Reigning 450MX Champion Chase Sexton will commence his title defense this Saturday in Fox Raceway’s opening round of the 2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, joining Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammates Aaron Plessinger, Tom Vialle, and Julien Beaumer in the second phase of the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX). Sexton was outstanding on his way to the 450MX title last season onboard the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, entering this year’s 11-round series as a title favorite and wearing the coveted number 1 plate. The 25-year-old Illinois native won seven rounds en route to the crown one year ago, motivated to pick up where he left off outdoors with a true READY TO RACE mentality. Chase Sexton: "Preparation for the start of the 2025 Pro Motocross season is going well. I feel good and am healthy, so that’s a great start! There’s always a lot of industry talk about there being extra pressure when you come in as defending champion, but really for me, I just head into it the way I do any new season. I keep my head down, work hard, and trust the process. I’m excited for the new season to start this weekend at Pala." Joining Sexton in the premier class and also equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Plessinger has finished third in the standings for the past two years running and landed on the podium a total of six times in 2024. With momentum increasing and a new Red Bull KTM Factory Racing contract already signed for 2026, The Cowboy's focus is firmly placed on making his presence felt yet again in Pro Motocross. Aaron Plessinger: "I'm super-excited for outdoors. It is my favorite series that we race and I've been doing motos, some testing, and everything's coming together nicely. I'm super-stoked, ready to get back out on the gate and show these boys what I've got for the outdoor series! We finished well last year, could have really done some damage if I had not had some bad races – hopefully I can contend for the title this season." Already a two-time MX2 World Champion with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and now a double 250SX East title winner in AMA Supercross following Salt Lake City's finale two weeks ago, French standout Vialle will lead the team's 250MX charge alongside last year's 250 Class Rookie of the Year, Beaumer. Entering his third term of Pro Motocross in the United States riding the KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Vialle is aiming to improve upon his P2 result achieved in the standings from last year, which he earned through racing to seven podiums and victory in Ironman's final round of the season last August. Tom Vialle: "I've been practicing outdoors for a little bit now, but didn't switch early because I was fighting for another Supercross title. Last week was really good, we did some testing with the team and I am happy with where the bike is, and I feel really comfortable riding outdoors this year. I'm excited, because I think it's going to be my last 250 outdoor season. I was able to win two MX2 titles in the world championship and have won the two 250SX East titles now, so this AMA 250MX championship is the only one that I am missing in my 250 career – I really want to fight for that one this summer and I'm motivated for that. I'm looking forward to seeing where we are at when we get to Pala and then for the whole summer outdoors." Teenage talent Beaumer spent last year learning the craft of professional competition on his way to the 250MX Rookie of the Year honors and, fresh from a breakout season in the 250SX West division where he established himself as a legitimate contender, the 19-year-old out of Lake Havasu, Arizona, has a clear target of now proving his capabilities outdoors on his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. Julien Beaumer: "I'm looking forward to kicking my season off strong at Pala. Southern California is where I have grown up riding, so I feel right at home racing there. My preparation has gone according to plan, and the team and I feel we are in a good place together, so I'm itching to get this thing started this weekend." Ian Harrison, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: "We are very excited to enter the Pro Motocross Championship with Chase and Aaron in 450MX, as well as Tom and Julien in 250MX this summer. Following Supercross, which was again a really positive and successful season for us as a team, it is always a mad rush to transition to the outdoors with the one weekend off in between. Thankfully, we have a lot to lean on from the previous years, so you generally use that experience as a base coming into Round 1, and then you continue to refine and build momentum from that point. It is always an exciting time, a lot of anticipation, and we are confident that we will be competitive when the gates drop this weekend and throughout the 2025 season." The 2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship will drop the gates this Saturday, May 24, at Fox Raceway in Pala, California, for the season-opener, set to span 11 rounds throughout the U.S. this summer and culminating at Budds Creek Motocross Park in Mechanicsville, Maryland, on August 23.
Lucas Coenen takes MXGP runner-up in Spain as Red Bull KTM grabs triple podiums across MXGP and MX2 in tough Lugo conditions. Discover the weekend recap.
