous artificial Supercross-style layout - which would play perfectly into the hands of the AMA riders - will be changed slightly.

The weather is predicted to be cloudy until Saturday, with sun on raceday.