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CAREER-FIRST 250SX WIN FOR RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING'S JULIEN BEAUMER IN SAN DIEGO

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Julien Beaumer has taken control of the 250SX West Championship lead after racing to a breakout first-career AMA Supercross victory in San Diego’s second round of the 2025 season.

Beaumer was in outstanding form from the outset at Snapdragon Stadium, leading the way in Qualifying 1 and ultimately qualifying second-fastest overall onboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. He then raced forward to finish P3 in his Heat race.

A strong start to the Main Event had the 18-year-old within striking distance of the early leader, before a decisive pass halfway through the race saw him largely unchallenged on his way to claiming his first-ever 250SX win.

Julien Beaumer: "This is the first Main Event win of my career, but I’m trying not to get too excited about it right now, as we have a championship to go for. I didn’t have the greatest Heat, but made it happen when it counted! This is definitely confidence-boosting. At the start of this year I had a goal and I needed to believe in myself and I feel that I showed how much I believe in myself tonight. The track was pretty tight and I felt everything was built a little differently, so it was definitely tricky, but I'm really satisfied with the result tonight."

In the 450SX division, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Chase Sexton promised to continue his winning ways early on in San Diego. The 25-year-old placed his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION at the top of qualifying this afternoon, and then finished his Heat strongly with a hard-fought P2 score.

Sexton started the Main Event inside the top five, but an error on the opening lap saw him remount at the rear of the field. The former champion refused to give up, however, eventually charging his way to sixth position as the checkered flag flew. As a result, the Anaheim 1 winner sits P2 in the standings.

Chase Sexton: "It was a chaotic night for me. I fell on the first lap and had to do a lot of work to catch back up. I felt like my riding was really good and the bike felt good, so honestly, we just need to work on our starts and get ready for Anaheim 2. I feel pretty confident with where I’m at, so I’m excited."

It was a tough day for last year’s San Diego winner Aaron Plessinger. 'The Cowboy' qualified in 11th position, then made progress with a P6 result in his Heat. Following a mid-pack start in the Main Event, Plessinger was caught up with Sexton on the opening lap and then went down again later, which unfortunately spelled the end of his night.

Aaron Plessinger: "San Diego was an interesting one. I didn’t really feel comfortable early on, so we made some changes and they felt really good during the Heat race. I actually felt good and I was able to push and have some really good lap-times, so I went into the Main optimistic and got a decent start, but unfortunately, I got wrapped up with Chase. I got up and tried to charge through the pack, but then I crashed on the triple-quad section – before I knew it, I was on the ground. I’m not hurt bad – I’m just really sore – but I didn’t feel like my head was in the right space and I decided to call it a night. It’s been a tough start to the season, but we’ve got 15 more rounds and I can definitely bounce back next weekend."

Next Race: January 25 – Anaheim 2, California

Results 450SX Class – San Diego
1. Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
2. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
3. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
6. Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
7. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna)
8. Justin Barcia (GASGAS)
22. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)

Standings 450SX Class 2025 after 2 of 17 rounds
1. Eli Tomac, 42 points
2. Chase Sexton, 41
3. Ken Roczen, 40
6. Justin Barcia, 30
9. Malcolm Stewart, 27
15. Aaron Plessinger, 13

Results 250SX West Class – San Diego
1. Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
2. Jordon Smith (Triumph)
3. Hayden Deegan (Yamaha)
5. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS)

Standings 250SX West Class 2025 after 2 of 10 rounds
1. Julien Beaumer, 47 points
2. Jordon Smith, 42
3. Jo Shimoda, 40
5. Ryder DiFrancesco, 35

KTM NEWS

CHASE SEXTON AND RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING EARN CHARLOTTE SMX PLAYOFF PODIUM

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A weather-affected commencement to the 2025 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) Playoffs at Charlotte’s zMAX Dragway saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton earn second overall as a result of his Moto 1 score this afternoon, with the second 450SMX and 250SMX motos canceled following an extended delay due to lightning in the area. Sexton powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to the fastest time in combined qualifying while working his way back into racing after a stint on the sidelines, before charging to a hard-fought P2 finish in Moto 1 as he surged forward through the field. With lightning emerging directly following the first 450SMX race, teams and riders were then placed in a holding pattern waiting for the weather to pass, however, it didn’t materialize as the event was eventually called altogether. As a result, Sexton’s Moto 1 score is where he would finish overall in the first of three post-season rounds, with the next event taking place at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri, next weekend. He has also climbed to second in the overall SMX standings. Chase Sexton: "Round one of the Playoffs here in Charlotte was a good day. I qualified first, then finished second in Moto 1 after getting a really good start – I just went too wide and had to come back from fifth or so. I had a good flow, even if the track was really sketchy today, so I’m happy to be leaving healthy. We go into the next race nine points down, and we have double and triple points upcoming. It’s time to shine and have some good upcoming weekends.” In 250SMX, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Tom Vialle qualified eighth fastest onboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, navigating the ultra-technical zMAX Dragway layout to earn P7 in Moto 1 after making a strong start. Without contesting a second moto, the two-time MX2 world champion and reigning 250SX East title-holder collected seventh overall for the day. Tom Vialle: “We couldn’t ride the second moto here in Charlotte because of the weather, which is unfortunate. I had a great start in Moto 1, and I think I was in fourth, but I was struggling a little bit with getting comfortable on the track – it was really deep all weekend on both Friday and Saturday. I finished seventh and that was the result for today, as they canceled the second moto. We’ll get back to training and be ready for next weekend and then the Final, which will be very important with all the points on the line.” 250SMX teammate Julien Beaumer endured a more difficult day at SMX Playoff 1, recording the 11th fastest time in the opening 250SMX qualifying session on his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, before an incident in the second timed session ended his weekend early. The 19-year-old was transported to hospital, where it was confirmed that he sustained a burst fracture of his L3 vertebra and has since undergone surgery to stabilize the injury. Next Race: September 13 – St. Louis, Missouri Results 450SMX Class – SMX Playoff 1 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 2. Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 3. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 5. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) 10. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) 13. Justin Hill (KTM) Standings 450SMX Class 2025 after 1 of 3 rounds 1. Jett Lawrence, 47 points 2. Chase Sexton, 38 3. Justin Cooper, 36 7. RJ Hampshire, 29 9. Justin Barcia, 25 12. Malcolm Stewart, 20 13. Aaron Plessinger, 14 Results 250SMX Class – SMX Playoff 1 1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) 2. Seth Hammaker (Kawasaki) 3. Jo Shimoda (Honda) 6. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS) 7. Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) Standings 250SMX Class 2025 after 1 of 3 rounds 1. Haiden Deegan, 50 points 2. Jo Shimoda, 42 3. Seth Hammaker, 34 4. Tom Vialle, 33 9. Ryder DiFrancesco, 23 14. Julien Beaumer, 15

ONGOING RECOVERY RULES AARON PLESSINGER OUT OF SMX FINALS SERIES

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Red Bull KTM Factory Racing fan favorite Aaron Plessinger has unfortunately been ruled out of the 2025 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) Finals series, prioritizing his health while still working to regain 100 percent fitness. Plessinger sat out the final four rounds of the Pro Motocross season while aiming to recover in time for SMX Playoff 1 scheduled for this Saturday, September 6, at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina, but the decision has now been made to focus on 2026. After finishing sixth in the 450SX standings at the conclusion of Supercross, 'The Cowboy' went on to claim P8 in 450MX outdoors despite missing the final portion of the series. As a result, he earned his place in the playoffs as the eighth seed overall. Although he will be unable to mount his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION this weekend, Plessinger will be on location to meet fans alongside his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammates Chase Sexton, Tom Vialle and Julien Beaumer, who are all READY TO RACE and will be back on track for the playoffs. Aaron Plessinger: "Unfortunate news, but as much as I would like to race these next few races in SMX, what I've been dealing with is taking a little bit longer than expected to come back around, so I'm sitting these next three out. I will be at Charlotte though, signing autographs and hanging out so come and see me, but as far as training and racing goes, I will be getting ready for 2026 once I am back on the bike. For myself and also my health heading into next season, this is the best move. I just wanted to say good luck to all my team and all of my teammates – go get 'em, boys!" Ian Harrison, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: "As much as we love having Aaron at the races every weekend, recovery is the top priority and although he is on the mend he is still not one 100 percent just yet. With that, he will miss the three SMX rounds, but all is not lost for his race fans as The Cowboy will be in Charlotte this weekend to meet with fans and cheer on his teammates."