Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Aaron Plessinger raced to a hard-fought third-place finish in Round 3 of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship at the Thunder Valley National, earning his second-consecutive 450MX podium result.
Colorado began with Plessinger posting the second fastest qualifying time, before powering his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to the front group of Moto 1 out of the gates. After briefly making a late pass for the race lead, ‘The Cowboy’ would reach the checkered flag with a convincing P2 result.
Another strong start in Moto 2 saw Plessinger in the mix with the front-runners once again, navigating ultra-technical track conditions to claim fifth position, and third overall for the weekend. He's also currently positioned third in the 450MX standings.
Aaron Plessinger: “That first moto was a lot of fun and I was really amped! I didn’t feel fatigued after that one, and then I made a small bike change going into the second moto, which I should have just left alone. That was on me, and I struggled that second moto, but it was just a good day. I had some really good lines in the first one, but being in the battle and making passes on those guys is all I can really ask for. Back to work this week – we’ll come back next weekend looking for that elusive win.”
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle posted a consistent performance at the third round of 250MX competition, racing his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to sixth position in the opening moto. A P5 ride in Moto 2 on a deteriorating track was enough for fourth overall, and an important haul of championship points.
Tom Vialle: "I ended up with fourth overall today, which wasn't ideal because I just wasn’t feeling it on the track. I was running third in each of the motos, then ended sixth in the first one after a small crash, followed by P5 in Moto 2. I just didn’t have the feel that I needed all day, so we’ll keep working for next weekend in High Point and make some improvements.”
250MX teammate Julien Beaumer experienced a challenging day out at Thunder Valley onboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. He showcased his speed throughout the races, however, a fall during each outing kept him out of front-running contention. A 17th-place score overall via 16-14 results has him now sitting P7 in the standings.
Julien Beaumer: “Not a good day at Thunder Valley. I crashed both motos and that pretty much sums up my weekend. The result doesn’t show how I am riding at the moment, so we’ll regroup and come out swinging at High Point.”
Next Race: June 14 – High Point, Pennsylvania
Results 450MX Class – Thunder Valley National
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
2. Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
3. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
7. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna)
8. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna)
Standings 450MX Class 2025 after 3 of 11 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 145 points
2. Eli Tomac, 120
3. Aaron Plessinger, 118
6. RJ Hampshire, 87
11. Malcolm Stewart, 60
Results 250MX Class – Thunder Valley National
1. Chance Hymas (Honda)
2. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
3. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
4. Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
6. Casey Cochran (GASGAS)
14. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS)
17. Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
Standings 250MX Class 2025 after 3 of 11 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 144 points
2. Jo Shimoda, 119
3. Chance Hymas, 95
5. Tom Vialle, 85
7. Julien Beaumer, 81
10. Casey Cochran, 64
17. Ryder DiFrancesco, 43