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

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

JORGE PRADO CONTINUES 450SX PROGRESSION WITH GLENDALE TOP-FIVE

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A top-five result for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado marked another impressive performance at Glendale's fifth round of the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship, with the Spaniard topping the 450SX qualifying timesheets, claiming a convincing Heat Race victory, and finishing fifth in Saturday night’s premier class Main Event. The four-time world champion continued his progression in the 2026 SMX World Championship season inside State Farm Stadium, posting the fastest qualifying time in the afternoon with a 56.451s lap on the high-speed, technical Arizona layout. The 25-year-old followed that by controlling 450SX Heat 2 from start to finish onboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, before a top-10 start translated into a composed fifth-place result in the Main Event to conclude round five of the series. With his Glendale finish, Prado advances to seventh position in the championship standings. Jorge Prado: "My start was actually very good, it was just that I didn’t have much space entering the first corner. But still, I managed to get around the turn decently, and then I was battling back and forth with Justin [Cooper], which made me get a little bit tight. I ended up bringing it home in P5, which I would say is a solid night. We’re getting better and better with P1 in qualifying and the Heat Race, and then fifth in the Main Event is a good progression. I am happy with my riding and effort, so thanks to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team – they’re doing a great job, we have a great bike, and hopefully I can put it on the box again soon.” Entering the Glendale round as the 450SX red plate-holder, Eli Tomac arrived READY TO RACE on his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION and charged to the second-fastest time during the qualifying sessions, only marginally behind teammate Prado. A strong start in 450SX Heat 1 saw the two-time Supercross champion take the holeshot, going on to control the race from the front as he recorded a decisive 5.987s victory and secured a strong gate selection for the Main Event. The Colorado native endured a challenging start to the 450SX race, however, after being caught up in a multi-rider, first turn incident, before remounting to make a determined climb from the rear of the field to finish 12th, salvaging valuable championship points in the process. Tomac is now positioned third in the series, eight points outside of the lead. Eli Tomac: “I put myself in a position where bad things can happen. I got a little pinched at the start and then got taken out – so I don’t know what happened before that, all I know is, I was done. It took me a little while to get warmed up again, kind of got my body loosened up and going, and that’s what I had to get back to 12th. The good thing is, we're not too far down – we’re fine – so we’ll just have to do some digging now.” Also equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Aaron Plessinger qualified a promising ninth overall during the afternoon sessions, later claiming a direct transfer to the 450SX Main Event courtesy of a sixth-place finish in his Heat Race. 'The Cowboy' then battled inside the top-10 throughout the Main Event in Arizona and ultimately claimed eighth position when the checkered flag flew, providing a solid platform to build upon entering the middle stages of the Supercross season. Aaron Plessinger: "Glendale was a step in the right direction. The result may not show it, but the last few weeks have been really tough, so this week was a lot better as a stepping stone and I think we are on the way to turning things around. I felt better on the bike – that was my first 20-minute moto since San Diego – and it is safe to say that things have been up and down. But, either way, we are moving forward, and that’s a positive for us. We’ll go back, do some more homework this week, and show up for Seattle! I’m ready to go.” Next Race: February 14 – Seattle, Washington Results 450SX Class – Glendale 1. Ken Roczen (Suzuki) 2. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 3. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) 5. Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 8. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 10. Justin Hill (KTM) 12. Eli Tomac (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 22. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna) Standings 450SX Class 2026 after 5 of 17 rounds 1. Hunter Lawrence, 106 points 2. Ken Roczen, 101 3. Eli Tomac, 98 7. Jorge Prado, 73 11. Aaron Plessinger, 50 13. Justin Hill, 40 14. RJ Hampshire, 38 15. Malcolm Stewart, 36