TOM VIALLE AND AARON PLESSINGER CAPTURE DAYTONA SUPERCROSS PODIUMS

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle claimed second position in the 250SX East Main Event at Daytona International Speedway tonight, as teammate Aaron Plessinger made it a podium double in racing to his first 450SX top-three result of the 2025 AMA Supercross Championship.

Defending Eastern Division Champion Vialle returned to action in Daytona equipped with the KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, powering to a top-three start in his Heat Race, before making his way into the lead and breezing to a six-second victory.

After charging to the Main Event holeshot, Vialle pieced together a measured ride throughout the race, managing conditions that grew increasingly rough to record a season-best second-place score. As a result, the two-time MX2 World Champion has climbed to P2 in the title-race.

Tom Vialle: “I was close with the leaders tonight, we were going back and forth, but the track was super-tricky – if you missed a rhythm, you'd lose a second or two pretty easily. I think second place is the best that we had tonight, although I am happy with that. I'm happy to stay close in the championship, because that is the goal."

Aboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Plessinger began his Daytona weekend with the seventh-fastest qualifying time in 450SX, before a convincing Heat Race saw ‘The Cowboy’ surge his way up into second position by race's end.

Upon battling with the front-runners throughout the Main Event, Plessinger held the lead for a large portion of the race, before settling for a season-best third-place finish in what will also provide an important mid-season turnaround in his fortunes.

Aaron Plessinger: “I had a lot of fun out there tonight! It's been a while since we've been out front like that, so just having that clean air and being in the battle was really good! The track was fun tonight, it was awesome to be up there battling these guys, to come out of here with a podium is really cool. I'm stoked to turn a bit of my luck around and excited to keep this momentum rolling."

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Chase Sexton registered the fastest time in the afternoon’s 450SX qualifying session, achieving early comfort on his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION on the unique Daytona track layout.

After scoring the holeshot in his Heat Race, Sexton unfortunately went down on the opening lap while leading, eventually returning to the pits and preparing for the LCQ, which he went on to comfortably win.

Sexton displayed blistering pace once again throughout the Main Event, steadily climbing his way up toward the front and salvaging a P5 result, as well as invaluable championship points. He is still ranked second in the standings following Daytona.

Chase Sexton: “Daytona was up and down. I qualified fastest, but crashed in my Heat, forcing me to qualify through to the Main via the LCQ, so it definitely was not my best night. In the end, I did what I could tonight, but just didn’t have enough in the tank.”

Next Race: March 8 – Indianapolis, Indiana

Results 450SX Class – Daytona
1. Ken Roczen (Suzuki)
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
3. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
5. Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
6. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna)
7. Justin Hill (KTM)
10. Justin Barcia (GASGAS)

Standings 450SX Class 2025 after 8 of 17 rounds
1. Cooper Webb, 168 points
2. Chase Sexton, 158
3. Ken Roczen, 152
5. Malcolm Stewart, 124
7. Justin Barcia, 111
8. Justin Hill, 101
9. Aaron Plessinger, 88

Results 250SX East Class – Daytona
1. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna)
2. Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
3. Seth Hammaker (Kawasaki)

Standings 250SX East Class 2025 after 3 of 10 rounds
1. Max Anstie, 63 points
2. Tom Vialle, 57
3. Chance Hymas, 50

KTM NEWS

KTM celebrates 28 championship titles in 2025

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A season of dedication and teamwork delivered 28 major racing championships worldwide through a spread of disciplines in 2025 – including 16 international rider crowns, and 12 FIM manufacturer titles. The unprecedented accumulation represents a new annual benchmark for the company. KTM extends its sincere thanks to all factory riders and independent competitors, along with their teams, for their valuable contribution, unwavering dedication, and loyalty throughout the various competitive campaigns.

RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING EXTENDS THANKS TO CHASE SEXTON

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Following two seasons in the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing thanks Chase Sexton for the success achieved together throughout 2024 and 2025. KTM and Sexton dominated the AMA Pro Motocross Championship in 2024, winning seven of 11 rounds en route to earning the 450MX title outdoors. Despite his title defense being cut short in 2025, this year's highlight came via a single overall victory at Washougal. Supercross saw the 26-year-old Illinois native finish third in the 450SX standings in 2024 and he improved to the runner-up position in 2025, falling short of the championship by only two points this season. In total, Sexton won nine 450SX Main Events onboard the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, with seven of those this year – including Anaheim 1's high-profile opening round – making for the winningest season of his Supercross career. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing wishes Chase well for 2026 and beyond.

RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING THANKS TOM VIALLE FOR WINNING YEARS TOGETHER

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Red Bull KTM Factory Racing extends its thanks to Tom Vialle following an illustrious seven years together across both Europe and the United States, achieving two MX2 World Championships and a pair of 250SX East Supercross Championships. Vialle joined the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team ahead of the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship season in the MX2 category, finishing fourth in his debut campaign before capturing his first MX2 World Championship in 2020. The Frenchman would lift his second MX2 World Championship trophy at the conclusion of a thrilling 2022 series, before relocating to North America at the beginning of 2023 to contest the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX), including both the AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross Championships. After a promising rookie season in the U.S., Vialle fulfilled his goal of becoming a Supercross champion in 2024 onboard the KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, before successfully defending his crown when the 2025 championship went down to the wire in Salt Lake City this past May. The now 24-year-old has also displayed his capabilities outdoors in 250MX, finishing as runner-up in the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. He also finished second in the hybrid-type 250SMX standings that year, before backing his result up with third position in 2025. Over the past seven seasons, Vialle and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have built an impressive record together, firmly establishing him as one of the most accomplished 250 cc riders of his generation on the global stage. From 2019 to 2022 in Europe, Vialle amassed 24 MX2 Grand Prix victories, 44 individual Race wins, and 46 overall podium finishes to underline his two MX2 World Championships. Upon arriving in the United States and achieving his two 250SX East titles, Vialle has claimed three Supercross wins and 18 podium results in 250SX, while earning two-career Pro Motocross 250MX round victories and eight podiums overall. He also has three 250SMX Playoffs/Final podium finishes to his credit. In addition, Vialle was a key part of Team France's victory at the 2023 FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN), where he won the MX2 category individually with the full support of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. The entire Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team thanks Tom for his dedication and success and wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.