Image: Octopi Media.

Shoulder surgery scheduled for Tuesday will rule Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker out of Motocross of Nations (MXoN) contention, should Team USA require a MX2 replacement for Haiden Deegan at Ironman Raceway next weekend.

National 250MX champion Deegan – who himself is undergoing immediate surgery on a fractured collarbone – was injured in Las Vegas, but is yet to declare he will be unable to represent the American team at MXoN.

For Hammaker, he had already planned to fix an ongoing shoulder issue following the SMX Final in a bid to return at 100 percent for 2026, and won’t be available for the home team in Indiana between October 2-5.

“I would really love to do it,” commented Hammaker. “I’ve been getting some texts about it, but I have to get shoulder surgery on Tuesday, and that’s something that I have to do in order for my 2026 season to be the best that it can be. The recovery time is already going to be pushing it for me to get back, and every day counts.

“So unfortunately, I don’t think I will be able to do it – as much as I really want to represent Team USA – it’s always been a dream of mine and hopefully I can do it in the future, but I don’t know if it’s going to be on the cards this year.”

If both Deegan and Chase Sexton do withdraw, the conversation shifts to who would fill both the MXGP and MX2 entries, with a range of riders’ names currently swirling. For Team USA mainstay Eli Tomac, a genuine want and desire to compete is what the 2022 winner expects.

“I have no idea [what is happening] right now,” Tomac stated. “I’m more concerned about my team that got blown apart tonight, so who knows what happens – tonight was terrible for Team USA.

“Really, it’s [now about] whoever is motivated to do it and wants to go do it from there, so they need to be knocking on the door and wanting to do it. Whoever that is, I don’t know – I guess we’ll see who comes knocking.”