Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Chase Sexton won the second 450SMX moto and claimed P2 overall in Playoff 2 of the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) post-season at Texas Motor Speedway, as teammate Tom Vialle finished second in the 250SMX Class. Both are in title contention entering next weekend's SMX Final.
After setting the pace in Free Practice on Friday, Sexton qualified his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION fourth in Fort Worth. Moto 1 saw the reigning Pro Motocross Champion sprint to P4, but he was saving his best until last when he took a commanding second moto victory with a winning margin of 9.897s. That placed him second on the podium, and with triple points on offer in Las Vegas, Sexton sits one point outside of the series lead in what will be a winner-takes-all scenario next Saturday night.
Chase Sexton: "Getting a start is one of the key factors, but we actually made a change right before Moto 1 and I felt like I rode pretty well, but was just way back. In Moto 2, I got a good start and was able to ride my own laps – I felt like I did back in Pro Motocross. It was a good race, we ended up second overall, so we will try to keep building and come out swinging for Vegas!"
Still managing the effects of his crash from Charlotte one week ago, 450SMX teammate Aaron Plessinger was eighth in combined qualifying, and then went on to record 9-7 scores for seventh overall in a gritty performance from 'The Cowboy'. Plessinger is currently ranked fifth in the premier class title race with one round to go, motivated to finish on a strong note at the SMX Final.
Aaron Plessinger: "Second playoff of SMX went okay – I rode my outdoor suspension on this one and it was a little soft. I got off to a pretty bad start in the first one, was working my way up, and jumped off the track, so finished ninth. In the second one, I got a really good start, was running up front and my shoulder started feeling it, and I ended up dropping back to seventh. Not where we want to be, but we will try to improve a little bit for Vegas and the final round."
Texas saw current 250SX East Champion Tom Vialle rebound for his first 250SMX podium of the year in second overall onboard the KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. After qualifying in position six – within a second of the fastest lap time – Vialle finished third in Moto 1, then charged to a confidence-inspiring second as the checkered flag flew in the final encounter. He is now P2 in the standings, 19 points outside of the lead entering Las Vegas.
Tom Vialle: "We are happy with the result today. The track was not easy – the same for everyone, of course – but I kept pushing until the very end. In the final moto, I was catching Haiden [Deegan] a little bit, but came up short. It was nice to be in the fight and it was a good race to get us ready for next weekend."
Last weekend saw rookie Julien Beaumer earn a first-career podium and he backed that up with P5 this weekend at SMX Playoff 2. While not entirely satisfied with his result, it was another promising performance from the teenager, as consistent 5-6 results placed him inside the top five overall. Beaumer is also positioned fifth in the championship tally, eager to finish strongly at next weekend's decider.
Julien Beaumer: "It was a tough day for me. I never really had the feeling I was looking for on this track, but P5 was a good result. We got a little bit better in that second moto, so not my best day, but fifth on a weekend that I didn't feel too good, we will take that and be ready to fight going into Vegas."
Next Race: September 21 – Las Vegas, Nevada (SMX Final)
Results 450SMX Class – SMX Playoff 2
1. Hunter Lawrence (AUS), Honda
2. Chase Sexton (USA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
3. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda
7. Aaron Plessinger (USA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
12. Justin Barcia (USA), GASGAS
13. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Husqvarna
14. Christian Craig (USA), Husqvarna
Standings 450SMX Class 2024 after 2 of 3 rounds
1. Hunter Lawrence, 90 points
2. Chase Sexton, 89
3. Jett Lawrence, 81
5. Aaron Plessinger, 62
9. Malcolm Stewart, 48
12. Christian Craig, 34
14. Justin Barcia, 33
Results 250SMX Class – SMX Playoff 2
1. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha
2. Tom Vialle (FRA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
3. Jo Shimoda (JPN), Honda
5. Julien Beaumer (USA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
7. Pierce Brown (USA), GASGAS
13. Ryder DiFrancesco (USA), GASGAS
15. RJ Hampshire (USA), Husqvarna
Standings 250SMX Class 2024 after 2 of 3 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 100 points
2. Tom Vialle, 81
3. Levi Kitchen, 78
5. Julien Beaumer, 69
7. Pierce Brown, 56
12. Ryder DiFrancesco, 39
13. RJ Hampshire, 36
26. Casey Cochran, 4