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CHASE SEXTON AND AARON PLESSINGER RACE TO SEATTLE SUPERCROSS PODIUMS

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton and Aaron Plessinger raced to a pair of podium finishes at Round 11 of the 2025 AMA Supercross Championship in Seattle tonight, with Sexton claiming a hard-fought second position and Plessinger taking third place in a lively 450SX Main Event.

Sexton powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to the second-fastest qualifying time inside Lumen Field, posting a lap time of 47.121s on a circuit recognized for its technical, rutty conditions.

That momentum would continue into his Heat Race, overcoming an average start to steadily slice his way through the field. A spirited ride for the number 4 saw him reach the rear wheel of his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Plessinger by the race's end, with the team scoring a 1-2 finish.

In the Main Event, Sexton entered the lead of the race after clawing his way from a sixth-place start as the difficulty of the Lumen Field conditions intensified. Following a spectacular performance at the front of the field, Sexton ultimately finished in P2 following a final lap showdown for victory. Chase is positioned second in the standings, just 11 points outside of the lead following Round 11.

Chase Sexton: "Tonight was gnarly and I think the pace this year was even higher than last year, which is crazy. We were pushing the limit – I was getting that long rhythm, which helped me, and then Coop [Cooper Webb] was faster in the tight stuff. There was a lot of cat and mouse out there, but it was a balance of pushing the pace, while also keeping your balance, because you had to hit your marks and try not to make mistakes, which was almost impossible on that track.”

‘The Cowboy’ claimed the holeshot in 450SX Heat 1, which continued his run of form throughout the recent rounds. Managing the pace at the front, the always-popular Plessinger charged to first position onboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, setting himself up well for the upcoming Main Event.

Once the gates dropped on the Main Event, Plessinger posted a measured ride on a soft, rutty surface, steadily climbing his way up into a calculated third place finish by the conclusion of the night when the checkered flag flew.

Aaron Plessinger: "I got the best jump out of the gates I got all day for the Main Event, then coming into the first corner, I guess I hit the brakes too quickly and stalled the bike. I was trying to bump start it for about 50 feet and smacked right into Malcolm [Stewart], which I feel so bad about as he might’ve been up on the box with us. It happens. I had to ride hard, and it was not an easy track... The ruts here are like no others, it’s like a sponge, which makes it super-wild. Huge thanks to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team for keeping me comfortable on track – let's keep this going!"

The 250SX West Class returned to action in Seattle following a three-week hiatus, with Julien Beaumer recommencing his hunt for this year's championship. Equipped with his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Beaumer collected the second-fastest qualifying time before finishing P2 in his Heat Race.

Upon delivering a solid ride throughout the Main Event, Beaumer battled inside the podium placings for the entirety of the race before eventually landing a fourth-place result in Seattle to remain well in title contention.

Julien Beaumer: "Fourth place in Seattle, just a bad line choice in the Main cost me a lot. I should have been blitzing the whoops, then I got stuck behind the lapped riders, too, and didn’t make good choices there. I became frustrated, which ultimately cost me a lot of time. Overall, it was a step in the right direction with my riding, as my shoulder is improving, and we’re on an upward trajectory. I'm ready to get back to work and come out swinging in Philly.”

Next Race: April 5 – Foxborough, Massachusetts

Results 450SX Class – Seattle
1. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
2. Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
3. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
7. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna)
8. Justin Barcia (GASGAS)
10. Justin Hill (KTM)
19. Kevin Moranz (KTM)
20. Tristan Lane (KTM)

Standings 450SX Class 2025 after 11 of 17 rounds
1. Cooper Webb, 236 points
2. Chase Sexton, 225
3. Ken Roczen, 202
4. Malcolm Stewart, 177
6. Justin Barcia, 156
8. Aaron Plessinger, 145

Results 250SX West Class – Seattle
1. Cole Davies (Yamaha)
2. Garrett Marchbanks (Kawasaki)
3. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
4. Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
11. Lux Turner (KTM)
16. Avery Long (KTM)

Standings 250SX West Class 2025 after 7 of 10 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 149 points
2. Julien Beaumer, 135
3. Cole Davies, 129

    KTM NEWS

    ARLINGTON 450SX PODIUM FOR ELI TOMAC AND RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING

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    Eli Tomac and the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team claimed a well-earned second-place finish at Arlington’s seventh round of the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship, recording his fifth podium of the season tonight in Texas. Equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION – complete with a special livery for Military Appreciation Round – Tomac topped the premier class qualifying for the third time in 2026, posting a benchmark 47.688s lap during the second afternoon session at AT&T Stadium. Momentum continued for the 33-year-old with third-place in the opening 450SX Heat Race, as he showed consistent pace and gained a solid gate selection for the upcoming Main Event. Despite a difficult initial launch out of the gate, Tomac quickly recovered on the opening laps with a series of decisive passes, as the two-time 450SX Champion charged into fourth position during the race's early stages. From there, an intense, race-long battle unfolded, with Tomac advancing into second during the closing laps of the Main Event. Mounting a late charge, he continued to apply pressure at the front, ultimately finishing in P2 at Round 7. As the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship approaches its halfway point, Tomac sits just four points from the 450SX series lead, with the SMX World Championship season continuing at the annual Daytona Supercross next weekend. Eli Tomac: “Those first laps absolutely saved my race. I had to make some quick moves there and was able to find those openings to pass two-to-three riders at a time. By lap two or three, I could see the front of the race and thought, ‘I’m okay, I can work with this.’ What a difficult track [it was] tonight. Of course, I fought to the end as much as I could and second is what we had. Thank you to Red Bull KTM – we’ll come back swinging in Daytona.” Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450SX teammate Aaron Plessinger made a positive start to the night aboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, claiming fifth place in his Heat Race to comfortably earn a direct transfer into the Main Event. Plessinger faced an intense opening few laps in fighting for early track position, as the 30-year-old battled inside the top-10 throughout Arlington’s entire Main Event. 'The Cowboy' eventually scored an eighth-place finish for the weekend. With the series moving to Daytona next weekend, ‘The Cowboy’ will turn his attention to the historic Florida speedway, where he landed on the podium – his first of the 2025 season – one year ago. Aaron Plessinger: "Dallas was better. I think we made some pretty good progress with the bike, but ultimately, I just need to be better. I need to put myself in better positions, and just overall, be better myself. The Heat Race, I got an average start and rode my way to fifth, and then for the Main, I went all the way inside gate, so got a better start. I was running good and then [Jason] Anderson ended up going down in front of me, so that put me back a little bit. And then I had a decent flow going there, but I ended up casing a jump pretty good and kind of ruined my momentum that I had going.
I ended up eighth, but overall, it just needed to be better. We go to Daytona next week, so I am looking forward to that and, yeah, I've just got to focus on being better on race day." Four-time world champion Jorge Prado was sidelined for Round 7 after his incident during Seattle’s second qualifying session, with the 25-year-old prioritizing recovery on his right shoulder by taking a week off the bike at this time. Next Race: February 28 – Daytona, Florida Results 450SX Class – Arlington 1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 2. Eli Tomac (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 3. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) 8. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 11. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna) 12. Justin Hill (KTM) 17. Kevin Moranz (KTM) Standings 450SX Class 2026 after 7 of 17 rounds 1. Hunter Lawrence, 149 points 2. Eli Tomac, 145 3. Cooper Webb, 133 10. Aaron Plessinger, 79 11. Jorge Prado, 73 12. Malcolm Stewart, 63 13. Justin Hill, 61 17. RJ Hampshire, 38

    RED BULL KTM'S JORGE PRADO TO SIT OUT ARLINGTON ROUND OF SUPERCROSS

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    Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Jorge Prado will sit out Round 7 of the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship in Arlington, Texas, this weekend. Prado will continue his recovery after crashing heavily in the final qualifying session at Seattle, sidelining him for the remainder of the event in order to undergo further evaluation on his right shoulder. While no major injuries have been determined, the four-time world champion will take a week off his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION as a result of excessive swelling and irritation in his shoulder joint, prioritizing his health with the goal of returning for the Daytona Supercross on February 28. Ian Harrison, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: "Following Jorge's crash in qualifying at Seattle, we had his right shoulder checked out, which he has injured previously. While there are no major injuries that have been found, other than the excessive swelling and irritation in the region, it has been decided that Jorge will take a week off the bike and his goal is to be back for Daytona if he is in a position to do so. We are not in a title fight with Jorge and his health is the absolute priority, so with some more therapy I am sure that he will be back and competitive again as soon as he is ready." Prado has been exceptional since reuniting with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for 2026 in the U.S.-based SMX World Championship, finishing on the Main Event podium in third at Anaheim 1, also achieving three Heat Race wins (Anaheim 1, Anaheim 2 and Glendale), in addition to qualifying quickest at both Glendale and Seattle.

    RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING AND ELI TOMAC BACK ON TOP IN SEATTLE

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    Eli Tomac and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing returned to the top step of the AMA Supercross podium at Round 6 in Seattle tonight, as the two-time 450SX Champion raced to a convincing third win of 2026 in technical conditions at Lumen Field. Equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Tomac set the second-fastest qualifying time behind Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Jorge Prado at the conclusion of the afternoon sessions. The 33-year-old then powered to a measured third-place finish in the opening 450SX Heat Race, earning a strong gate selection for the upcoming Main Event as track conditions continued to break down throughout the night. In launching out of the gates well for the Main Event, Tomac positioned himself in second position early on, then trailed the race leader during the opening stages of the race as he looked for opportunities to make a move. A decisive pass at the halfway point saw him take control of the lead, going on to deliver victory by 9.265 seconds. Tomac recorded his third win of the 2026 SMX World Championship season in Seattle – which was also the 56th of his career in 450SX – and now is one point outside of the 450SX lead entering Arlington next weekend. Eli Tomac: “Seattle was the usual conditions today, a tough track to really get ahold of and get comfortable on, but I saved the best for last – I got the best start and had my best ride in the Main Event. I cleaned up some lines, did some different jump combinations, and this was just typical Seattle, and one of the toughest rounds that we have on the schedule. I am glad to come here and get back on top, as the last couple of weekends have been a little tough, so we're back at it!” Also onboard the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Aaron Plessinger qualified ninth overall during the afternoon, later taking a direct transfer to the 450SX Main Event with a convincing third-place finish in his Heat Race. 'The Cowboy' then powered to a good start in the Main Event, battling within the top-five throughout the opening stages of the race, before eventually crossing the finish in seventh position and continuing to improve into the middle stages of the Supercross series. Aaron Plessinger: "Wrapping up Round 6 in Seattle, it was an alright night for me. I struggled a little in practice, but then got a pretty good start in the Heat Race and finished third, and then made another good start in the Main Event. Half of that one was solid, but it just kind of fell apart after that, so I've just got to be better. We're getting back towards consistent riding and not making so many mistakes, and I think heading back to Florida this week will do me good – we'll get some riding done and work on some things. The positives are that we got two good starts tonight and had some good laps, so we'll build on that in Arlington!" Four-time world champion Jorge Prado continued his impressive pace in Seattle, setting the fastest overall qualifying time for the second-consecutive week with a 50.600-second lap — nearly half a second clear of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Eli Tomac. An incident late in the second 450SX qualifying session, however, ultimately sidelined the 25-year-old for the remainder of the night program. After attempting to line up for Heat 2, Prado withdrew from Round 6 and will undergo further medical evaluation this week. Next Race: February 21 – Arlington, Texas Results 450SX Class – Seattle 1. Eli Tomac (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) 3. Justin Cooper (Yamaha) 6. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna) 7. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 11. Justin Hill (KTM) 15. Kevin Moranz (KTM) 16. Grant Harlan (KTM) Standings 450SX Class 2026 after 6 of 17 rounds 1. Hunter Lawrence, 124 points 2. Eli Tomac, 123 3. Ken Roczen, 113 10. Jorge Prado, 73 11. Aaron Plessinger, 65 12. Malcolm Stewart, 52 13. Justin Hill, 51 16. RJ Hampshire, 38