Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders Chase Sexton and Tom Vialle both earned podium finishes as the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship resumed at Southwick this weekend, where 450MX Class title prospect Sexton picked up his third moto victory of the year for second overall. Vialle also stood P2 on the podium in the 250MX division.
Sexton qualified on top of the timesheets at the sandiest track on the schedule, and then raced to third position in Moto 1. He came alive in the mid-stages of the second encounter, charging to the front of the pack with five laps remaining, and going on to take the checkered flag in commanding fashion with an 8.528-second winning margin.
That result via a 3-1 scorecard elevated Sexton to second overall for the weekend in Round 5 of the outdoor series riding his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, currently tied for P2 in the title race, and only three points outside of the red plate with six rounds remaining.
Chase Sexton: "This track has never really been my absolute favorite for some reason, but I had to put that behind me after the first moto, because I didn't want to over-ride the track or push past the limit. In the second moto, I finally started to get a good flow going towards the end, picking some different lines, and it all came together for me. I was able to kind of jump around the track and make it more fun – when you're doing that you go faster. That was the whole thing for me today and we're happy to leave here with a moto win this afternoon."
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Aaron Plessinger also displayed front-running pace at Southwick in qualifying P4, before a crash in the first race proved costly on his way to salvage 12th position. He rebounded in Moto 2 to claim fourth position, which placed him sixth overall once the final tallies were calculated. With confidence on his side, 'The Cowboy' currently sits fifth in the point standings.
Aaron Plessinger: "Southwick could have gone better, but also could have been worse! I actually qualified fourth and was really good in practice, then I got a good start in the first moto, but stalled the bike coming down a hill and laid it down. I picked it back up, got some dirt in my goggles, and had to stop for new ones, so finished up 12th. Second moto, rebounded and rode a really, really good race for fourth. I almost caught the boys on the podium and I can't ask for much more from that one! The first moto could have dictated the day, but it didn't, and we'll bounce back again for RedBud!"
Two-time MX2 World Champion Vialle returned to the location of his lone overall win from one year ago, qualifying sixth and then going on to claim 3-2 finishes. The Frenchman led much of the second moto on his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION on his way to the runner-up result, which placed him second overall. He sits third in the 250MX Class championship, closing in on P2 following his fourth podium of the year.
Tom Vialle: "I had a good first moto and when I got to second it was a big gap to the lead, but it was okay. In the second moto I was leading almost the whole race, before I got stuck a little bit with the lapped riders around three or four laps to go, so Jo [Shimoda] caught me really quick. I tried and really wanted to pass Jo again and fight for the win, but I crashed on the last lap – we were all pushing really hard, so it was a nice race anyway."
Saturday was more challenging for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rookie Julien Beaumer. He qualified strongly in eighth this morning, but a first turn incident and another late fall saw him finish 18th in Moto 1, before he unfortunately crashed out of the second race altogether. The teenager will seek further medical attention this week and is now positioned 11th in the point standings.
Julien Beaumer: "It was a tough first moto. I crashed in the first turn and then made a good comeback, but crashed late in the moto again and lost my goggles. In Moto 2, I made a bad start, then unfortunately got tagged by another rider as I went down, and was run over. I spent some time in the medical unit, but am happy to be healthy, so we will see the neurologist this week and see if we're able to race next weekend."
Next Race: July 6 – RedBud, Michigan
Results 450MX Class – Southwick National
1. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda
2. Chase Sexton (USA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
3. Hunter Lawrence (AUS), Honda
6. Aaron Plessinger (USA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
7. Justin Barcia (USA), GASGAS
11. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Husqvarna
14. Christian Craig (USA), Husqvarna
Standings 450MX Class 2024 after 5 of 11 rounds
1. Hunter Lawrence, 213 points
2. Jett Lawrence, 210
3. Chase Sexton, 210
5. Aaron Plessinger, 162
8. Justin Barcia, 148
9. Malcolm Stewart, 133
11. Christian Craig, 83
Results 250MX Class – Southwick National
1. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha
2. Tom Vialle (FRA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
3. Jo Shimoda (JPN), Honda
9. Pierce Brown (USA), GASGAS
10. Casey Cochran (USA), Husqvarna
11. Ryder DiFrancesco (USA), GASGAS
24. Julien Beaumer (USA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Standings 250MX Class 2024 after 5 of 11 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 238 points
2. Chance Hymas, 196
3. Tom Vialle, 193
7. Pierce Brown, 133
11. Julien Beaumer, 107
12. Ryder DiFrancesco, 96
13. Casey Cochran, 74