Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides has claimed his second consecutive stage win of the 2025 Dakar Rally, completing stage nine with a near-two-minute advantage. The Argentinian lies fourth overall in the provisional standings. Daniel Sanders led much of the stage but finished third after a navigation error in the closing kilometers. He maintains his overall rally lead by close to 15 minutes. Bringing his KTM 450 RALLY home in an excellent eighth place overall, Dakar rookie Edgar Canet also dominated the Rally2 category, earning his fourth class win and extending his Rally2 lead to one hour and 40 minutes.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides delivered a stellar performance on stage eight of the 2025 Dakar Rally, securing his first stage win of the event. After stopping mid-stage to assist a fellow rider, Benavides recovered brilliantly to claim victory by more than two minutes once his lost time was reallocated. The result elevates the #77 to fourth in the overall standings. Teammate Daniel Sanders delivered another strong performance, opening much of the 483-kilometer special to secure seventh place on the stage and maintain his overall lead by 11 minutes. Rally2 standout Edgar Canet impressed again, finishing eighth overall and second in Rally2, extending his class lead to over 31 minutes and rising to eighth in the overall rankings.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Chase Sexton have started their 2025 AMA Supercross Championship in spectacular form by taking victory in the Anaheim 1 season-opening round, on a night where teammate Julien Beaumer earned the runner-up result in 250SX West. After qualifying third-fastest, Sexton and his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION were unstoppable for the rest of the night, as the reigning Pro Motocross Champion took the holeshot and comfortably won his heat race by more than seven seconds. Quick moves in the Main Event saw the 25-year-old Sexton surge into the lead during the opening laps. From there, he managed the race and claimed his first-ever Anaheim 1 victory. Chase Sexton: "I’m still kind of processing tonight. It’s cool to win Anaheim 1 since it’s a pretty hyped race! I’ve come close in the past, so it was nice to come out on top tonight. I had a lot of fun riding today, had a good time on the track, which was really busy, and I think that kind of plays into my favor. We put a lot of work in during the off-season to get back to where I need to be, so it’s been a long road, but it makes this win feel even better." Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450SX teammate Aaron Plessinger experienced a steady night on his way to ninth in the Main Event. The 28-year-old qualified ninth fastest, then finished his Heat Race in P6. A chaotic start to the final saw Plessinger have to fight his way forward from near the back of the field, eventually crossing the finish line in P9. Aaron Plessinger: "Anaheim 1 didn't go the way I wanted it to, but we’re walking out healthy. I was kind of sluggish all day, and I didn’t get off to a very good start in the Main Event, which made things harder for me. I’m going to go back and do some more testing this week, do some work, and come into San Diego with an improved feeling and aim to get back on the box." It was also an exceptional opening round for Beaumer in the 250SX West division. Equipped with the KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, the 18-year-old charged to the top of the qualifying leaderboards, then won his Heat with a well-timed pass late in the race. A strong start to the Main Event saw him quickly slot into P2 and he put in a series of calculated, fast laps to end his night with a well-deserved runner-up result – signifying his first career Supercross podium. Julien Beaumer: "We’re in a lot better space mentally and physically than we were last year, and I have a lot more belief in myself that I can go the distance. Today I concentrated on minimizing the mistakes on race day, I rode with a lot more maturity than I did last season. I rode calmly, smoothly and tried to ride like I do at the test track. I feel like I achieved that and showed that I’m one of the title contenders this year." Next Race: January 18 – San Diego, California Results 450SX Class – Anaheim 1. Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 2. Ken Roczen (Suzuki) 3. Jason Anderson (Kawasaki) 6. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) 9. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 10. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna) Standings 450SX Class 2025 after 1 of 17 rounds 1. Chase Sexton, 25 points 2. Ken Roczen, 22 3. Jason Anderson, 20 6. Justin Barcia, 15 9. Aaron Plessinger, 12 10. Malcolm Stewart, 11 Results 250SX West Class – Anaheim 1. Jo Shimoda (Honda) 2. Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 3. Jordon Smith (Triumph) 4. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS) Standings 250SX West Class 2025 after 1 of 10 rounds 1. Jo Shimoda, 25 points 2. Julien Beaumer, 22 3. Jordon Smith, 20 4. Ryder DiFrancesco, 18
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders claimed his fourth stage win on stage seven of the 2025 Dakar Rally, extending his overall lead to over 15 minutes – the largest margin so far. Rally2 standout Edgar Canet overcame an early roadbook issue, bouncing back to secure an impressive second place overall on the stage – the best result for a Rally2 rider this year. Edgar now leads the Rally2 category by 21 minutes. Luciano Benavides delivered another strong ride, finishing sixth on the stage and moving up to fifth in the overall standings.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides delivered a strong performance on stage six of the 2025 Dakar Rally, finishing fifth on the 605-kilometer timed special and moving up to sixth overall in the standings. Teammate Daniel Sanders overcame early navigation challenges to finish ninth, maintaining his overall rally lead with an advantage of just under 12 minutes. In the Rally2 category, Edgar Canet showed impressive resilience after a small crash, securing fourth in Rally2 and extending his class lead to 17 minutes, while holding his position in the top 10 overall.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides has claimed an impressive stage win on the final day of week one at the 2025 Dakar Rally, his first victory of the event, moving him up to seventh overall after five stages. Rally2 standout Edgar Canet continued his dominant form, securing his second stage victory and extending his class lead to 16 minutes. Despite a penalty dropping him to 12th on the stage, Daniel Sanders retains a seven-minute lead in the overall rally standings and is well-positioned for week two. Kevin Benavides, currently holding 26th place in the overall standings, delivered another safe but solid stage result in 37th.
