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TOP-FIVE FINISHES FOR TOM VIALLE AND CHASE SEXTON IN TAMPA SUPERCROSS

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's reigning 250SX East Champion Tom Vialle has opened his defense with a measured P5 finish in Tampa's first round of the Eastern Regional series, as 450SX teammate Chase Sexton extended his advantage in the 2025 AMA Supercross Championship standings with a fifth-place result at Raymond James Stadium.

Tampa marked the opening round for the 250 SX East division, with two-time MX2 World Champion Vialle sporting the number 1 plate aboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION and ready to mount another title challenge this season.

After qualifying 10th at the conclusion of this afternoon's sessions, Vialle rallied in the night’s opening Heat Race, racing up front with the leader before posting a strong ride that earned the Frenchman a third-place finish.

Vialle paced himself during the 250SX East Main Event, with the track proving to be a significant challenge to the riders with its slick, hard-packed base. With that in mind, a measured performance at the season-opening round saw him register an eventual P5 result.

Tom Vialle: "I had a big crash through the whoops in qualifying, so I was lucky to get away with that one. I didn't feel great in practice or qualifying, although felt a bit better for the night show and P5 for our first Main Event of the year. It's not bad, and although it's not where we want to be, we'll build from here and get better for next weekend."

Equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Sexton powered his way to the top of the 450SX qualifying timesheets, achieving comfort early in the day on what proved to be a difficult circuit layout.

The momentum would continue for the number 4, who braved a chaotic first turn during his Heat Race to emerge in the mid-pack. From there, a patient ride eventuated in a late pass for the lead, with Sexton breezing to the race win from there.

The Main Event was going to plan for the championship red plate-holder, as he held the lead early, building upon his margin as the race continued. An untimely late-race fall saw Sexton surrender P1, and have to nurse his way home in order to consolidate and maximize points, which he would achieve with a gritty fifth place on the night.

Chase Sexton: "Not the way I wanted to end my night after a good day in Tampa. I was solid all day and qualified fastest, but on a bad lap in the Main Event I went down in the whoops while leading and damaged my front brake and throttle, so basically just had to salvage what I could, limping it home to finish out the race – not an ideal way to finish out the weekend. We’ll get to work again this week and come out swinging at Detroit."

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Aaron Plessinger raced to an impressive second-place finish during the night’s opening 450SX Heat Race, with recent progress paying dividends for 'The Cowboy' in Florida.

With starts now at a premium in the highly-competitive 450SX field, Plessinger suffered from track position in the Main Event, and was battling for position inside the top 10 throughout. Continuing to fight, he would finish the night with a P8 result, which marks his best finish of the year so far.

Aaron Plessinger: "The afternoon was tough, but we found a setting heading into the Heat Race and felt like I ripped in that one! I made a few good passes in the first couple of laps, then ended up second. Come the Main, my start was decent before I got shuffled back early, and just rode around in eighth from there. That was the best I had today, so we'll go back and do some homework before Detroit."

Next Race: February 15 – Detroit, Michigan

Results 450SX Class – Tampa
1. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna)
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
3. Jason Anderson (Kawasaki)
5. Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
6. Justin Barcia (GASGAS)
8. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
9. Justin Hill (KTM)
14. Anthony Rodriguez (KTM)
19. Kevin Moranz (KTM)

Standings 450SX Class 2025 after 5 of 17 rounds
1. Chase Sexton, 101 points
2. Cooper Webb, 96
3. Jason Anderson, 84
6. Malcolm Stewart, 77
9. Justin Barcia, 68
11. Justin Hill, 57
13. Aaron Plessinger, 40

Results 250SX East Class – Tampa
1. Max Anstie (Yamaha)
2. Daxton Bennick (Yamaha)
3. Cameron McAdoo (Kawasaki)
5. Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)

Standings 250SX East Class 2025 after 1 of 10 rounds
1. Max Anstie, 25 points
2. Cameron McAdoo, 20
3. Seth Hammaker, 18
5. Tom Vialle, 16

KTM NEWS

KTM celebrates 28 championship titles in 2025

Ver Perfil
A season of dedication and teamwork delivered 28 major racing championships worldwide through a spread of disciplines in 2025 – including 16 international rider crowns, and 12 FIM manufacturer titles. The unprecedented accumulation represents a new annual benchmark for the company. KTM extends its sincere thanks to all factory riders and independent competitors, along with their teams, for their valuable contribution, unwavering dedication, and loyalty throughout the various competitive campaigns.

RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING EXTENDS THANKS TO CHASE SEXTON

Ver Perfil
Following two seasons in the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing thanks Chase Sexton for the success achieved together throughout 2024 and 2025. KTM and Sexton dominated the AMA Pro Motocross Championship in 2024, winning seven of 11 rounds en route to earning the 450MX title outdoors. Despite his title defense being cut short in 2025, this year's highlight came via a single overall victory at Washougal. Supercross saw the 26-year-old Illinois native finish third in the 450SX standings in 2024 and he improved to the runner-up position in 2025, falling short of the championship by only two points this season. In total, Sexton won nine 450SX Main Events onboard the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, with seven of those this year – including Anaheim 1's high-profile opening round – making for the winningest season of his Supercross career. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing wishes Chase well for 2026 and beyond.

RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING THANKS TOM VIALLE FOR WINNING YEARS TOGETHER

Ver Perfil
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing extends its thanks to Tom Vialle following an illustrious seven years together across both Europe and the United States, achieving two MX2 World Championships and a pair of 250SX East Supercross Championships. Vialle joined the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team ahead of the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship season in the MX2 category, finishing fourth in his debut campaign before capturing his first MX2 World Championship in 2020. The Frenchman would lift his second MX2 World Championship trophy at the conclusion of a thrilling 2022 series, before relocating to North America at the beginning of 2023 to contest the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX), including both the AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross Championships. After a promising rookie season in the U.S., Vialle fulfilled his goal of becoming a Supercross champion in 2024 onboard the KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, before successfully defending his crown when the 2025 championship went down to the wire in Salt Lake City this past May. The now 24-year-old has also displayed his capabilities outdoors in 250MX, finishing as runner-up in the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. He also finished second in the hybrid-type 250SMX standings that year, before backing his result up with third position in 2025. Over the past seven seasons, Vialle and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have built an impressive record together, firmly establishing him as one of the most accomplished 250 cc riders of his generation on the global stage. From 2019 to 2022 in Europe, Vialle amassed 24 MX2 Grand Prix victories, 44 individual Race wins, and 46 overall podium finishes to underline his two MX2 World Championships. Upon arriving in the United States and achieving his two 250SX East titles, Vialle has claimed three Supercross wins and 18 podium results in 250SX, while earning two-career Pro Motocross 250MX round victories and eight podiums overall. He also has three 250SMX Playoffs/Final podium finishes to his credit. In addition, Vialle was a key part of Team France's victory at the 2023 FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN), where he won the MX2 category individually with the full support of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. The entire Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team thanks Tom for his dedication and success and wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.