Image: Octopi Media.

National MX1 champion Jed Beaton has confirmed that he has been selected to represent Team Australia at the 2026 Monster Energy Motocross of Nations (MXoN), expected to wear the number one plate in the MXGP division on debut.

With the Lawrences and Kyle Webster – winners in 2024 and 2025 – previously ruled out, Beaton has widely been tipped to be taking charge as team captain for Ernee, France, this October.

After finishing seventh overall at the weekend’s Unadilla National, Monster Energy CDR Yamaha rider Beaton told NBC Sports broadcaster Jason Thomas that after completing the final rounds of the 2026 Pro Motocross Championship, he would be turning his attention to MXoN.

“We’ll do the last two [Pro Motocross rounds] here, go home for a little bit and then go to Motocross of Nations,” Beaton confirmed post-race.

“And then, I think after the Motocross of Nations we have like one month for me to prepare for Australian supercrosss, so really looking forward to that. Supercross is kind of a new thing for me – first year was 2024 – I did quite well for my first year, and I enjoyed it a lot.”

With Beaton all but formally announced for the MXGP position, it’s anticipated that teammate Aaron Tanti will join him as Australia’s Open class entry, but it’s unclear whether Kayden Minear, Jake Cannon, or even newly-crowned domestic MX2 champion Alex Larwood – also competitive at Unadilla – will be called in for MX2.

Beaton was particularly impressive at Unadilla this past weekend, qualifying his YZ450F in sixth overall and then claiming 10-9 results in the motos. He circulated as high as fourth in race two, which could have placed him inside the top-five overall, before dropping down the order in the closing laps.

“[The heat] was getting to me a little bit because we’re coming from our winter, so solid, I’d say, 25 minutes of that one,” he recalled. “And then the last couple of laps I [was] just sort of blown out, so the result doesn’t really show the riding. I felt like I was riding really well, but, yeah, it was just those last couple of laps that’s got me.”