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AARON PLESSINGER CONTINUES 450MX PODIUM FORM AT THUNDER VALLEY

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Aaron Plessinger raced to a hard-fought third-place finish in Round 3 of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship at the Thunder Valley National, earning his second-consecutive 450MX podium result.

Colorado began with Plessinger posting the second fastest qualifying time, before powering his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to the front group of Moto 1 out of the gates. After briefly making a late pass for the race lead, ‘The Cowboy’ would reach the checkered flag with a convincing P2 result.

Another strong start in Moto 2 saw Plessinger in the mix with the front-runners once again, navigating ultra-technical track conditions to claim fifth position, and third overall for the weekend. He's also currently positioned third in the 450MX standings.

Aaron Plessinger: “That first moto was a lot of fun and I was really amped! I didn’t feel fatigued after that one, and then I made a small bike change going into the second moto, which I should have just left alone. That was on me, and I struggled that second moto, but it was just a good day. I had some really good lines in the first one, but being in the battle and making passes on those guys is all I can really ask for. Back to work this week – we’ll come back next weekend looking for that elusive win.”

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle posted a consistent performance at the third round of 250MX competition, racing his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to sixth position in the opening moto. A P5 ride in Moto 2 on a deteriorating track was enough for fourth overall, and an important haul of championship points.

Tom Vialle: "I ended up with fourth overall today, which wasn't ideal because I just wasn’t feeling it on the track. I was running third in each of the motos, then ended sixth in the first one after a small crash, followed by P5 in Moto 2. I just didn’t have the feel that I needed all day, so we’ll keep working for next weekend in High Point and make some improvements.”

250MX teammate Julien Beaumer experienced a challenging day out at Thunder Valley onboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. He showcased his speed throughout the races, however, a fall during each outing kept him out of front-running contention. A 17th-place score overall via 16-14 results has him now sitting P7 in the standings.

Julien Beaumer: “Not a good day at Thunder Valley. I crashed both motos and that pretty much sums up my weekend. The result doesn’t show how I am riding at the moment, so we’ll regroup and come out swinging at High Point.”

Next Race: June 14 – High Point, Pennsylvania

Results 450MX Class – Thunder Valley National
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
2. Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
3. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
7. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna)
8. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna)

Standings 450MX Class 2025 after 3 of 11 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 145 points
2. Eli Tomac, 120
3. Aaron Plessinger, 118
6. RJ Hampshire, 87
11. Malcolm Stewart, 60

Results 250MX Class – Thunder Valley National
1. Chance Hymas (Honda)
2. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
3. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
4. Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
6. Casey Cochran (GASGAS)
14. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS)
17. Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)

Standings 250MX Class 2025 after 3 of 11 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 144 points
2. Jo Shimoda, 119
3. Chance Hymas, 95
5. Tom Vialle, 85
7. Julien Beaumer, 81
10. Casey Cochran, 64
17. Ryder DiFrancesco, 43

KTM NEWS

BIRMINGHAM SUPERCROSS PODIUM KEEPS ELI TOMAC IN 450SX TITLE CONTENTION

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Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac delivered an eighth podium of the year at Round 10 of the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship, racing to a P3 result in Birmingham to firmly keep himself in 450SX title contention. Tomac was on pace from the outset at Protective Stadium as the series resumed following a single weekend off, with the number 3 posting a 50.962s lap to qualify fastest for the fifth time this year onboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. The 33-year-old then featured up front in the early stages of Heat 2 before an incident forced him into the night’s Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ), where the double 450SX Champion took victory to secure his transfer into the Main Event. From there, Tomac ran inside the top-three throughout the premier class Main Event after a strong start, ultimately taking home a third-place finish to maintain P2 in the 450SX standings. He now sits nine points outside of the red plate as the series heads to Detroit’s Ford Field next weekend. Eli Tomac: “I just wasn’t as good tonight as the front two, so that’s about it. Of course, the LCQ was very stressful and a high-pressure moment, but I got myself out there to a good start from the inside gate, and I just got beat tonight. I was a little bit off and it was one of those nights that was tough, so we’ll try to regroup for next weekend and see if we can get back up front.” Four-time world champion Jorge Prado powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to the seventh-fastest qualifying time after overcoming a big crash during the afternoon sessions, before earning a convincing P2 result in 450SX Heat 2. The Spaniard then launched to the holeshot in the Main Event and ran with the leaders during the early stages in second position. Maintaining a steady pace throughout, Prado ultimately recorded a P7 result, continuing to build momentum as the season progresses. He is now ninth in the 450SX standings with seven rounds to contest. Jorge Prado: “I wrapped up Birmingham with P7. The round started with a big crash in practice, which I think affected the rest of my day. Obviously, the confidence goes down, and you start thinking about things a little more. Luckily, I walked away from that in one piece – I did hit my stomach very bad – but not bad enough to not be racing. P2 in the Heat Race was solid, and then I holeshotted the Main Event and got passed in the second corner. I stayed in P2 for a couple laps, but was missing a bit of my flow tonight, so it was a bit of a struggle. We battled for P5 most of the race, but all-in-all, it was just an okay ride. Not terrible, just medium, and I’m happy to be healthy with another week of training ahead.” Also equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Aaron Plessinger set the ninth-fastest time in 450SX qualifying, before the Ohio native displayed front-running speed in the second Heat Race of the round, claiming P3 directly behind teammate Prado. The 30-year-old then launched to a top-five start in the 450SX Main Event, holding fourth position early on behind Prado and Tomac. He then settled into eighth place for the majority of the race, only to endure a late-race mishap, which saw him credited with 21st place. Aaron Plessinger: “I was planning on Birmingham being a good day. Practice went decent and the track was wild – dry and wet at the same time, if you can imagine that! It was just a wild track altogether, but I qualified ninth and then had a really good Heat Race in battling with Jorge and felt good. I got a good start in the Main Event, rode a little tight at first, and then started to loosen up as the race went on. Then I hit a rock on the face of a jump, and I felt the rear-end start to rise, which is when I knew I wasn’t going to make the triple. I tried to ditch the bike, but it was too late, and the bars hit my knees. After that it was a bit of a blur – I think I did a flip or two and, when I landed, I heard something really crunch so that was the end of my night. I went to the Medical Unit, they checked me out, and I am in one piece, but I am just sore and bummed out. I felt like we made a lot of good progress in the break, but I just have to keep grinding to get to where we need to be.” Next Race: March 28 – Detroit, Michigan Results 450SX Class – Birmingham 1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 2. Ken Roczen (Suzuki) 3. Eli Tomac (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 5. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna) 7. Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 11. Justin Hill, KTM 14. Grant Harlan, KTM 20. Kevin Moranz, KTM 21. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) Standings 450SX Class 2026 after 10 of 17 rounds 1. Hunter Lawrence, 221 points 2. Eli Tomac, 212 3. Ken Roczen, 190 8. Malcolm Stewart, 107 9. Jorge Prado, 104 10. Aaron Plessinger, 99 19. RJ Hampshire, 38