250SMX MOTO WIN FOR TOM VIALLE AT PLAYOFF 2 IN ST. LOUIS

SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) Playoff 2 staged inside The Dome at America’s Center tonight saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle score the 250SMX Moto 2 win and place fifth overall following a hard-fought round of competition in St. Louis.

Two-time MX2 World Champion and reigning 250SX East title-holder Vialle qualified fifth fastest onboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, before taking the checkered flag in 10th position at the conclusion of Moto 1.

Another strong start in race two saw the Frenchman power to the lead on the opening lap, before posting a convincing performance at the front of the field and converting his track position into a strong moto win and P5 overall. Vialle holds fourth in the 250SMX standings, with triple points on offer at next weekend’s season finale in Las Vegas.

Tom Vialle: “Second race of SMX is done and I finished with a 10-1 scorecard for fifth overall. It really was a case of opposites with how I felt in each race – I was struggling for comfort in the first moto, and then the team made a lot of great changes for the second race, making the setup softer, and it was so much better for me. I felt a lot more comfortable and I was able to ride a better second moto. I got a solid start and I just rode well out front for the whole race, so that was nice. We’re fourth in points now, so we’ll do all that we can to win in Vegas!”

Equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION in the 450SMX division, Sexton was third-fastest in qualifying as he acclimatized to the Supercross-style race track, which incorporated high-speed outdoor-style elements that collectively presented a unique challenge.

A tough start to Moto 1 saw the 25-year-old climb his way through the pack, posting an inspired result that saw him claim fifth place, before finishing 10th in Moto 2 as a result of a late-race mishap. Upon finishing P7 overall, Sexton is now fourth in the 450SMX standings with one race remaining.

Next Race: September 20 – Las Vegas, Nevada

Results 450SMX Class – SMX Playoff 2
1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda)
2. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
3. Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
6. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna)
7. Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
11. Justin Barcia (GASGAS)
15. Justin Hill (KTM)

Standings 450SMX Class 2025 after 2 of 3 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 91 points
2. Hunter Lawrence, 85
3. Eli Tomac, 75
4. Chase Sexton, 68
8. RJ Hampshire, 61
11. Justin Barcia, 47
17. Malcolm Stewart, 20
19. Aaron Plessinger, 14

Results 250SMX Class – SMX Playoff 2
1. Jo Shimoda (Honda)
2. Seth Hammaker (Kawasaki)
3. Nate Thrasher (Yamaha)
5. Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
13. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS)

Standings 250SMX Class 2025 after 2 of 3 rounds
1. Jo Shimoda, 92 points
2. Haiden Deegan, 82
3. Seth Hammaker, 78
4. Tom Vialle, 67
9. Ryder DiFrancesco, 41
19. Julien Beaumer, 15

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