Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Julien Beaumer has taken control of the 250SX West Championship lead after racing to a breakout first-career AMA Supercross victory in San Diego’s second round of the 2025 season. Beaumer was in outstanding form from the outset at Snapdragon Stadium, leading the way in Qualifying 1 and ultimately qualifying second-fastest overall onboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. He then raced forward to finish P3 in his Heat race. A strong start to the Main Event had the 18-year-old within striking distance of the early leader, before a decisive pass halfway through the race saw him largely unchallenged on his way to claiming his first-ever 250SX win. Julien Beaumer: "This is the first Main Event win of my career, but I’m trying not to get too excited about it right now, as we have a championship to go for. I didn’t have the greatest Heat, but made it happen when it counted! This is definitely confidence-boosting. At the start of this year I had a goal and I needed to believe in myself and I feel that I showed how much I believe in myself tonight. The track was pretty tight and I felt everything was built a little differently, so it was definitely tricky, but I'm really satisfied with the result tonight." In the 450SX division, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Chase Sexton promised to continue his winning ways early on in San Diego. The 25-year-old placed his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION at the top of qualifying this afternoon, and then finished his Heat strongly with a hard-fought P2 score. Sexton started the Main Event inside the top five, but an error on the opening lap saw him remount at the rear of the field. The former champion refused to give up, however, eventually charging his way to sixth position as the checkered flag flew. As a result, the Anaheim 1 winner sits P2 in the standings. Chase Sexton: "It was a chaotic night for me. I fell on the first lap and had to do a lot of work to catch back up. I felt like my riding was really good and the bike felt good, so honestly, we just need to work on our starts and get ready for Anaheim 2. I feel pretty confident with where I’m at, so I’m excited." It was a tough day for last year’s San Diego winner Aaron Plessinger. 'The Cowboy' qualified in 11th position, then made progress with a P6 result in his Heat. Following a mid-pack start in the Main Event, Plessinger was caught up with Sexton on the opening lap and then went down again later, which unfortunately spelled the end of his night. Aaron Plessinger: "San Diego was an interesting one. I didn’t really feel comfortable early on, so we made some changes and they felt really good during the Heat race. I actually felt good and I was able to push and have some really good lap-times, so I went into the Main optimistic and got a decent start, but unfortunately, I got wrapped up with Chase. I got up and tried to charge through the pack, but then I crashed on the triple-quad section – before I knew it, I was on the ground. I’m not hurt bad – I’m just really sore – but I didn’t feel like my head was in the right space and I decided to call it a night. It’s been a tough start to the season, but we’ve got 15 more rounds and I can definitely bounce back next weekend." Next Race: January 25 – Anaheim 2, California Results 450SX Class – San Diego 1. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 2. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 3. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) 6. Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 7. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna) 8. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) 22. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) Standings 450SX Class 2025 after 2 of 17 rounds 1. Eli Tomac, 42 points 2. Chase Sexton, 41 3. Ken Roczen, 40 6. Justin Barcia, 30 9. Malcolm Stewart, 27 15. Aaron Plessinger, 13 Results 250SX West Class – San Diego 1. Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 2. Jordon Smith (Triumph) 3. Hayden Deegan (Yamaha) 5. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS) Standings 250SX West Class 2025 after 2 of 10 rounds 1. Julien Beaumer, 47 points 2. Jordon Smith, 42 3. Jo Shimoda, 40 5. Ryder DiFrancesco, 35
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides has secured an impressive second-place result on a demanding stage 11 at the 2025 Dakar Rally. Finishing just 33 seconds shy of the win, Luciano’s superb result keeps him in fourth overall with one day left to race. Daniel Sanders maintained his commanding rally lead with a strategic ride through the dunes of the shortened 152-kilometer special, finishing sixth to protect his advantage heading into the decisive final stage tomorrow. Rally2 leader Edgar Canet delivered a steady and consistent performance, finishing 15th on the stage to hold his 35-minute class lead and an impressive eighth overall.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Edgar Canet showcased his skill and consistency on stage 10 of the 2025 Dakar Rally, navigating the demanding dunes of the Empty Quarter to secure a fifth-place finish. The Spaniard’s strong result keeps him firmly in the lead of the Rally2 category and in eighth overall. Daniel Sanders adopted a strategic approach to the short special, finishing 11th to maintain his commanding overall rally lead while setting himself up for an advantageous start position for Thursday’s penultimate stage. Luciano Benavides, tasked with opening the stage after his victory on stage nine, powered through the deep sand to finish 16th, cementing his strong fourth place in the overall standings.
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
