A fifth-consecutive victory in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Budds Creek saw Chase Sexton take another important step in his quest for the 2024 450MX crown at the penultimate round of the season, as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Aaron Plessinger finished third overall, and Tom Vialle returned to the podium with a runner-up result in 250MX.
Sexton qualified quickest onboard the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, before going on to finish second in the opening moto of the weekend. He rebounded from an early crash in Moto 2 to storm into the lead during the closing laps, securing the overall – marking his ninth podium of the series – and maintaining a 28-point advantage in the standings with a single round remaining.
Chase Sexton: "Like I said last weekend, I feel like I made improvements over the break. First motos, I don't know why, they've been tough for me and I just haven't had the flow, and then by the second moto they come around. I didn't make it easy on myself when I fell over, but it was a good race and that second moto was awesome with a really good flow and aggression. It was hard, but I had fun! Looking forward to next weekend."
Plessinger has been in fine form throughout the outdoors and made it three-straight podiums at Round 10. The Cowboy qualified in P6 and then led his share of Moto 1, eventually taking the checkered flag in third position. He was once again up front in the final outing on his way to another P3 result, landing him third on the podium and he also sits in that same position in the championship.
Aaron Plessinger: "That's three podiums in a row! You dream of this as a little kid and it always feels good – that one felt even better. In the first race, I felt like I was riding around in no man's land, but in Moto 2 I fought for it and didn't just roll over or let them go. It's awesome to be up here and on the podium again!"
Frenchman Tom Vialle was in contention all day in the 250MX Class, qualifying fourth on the timesheets and then charging through the pack in both races to register 2-3 scores. Those finishes saw the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider take his sixth Pro Motocross podium of the year, currently ranked third in the point standings.
Tom Vialle: "My starts weren't that good today, but I came back in both motos from pretty far back, and I was able to fight to the end. I think I was really fast in that second moto, so I'm happy with how I rode today, and the track was really good. One more to go!"
It was also a convincing day in the office for rookie teammate Julien Beaumer, matching his best career finish in sixth position at Budds Creek. The teenager rode his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to an outstanding fourth place in the first moto and then backed it up with seventh this afternoon for P6 overall. He is positioned 11th in the points with one round left to run next weekend.
Julien Beaumer: "It was a good day for me at Budds Creek, a step in the right direction with 4-7 results for sixth overall. I'm happy with my starts and my riding, it's good to be trending forward, so we will keep putting in the work this week and come out swinging at Ironman."
Next Race: August 24 – Ironman Raceway, Indiana
Results 450MX Class – Budds Creek National
1. Chase Sexton (USA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
2. Hunter Lawrence (AUS), Honda
3. Aaron Plessinger (USA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
4. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Husqvarna
6. Christian Craig (USA), Husqvarna
Standings 450MX Class 2024 after 10 of 11 rounds
1. Chase Sexton, 454 points
2. Hunter Lawrence, 426
3. Aaron Plessinger, 359
7. Malcolm Stewart, 271
8. Christian Craig, 217
12. Justin Barcia, 148
Results 250MX Class – Budds Creek National
1. Levi Kitchen (USA), Kawasaki
2. Tom Vialle (FRA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
3. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha
6. Julien Beaumer (USA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
7. Pierce Brown (USA), GASGAS
9. RJ Hampshire (USA), Husqvarna
16. Ryder DiFrancesco (USA), GASGAS
Standings 250MX Class 2024 after 10 of 11 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 445 points
2. Levi Kitchen, 383
3. Tom Vialle, 369
7. Pierce Brown, 257
10. Ryder DiFrancesco, 218
11. Julien Beaumer, 207
13. Casey Cochran, 164
26. RJ Hampshire, 27