Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac continued his impressive start to the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship, capturing a third-place finish following Round 3 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, and maintaining his lead in the 450SX standings. After taking the opening two 450SX race victories of the 2026 SMX World Championship season, Tomac and the team entered Anaheim 2 targeting another strong performance at the famed Southern California venue on Saturday, with the 33-year-old qualifying seventh onboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION during the afternoon sessions. A strong start to his Heat Race saw the two-time Supercross Champion race with the lead group early, before making a decisive pass for the lead with two minutes remaining to claim victory heading into the night’s Main Event. Tomac launched well in the Main Event and circulated inside the top-five during the opening stages, positioning himself to mount a charge for the podium. Battling at the front of the field from that point, the Cortez, Colorado, native climbed to P3 and secured a third-consecutive podium result, strengthening his hold on the red plate as the series heads to Houston, Texas, next weekend. Eli Tomac: “I felt like I was in offense and defense mode the whole time during that Main Event – it was very busy! I was happy to claim a podium spot tonight, but also, there are a couple of things I think back to that maybe I could have done differently to try and stay in front of Hunter [Lawrence], but that's all should have, would have, could have at this point. This race had a bit of everything, but everyone is hauling the mail, and the pace was super-fast. It's good to finish with a podium here – if you had told me at the beginning of the series that I'd go 1-1-3, that's an awesome start, so I'm proud of the team." Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450SX teammate Jorge Prado was also in fine form at Round 3, with the four-time world champion qualifying sixth before earning the holeshot on his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION and delivering a wire-to-wire victory in his Heat Race. Starting outside the top-10 in the Main Event, the Spaniard put his head down and completed an impressive charge toward the checkered flag, executing a series of passes to finish seventh by race’s end. As a result, Prado is currently listed in P9 overall following three rounds to begin season 2026. Jorge Prado: "Anaheim 2 was a positive night – I am very happy with my performance. Winning the Heat Race was good, and then I got cut off at the start of the Main Event, and I had to work through the pack from there. I came back to P7 and was very close to the top-five, so I like the rhythm I had, and the improvements that we made during the week, especially in my ability to come through the field. I'm also very happy with my bike, I think today was the best the bike has felt across the three rounds. There is still much to learn, although I think we are in a very good place right now, and I just can't wait for the next rounds – the team is doing a great job!" Also equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Aaron Plessinger recorded the 12th-fastest 450SX qualifying time before lining up alongside Prado in the night’s opening Heat Race. A heavy incident on the final lap while running in P2 dropped ‘The Cowboy’ to eighth position across the finish, but he was able to transfer directly into the Main Event. Making a fast start to the Main Event, Plessinger ran fifth during the opening laps and showed front-running speed early. As the race progressed, the 30-year-old began to feel the effects of his Heat Race crash and ultimately withdrew from the night’s racing. He will now focus on recovery ahead of next weekend's first Triple Crown round of the year in Houston. Aaron Plessinger: "I actually felt pretty good today, coming off having the flu for a couple of weeks. I was feeling it in my Heat Race and was closing in on Jorge with a lap to go when I hit something and was sent flying off the face of the jump, so I hit the ground really hard. I banged myself up real good. I was able to get up and cross the line in eighth, so I qualified for the Main without having to race the LCQ, which was a positive. I did my best in the Main Event and was good on opening laps, but honestly, my body really started to feel it midway into the race, and I just had to salvage what spots I could. I will regroup this week, get a bunch of therapy on my body, and hopefully have a better race in Houston next weekend.” Next Race: January 31 – Houston, Texas Results 450SX Class – Anaheim 2 1. Chase Sexton (Kawasaki) 2. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 3. Eli Tomac (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 7. Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 9. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) 12. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna) 15. Justin Hill (KTM) 22. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) Standings 450SX Class 2026 after 3 of 17 rounds 1. Eli Tomac, 70 points 2. Hunter Lawrence, 62 3. Chase Sexton, 57 9. Jorge Prado, 41 11. Aaron Plessinger, 27 12. RJ Hampshire, 27 14. Justin Hill, 23 15. Malcolm Stewart, 22
