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TOM VIALLE AND RED BULL KTM CHARGE TO IRONMAN PRO MOTOCROSS PODIUM

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle returned to the 250MX podium in Round 9 of the 2025 Pro Motocross Championship at the Ironman National on Saturday, producing a measured 3-3 moto scorecard for third overall in Indiana. In addition, defending premier class champion Chase Sexton starred with the opening 450MX moto victory of the weekend.

Two-time MX2 World Champion Vialle returned to racing at Ironman's ninth round of the season after sitting out the Washougal National, powering to fifth in 250MX qualifying before racing to a well-earned third-place finish in Moto 1.

Another consistent P3 performance in Moto 2 onboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION earned the number 16 third overall for the day, marking a strong foundation to build from for the remaining rounds of the season. He's currently ranked fifth in the point-standings.

Tom Vialle: “I had fun all day and it was nice to be back at the track after some time off. I’ve always liked the Ironman circuit and have done well here in the past, but it was really gnarly today. The woods section was slippery, and other parts were a bit sketchy, but I’m happy with my day and am looking to finish the Pro Motocross season strong.”

Also back on track after a stint on the sidelines was fellow 250MX class contender Julien Beaumer, who set the eighth-fastest qualifying time, before racing to a 15th-place finish in Moto 1. Again pushing hard in race two, Beaumer finished in 13th position and was credited P14 for the weekend.

Julien Beaumer: “I had a solid qualifying in P8, showed some pace there, but the beginning of each moto I was just a little stale, I would say – just a bit slow at the start. I ran my best laps later in the motos, but I’m happy to get through the round and log consistent laps. I think we’re on a path forward now, so I’m excited to get back to work this week, and be stronger again at Unadilla.”

In the 450MX division, previous round winner Sexton – equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION – posted the third-fastest time during 450MX qualifying, enjoying the fast, flowing Indiana race track on what was a clear day.

For Moto 1, Sexton launched to a strong start, only to experience a fall during the opening stages of the race. In what was an inspired performance, the 25-year-old put in a convincing charge through the pack, ultimately delivering a remarkable victory to open his account for the weekend.

Another solid start to Moto 2 saw Sexton chasing down the overall win, briefly entering third position before a fall directly after the finish-line unfortunately drew a premature end to his day. He was credited 10th overall due to his points scored in the opening race.

Ian Harrison, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: "Our day started well with Tom finishing third after taking Washougal off, and in Moto 2, he rode really well to stay in contact with the leaders for the first eight laps, and third overall was a nice comeback for him. Julien didn't have a great day, but he did get through the day, and he was definitely stronger than when he left off, so hopefully he can build on this. Chase rode an incredible first moto that was nice to watch as a fan – just amazing – and he managed to ride a very calculated race to take the win. Second race, he lost control over the jump – I did not see it exactly – but afterwards I could see that he couldn't get going as the front brake was jammed on. It was unclear at that time when it'd happened, but judging from when we got to the bike, it looks to be that the brake packed full of mud, and that was the after-effect of the crash. Leading up to the crash, we're still unclear of exactly what happened, but it does look like we could be dealing with debris in the brakes from the track, and if thats the case, we need to come up with a solution on how to prevent this in the future."

Next Race: August 16 – Unadilla, New Berlin

Results 450MX Class – Ironman National
1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda)
2. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna)
3. Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
8. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna)
9. Justin Barcia (GASGAS)
10. Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)

Standings 450MX Class 2025 after 9 of 11 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 412 points
2. Hunter Lawrence, 365
3. Eli Tomac, 324
5. RJ Hampshire, 293
7. Aaron Plessinger, 204
8. Malcolm Stewart, 182
11. Chase Sexton, 147
13. Justin Barcia, 138

Results 250MX Class – Ironman National
1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
2. Jo Shimoda (Honda)
3. Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
14. Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
15. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS)

Standings 250MX Class 2025 after 9 of 11 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 418 points
2. Jo Shimoda, 367
3. Garrett Marchbanks, 286
5. Tom Vialle, 242
13. Ryder DiFrancesco, 128
17. Julien Beaumer, 106
21. 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.