AMA PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP: RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING’S NEXT GOAL IN 2024

Heading into his first motocross season since joining the team, Sexton has quickly adapted to the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION off-road machine and is coming off a spectacular Main Event win at the AMA Supercross Championship finale in Salt Lake City last weekend. With his confidence growing, the 24-year-old is determined to build on his six overall 450MX wins across this year’s 11 rounds and challenge for the title.

Chase Sexton: "I'm ready to go! The team and I made good development progress towards the end of the Supercross season to get me comfortable with the bike and the team. Winning in Salt Lake really boosted my confidence, and we want to keep that momentum going into Pala MX this weekend. We're going to continue to do what we've been doing all year and improve race by race. I know I have a good group of people around me, so I plan on giving it my all this motocross season."

Fan favorite Plessinger will make his long-awaited and welcome return from a broken elbow that unfortunately ended his Supercross season prematurely. The Cowboy – a former 250MX National Champion – has been preparing intensively over the past few weeks, ready to return to 100% fitness when the gates open for the season opener. Last year, the 28-year-old finished third in the 450MX final standings with three podium finishes to his credit.

Chase Sexton

Aaron Plessinger: "I love racing outdoors, so I'm really looking forward to the season – off-road fans are my thing! I've been back on the bike for a few weeks now after suffering an elbow injury in Supercross. It's actually given me a bit of an edge over the others, so I guess that's a positive to what was a negative of having my SX season cut short. I'm looking forward to being among the fans every weekend and having fun with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team."

Aaron Plessinger

Tom Vialle: "It's nice to start the 2024 MX season with confidence and momentum after winning the 250SX East title and with the knowledge I gained last year. I'm returning to tracks I raced last year, which was the hardest part for me in the transition to racing in the States – racing new tracks every week. It certainly helped me to return to a lot of the same places in Supercross, so I'm sure it will be the same for Pro Motocross this year. Every outdoor race also counts towards the overall SMX series points, so my goal is to be consistent and on the podium every weekend."

Tom Vialle

As for 18-year-old breakout Beaumer, the promising rookie made two appearances late last season and immediately took an impressive ninth overall in his debut at Budds Creek. His Supercross campaign in the 250SX West division further showcased his ability to accelerate the learning curve in the professional ranks, and that will play in his favor as the season progresses.

Julien Beaumer: "I'm really looking forward to my first full season with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team outdoors. I was lucky enough to make my professional debut and ride the last few MX races last season to gain some initial experience, which will definitely help me this year. My goal for this season is to learn as much as I can and improve at every round – I want to be on the podium this year."

Julien Beaumer

With a successful AMA Supercross season underway, Pro Motocross marks the second phase of the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) series, which begins this Saturday, May 25, at the Fox Raceway National and winds its way across the United States over 11 rounds before concluding at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana, on August 24. It’s another opportunity to compete for championships for the ever-ready-to-race Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team.

Ian Harrison – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “We’re excited for the Pro Motocross season and to have all four riders on track at the opening round. Chase was extremely strong last year in the off-road segment and it will be a high-pressure situation to keep that momentum going into the 2024 season – time will tell in a few days. Aaron has done a great job preparing for the season, his elbow has healed quickly, and his bike is pretty much where it was last year, with a couple of small improvements. He looks to be in a good place and I’m happy to see him back for this weekend. On the 250 side, I think Tom will go into the off-road segment very confident after winning the Supercross championship and being a two-time MX2 World Champion already, so momentum is on his side too. Julien is entering his first full season, so we expect him to grow as the season progresses, and he has great teammates around him to help with that progression.”