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THIRD AT SPRING CREEK NATIONAL HAS CHASE SEXTON BACK ON 450MX PODIUM

Third overall in Round 7 of the 2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship at the Spring Creek National continued Chase Sexton’s successful return to racing in the mid-stages of the 450MX season, with the defending champion posting a consistent 3-3 scorecard across the pair of premier class motos.

The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to sixth during the morning’s qualifying sessions, before charging to a solid P3 result in Moto 1 after featuring toward the front of the field on what was a high-speed Millville circuit this weekend.

Faced with a deteriorating track later in the afternoon, the number 1 posted another measured performance in Moto 2, recording another third-place result, and continuing to build back into form as the series develops.

Chase Sexton: "I didn’t have a lot of expectations coming back during the season. I think speed-wise, especially my first few laps, were better today than at RedBud, but we still have a lot of work to do. I enjoy Washougal, as well as the next few tracks coming up, so we’ll keep aiming to improve and get closer toward the battle at the front."

450MX teammate Aaron Plessinger entered today still feeling the effects of the illness he experienced at the previous round. Still, he qualified fourth onboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, before running as high as second in Moto 1. Despite displaying that impressive speed, a depleted Plessinger would ultimately be forced to retire from the race and elected to withdraw from Moto 2.

Equipped with the KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, two-time MX2 World Champion Tom Vialle qualified seventh, but found himself outside of the top 10 during the early stages of Moto 1. A convincing charge would follow, eventually claiming sixth position, before an early fall in Moto 2 left the Frenchman with a DNF and 14th overall for the round.

Ian Harrison, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: "Practice in Millville went well for us and looked a little better than last week, but then it become more difficult in relation to Tom and Aaron. Tom actually had a good first moto, he recovered from a mediocre start all the way back to sixth place, which was nice. Then in the 450 moto, it was a good race for Chase, and Aaron was up there, but definitely had some issues and he had to retire, so we will look into this and find out what we can do to help him. Second moto in the 250s was tough – we lost Tom in the whoops at the back, and that was the end of his day. We went into the second 450 moto with Chase, and he had a good six laps before losing touch with the leaders, but I feel like we are making progress there, and I think we can improve on this by next week."

Next Race: July 19 – Washougal, Washington

Results 450MX Class – Spring Creek National
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
2. Hunter Lawrence (Honda)
3. Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
4. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna)
5. Justin Barcia (GASGAS)
6. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna)
41. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)

Standings 450MX Class 2025 after 7 of 11 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 337 points
2. Hunter Lawrence, 286
3. Justin Cooper, 247
5. RJ Hampshire, 221
6. Aaron Plessinger, 204
9. Malcolm Stewart, 134
16. Justin Barcia, 81
17. Chase Sexton, 75

Results 250MX Class – Spring Creek National
1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
2. Jeremy Martin (Yamaha)
3. Jo Shimoda (Honda)
14. Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
18. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS)

Standings 250MX Class 2025 after 7 of 11 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 321 points
2. Jo Shimoda, 276
3. Levi Kitchen, 214
5. Tom Vialle, 202
14. Julien Beaumer, 106
16. Ryder DiFrancesco, 103
18. Casey Cochran, 88

KTM NEWS

RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING SIGNS RYDER DIFRANCESCO AND DAXTON BENNICK

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Red Bull KTM Factory Racing has signed Ryder DiFrancesco and Daxton Bennick ahead of the 2027 SMX World Championship season, joining an expanded four-rider 250 program alongside Julien Beaumer and Sacha Coenen. The new-look roster will compete aboard KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION machinery across the AMA Supercross Championship, Pro Motocross Championship, and SMX Finals post-season, further strengthening KTM's READY TO RACE commitment to the next generation of 250 class talent. DiFrancesco, 21, joins Red Bull KTM Factory Racing following a breakout 2026 season, finishing runner-up in the 250SMX World Championship, fifth in 250MX, and fourth in the 250SX Western Division standings. The Californian earned his first-career 250SX podium at Anaheim 1 and carried that momentum into the outdoors and playoffs with a collection of podium results, firmly establishing himself as a title challenger into the future. Ryder DiFrancesco: "I'm super-excited to be joining Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. It's been one of the top-tier teams in the paddock since I can remember, so it's going to be a cool feeling being on the orange bike in 2027 – it only grows the confidence in myself and the team. The next thing to do now is to go out there and win. I'm excited, and the season can't come soon enough." Bennick, 20, is another exciting addition to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing effort after a strong 2026 campaign that saw him claim third in the 250SX East standings and secure his first 250SMX podium at SMX Playoff 1 in Columbus. The North Carolina native has continued to progress through the professional ranks since his highly-successful amateur career as part of the KTM Orange Brigade and will enter 2027 targeting title success. Daxton Bennick: "I'm so excited to be on the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team next year. It's always been a dream of mine, so it's a super-cool and surreal moment for me. There are a lot of familiar faces on the team and also some new ones, and I think we're going to make a really good combination and go after the championships – I'm ready to get to work." The arrival of DiFrancesco and Bennick coincides with a significant expansion of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's 250 program, which will also feature Beaumer and incoming Belgian standout Coenen. Beaumer, 20, will return for his fourth season with the team after recently extending his contract through 2027 and beyond, while 19-year-old Coenen arrives from the MX2 World Championship following a Grand Prix campaign that saw him finish third in the 2026 standings. Nathan Ramsey, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 250 Team Manager: "What an incredible opportunity to be a part of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for 2027 and beyond. I will be managing the 250 race team, alongside of Ian and his crew on the 450 side. I believe this expansion and structure for the complete Red Bull KTM program is very strong and I look forward to having an unbelievable season. I couldn’t be happier to add Dax and Ryder to the team! They both had very strong seasons in 2026 and should absolutely be in the championship conversation in 2027. Dax and Ryder alongside Juju and Sacha make up a very young and extremely strong Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 250 effort for 2027! I am honored to be a part of this group moving forward and can’t wait to see what the future holds." Ian Harrison, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 Team Manager: "We are incredibly excited to introduce our strengthened Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 250 program, which will debut in 2027 with a four-rider lineup equipped with KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION machinery. KTM has enjoyed significant success in the category for many years, and this next step further underlines the brand’s READY TO RACE commitment into the future." Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s expanded 250 program will make its competitive debut at the opening round of the 2027 AMA Supercross Championship in Anaheim, California, on January 9, marking an exciting renewed chapter for the Austrian manufacturer's presence in U.S. competition alongside its factory 450 team of reigning SMX World Champion Jorge Prado and new recruit Lucas Coenen.

Victory for Team Belgium & the Coenen brothers at packed MXoN in France

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The 79th FIM Motocross of Nations drew a huge record crowd of 105,000 to the ‘amphitheater’ setting of the Ernee circuit in northern France where Red Bull KTM’s Lucas and Sacha Coenen contributed to Team Belgium first victory in the annual contest since 2013. Red Bull KTM also had SMX champion Jorge Prado inspiring Team Spain to 2nd place and their first ever podium result.

RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING THANKS AARON PLESSINGER FOR FIVE SUCCESSFUL SEASONS TOGETHER

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Red Bull KTM Factory Racing extends its appreciation to Aaron Plessinger following five successful seasons together, with the partnership delivering an impressive catalog of race results across AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross. ‘The Cowboy’ continues to be one of the most popular and engaging riders in the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX), quickly establishing a strong connection to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing fans throughout North America and on a global scale. Over the course of five seasons with KTM, he earned 24 podiums – 11 in 450SX and 13 in 450MX – including two Supercross victories. Plessinger first joined Red Bull KTM Factory Racing ahead of the 2022 season, making an immediate impact with a second-place result at Round 2 of the 450SX series in Oakland, and he would go on to achieve two more overall podiums outdoors (Southwick and Ironman) in his first year aboard the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. The 2023 season saw Plessinger make further progress, with the Ohio native recording two podiums in Supercross and an additional three podium finishes in 450MX on his way to third in the final championship standings. He also represented Team USA in the MXGP category at the 2023 Motocross of Nations (MXoN) in Ernée, France. Plessinger then opened the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship in outstanding form, capturing a first-career 450SX Main Event win in San Diego to take possession of the red plate, which he carried out of the following round with another top-three performance at Anaheim 2. He also took third in Arlington, before his indoor season was unfortunately cut short through injury. Another convincing Pro Motocross season – including six podiums at Hangtown, RedBud, Washougal, Unadilla, Budds Creek and Ironman – saw him finish third in the 450MX standings once more, and he carried that form into the SMX World Championship post-season to end the series in fourth overall. Those results led to another MXoN appearance to complete his 2024 campaign, this time in the Open category at Matterley Basin in the United Kingdom, where he contributed to Team USA’s second-place finish on the Nations podium. Plessinger's 2025 450SX season was highlighted by podiums at Daytona, Birmingham and Seattle, before achieving his second-career premier class victory in a convincing performance at Foxborough. He recorded another podium in East Rutherford, while a strong start to Pro Motocross that included podiums at Hangtown and Thunder Valley was later disrupted by illness. Always a fan favorite, Plessinger remained a valued member of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing throughout the 2026 SMX World Championship, bringing his trademark personality and commitment to the team across his final season in orange despite multiple injury setbacks impacting his season, which concluded at last weekend's SMX Final in Ridgedale, Missouri. Aaron Plessinger: "These have been some of the best five years of my life, and especially during my career – I've had a great time at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and I'm going to miss everybody a lot. Looking back, our results together have been consistently solid over a good stretch of years, which we can be proud of as a team. And the KTM fans, too, their support has meant the world to me and I'm glad that we were able to have a good run for them. Above all, I'm thankful for these years that we were able to spend together. We'll see you at the races!" Ian Harrison, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: "Working with Aaron over the last five years has been a privilege. He brought with him a unique personality, always making those around feel like a part of his inner-circle, and his cowboy style made him a favorite with the fans and our team. From race wins and podiums to some challenging moments along the way, Aaron always represented Red Bull KTM Factory Racing with passion, professionalism, and determination. We'd like to thank him for everything he has done for the Red Bull KTM team, and we wish him and his family the very best moving forward. You are family, Mr Plessinger – see you at the races." Plessinger and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will now officially sign off on a memorable five-year collaboration, with the entire team thanking Aaron for his contributions to the program and wishing him all the best for the future.