CHALLENGING END TO PRO MOTOCROSS FOR RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING AT BUDDS CREEK

The 11th and final round of the 2025 Pro Motocross Championship at Budds Creek proved a challenging one for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, where 250MX contenders Tom Vialle and Julien Beaumer each endured a share of adversity to complete their outdoor campaigns.

Two-time MX2 World Champion and reigning 250SX East title-holder Vialle set the 13th-fastest qualifying time onboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION in what was a highly competitive session, before powering to the holeshot in Moto 1.

While Vialle was holding firm with the 250MX front-runners, a red flag saw riders line up behind the gates once more. Following another holeshot, the Frenchman enjoyed a clear track out front before an untimely front-end washout would see him finish in 11th. He would later decide to withdraw from Moto 2 altogether.

Following 11 rounds outdoors, Vialle completed the Pro Motocross Championship in fifth position, with five podium finishes to his credit in 2025.

For 250MX teammate Beaumer, he and his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION would qualify strongly in P4 during the morning’s sessions. The 19-year-old then raced forward to 12th in Moto 1, before an early second-race fall ended his day prematurely at the Mechanicsville venue.

Beaumer posted a total of three top-five results overall throughout the Pro Motocross season, overcoming mid-season difficulties as he began returning to front-running form, and eventually finishing 15th in the standings.

Ian Harrison, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager
"The morning qualifying started pretty well for us at Budds Creek. It was nice to see Julien maintain the pace he had at Unadilla, while Tom seemed to find a groove as the laptimes of the top 10 were super-close. Tom pulled two fantastic starts to Moto 1 after the first race was red-flagged, and was running out front before he made a mistake and fell down. From there, as the moto went on, he seemed to lose pace, while Julien was the opposite as he gained speed towards the end. After the race, Julien requested a couple of bike changes, while Tom decided he would sit out race two after lacking confidence in his setup, so he called it a day. In the second race, Julien ended up having a big wreck right in front of the mechanics' area, and unfortunately was concussed. All-in-all, it wasn't a great day for us, although at least everyone is in one piece and I am grateful for that."

With the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) post-season commencing with Playoff 1 at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina, on September 6, 450SMX duo Chase Sexton and Aaron Plessinger enter as the sixth and eighth seeds, respectively, while the 250SMX contingent of Vialle and Beaumer hold positions four and seven.

Standings 450MX Class 2025 after 11 of 11 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 509 points
2. Hunter Lawrence, 454
3. Eli Tomac, 395
5. RJ Hampshire, 366
7. Malcolm Stewart, 240
8. Aaron Plessinger, 204
10. Justin Barcia, 196
14. Chase Sexton, 147

Results 250MX Class – Budds Creek National
1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
2. Jo Shimoda (Honda)
3. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
9. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS)
17. Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
19. Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
20. Landon Gibson (Husqvarna)

Standings 250MX Class 2025 after 11 of 11 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 505 points
2. Jo Shimoda, 456
3. Garrett Marchbanks, 352
5. Tom Vialle, 293
10. Ryder DiFrancesco, 191
15. Julien Beaumer, 166
22. Casey Cochran, 88

KTM NEWS

250SMX MOTO WIN FOR TOM VIALLE AT PLAYOFF 2 IN ST. LOUIS

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SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) Playoff 2 staged inside The Dome at America’s Center tonight saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle score the 250SMX Moto 2 win and place fifth overall following a hard-fought round of competition in St. Louis. Two-time MX2 World Champion and reigning 250SX East title-holder Vialle qualified fifth fastest onboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, before taking the checkered flag in 10th position at the conclusion of Moto 1. Another strong start in race two saw the Frenchman power to the lead on the opening lap, before posting a convincing performance at the front of the field and converting his track position into a strong moto win and P5 overall. Vialle holds fourth in the 250SMX standings, with triple points on offer at next weekend’s season finale in Las Vegas. Tom Vialle: “Second race of SMX is done and I finished with a 10-1 scorecard for fifth overall. It really was a case of opposites with how I felt in each race – I was struggling for comfort in the first moto, and then the team made a lot of great changes for the second race, making the setup softer, and it was so much better for me. I felt a lot more comfortable and I was able to ride a better second moto. I got a solid start and I just rode well out front for the whole race, so that was nice. We’re fourth in points now, so we’ll do all that we can to win in Vegas!” Equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION in the 450SMX division, Sexton was third-fastest in qualifying as he acclimatized to the Supercross-style race track, which incorporated high-speed outdoor-style elements that collectively presented a unique challenge. A tough start to Moto 1 saw the 25-year-old climb his way through the pack, posting an inspired result that saw him claim fifth place, before finishing 10th in Moto 2 as a result of a late-race mishap. Upon finishing P7 overall, Sexton is now fourth in the 450SMX standings with one race remaining. Next Race: September 20 – Las Vegas, Nevada Results 450SMX Class – SMX Playoff 2 1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 2. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 3. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 6. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) 7. Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 11. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) 15. Justin Hill (KTM) Standings 450SMX Class 2025 after 2 of 3 rounds 1. Jett Lawrence, 91 points 2. Hunter Lawrence, 85 3. Eli Tomac, 75 4. Chase Sexton, 68 8. RJ Hampshire, 61 11. Justin Barcia, 47 17. Malcolm Stewart, 20 19. Aaron Plessinger, 14 Results 250SMX Class – SMX Playoff 2 1. Jo Shimoda (Honda) 2. Seth Hammaker (Kawasaki) 3. Nate Thrasher (Yamaha) 5. Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 13. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS) Standings 250SMX Class 2025 after 2 of 3 rounds 1. Jo Shimoda, 92 points 2. Haiden Deegan, 82 3. Seth Hammaker, 78 4. Tom Vialle, 67 9. Ryder DiFrancesco, 41 19. Julien Beaumer, 15

CHASE SEXTON AND RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING EARN CHARLOTTE SMX PLAYOFF PODIUM

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A weather-affected commencement to the 2025 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) Playoffs at Charlotte’s zMAX Dragway saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton earn second overall as a result of his Moto 1 score this afternoon, with the second 450SMX and 250SMX motos canceled following an extended delay due to lightning in the area. Sexton powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to the fastest time in combined qualifying while working his way back into racing after a stint on the sidelines, before charging to a hard-fought P2 finish in Moto 1 as he surged forward through the field. With lightning emerging directly following the first 450SMX race, teams and riders were then placed in a holding pattern waiting for the weather to pass, however, it didn’t materialize as the event was eventually called altogether. As a result, Sexton’s Moto 1 score is where he would finish overall in the first of three post-season rounds, with the next event taking place at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri, next weekend. He has also climbed to second in the overall SMX standings. Chase Sexton: "Round one of the Playoffs here in Charlotte was a good day. I qualified first, then finished second in Moto 1 after getting a really good start – I just went too wide and had to come back from fifth or so. I had a good flow, even if the track was really sketchy today, so I’m happy to be leaving healthy. We go into the next race nine points down, and we have double and triple points upcoming. It’s time to shine and have some good upcoming weekends.” In 250SMX, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Tom Vialle qualified eighth fastest onboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, navigating the ultra-technical zMAX Dragway layout to earn P7 in Moto 1 after making a strong start. Without contesting a second moto, the two-time MX2 world champion and reigning 250SX East title-holder collected seventh overall for the day. Tom Vialle: “We couldn’t ride the second moto here in Charlotte because of the weather, which is unfortunate. I had a great start in Moto 1, and I think I was in fourth, but I was struggling a little bit with getting comfortable on the track – it was really deep all weekend on both Friday and Saturday. I finished seventh and that was the result for today, as they canceled the second moto. We’ll get back to training and be ready for next weekend and then the Final, which will be very important with all the points on the line.” 250SMX teammate Julien Beaumer endured a more difficult day at SMX Playoff 1, recording the 11th fastest time in the opening 250SMX qualifying session on his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, before an incident in the second timed session ended his weekend early. The 19-year-old was transported to hospital, where it was confirmed that he sustained a burst fracture of his L3 vertebra and has since undergone surgery to stabilize the injury. Next Race: September 13 – St. Louis, Missouri Results 450SMX Class – SMX Playoff 1 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 2. Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 3. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 5. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) 10. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) 13. Justin Hill (KTM) Standings 450SMX Class 2025 after 1 of 3 rounds 1. Jett Lawrence, 47 points 2. Chase Sexton, 38 3. Justin Cooper, 36 7. RJ Hampshire, 29 9. Justin Barcia, 25 12. Malcolm Stewart, 20 13. Aaron Plessinger, 14 Results 250SMX Class – SMX Playoff 1 1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) 2. Seth Hammaker (Kawasaki) 3. Jo Shimoda (Honda) 6. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS) 7. Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) Standings 250SMX Class 2025 after 1 of 3 rounds 1. Haiden Deegan, 50 points 2. Jo Shimoda, 42 3. Seth Hammaker, 34 4. Tom Vialle, 33 9. Ryder DiFrancesco, 23 14. Julien Beaumer, 15