Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger raced to a hard-fought third-place finish in Round 3 of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship at the Thunder Valley National, earning his second-consecutive 450MX podium result.
Colorado began with Plessinger posting the second fastest qualifying time, before powering his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to the front group of Moto 1 out of the gates. After briefly making a late pass for the race lead, ‘The Cowboy’ would reach the checkered flag with a convincing P2 result.
Another strong start in Moto 2 saw Plessinger in the mix with the front-runners once again, navigating ultra-technical track conditions to claim fifth position, and third overall for the weekend. He’s also currently positioned third in the 450MX standings.
Aaron Plessinger: “That first moto was a lot of fun and I was really amped! I didn’t feel fatigued after that one, and then I made a small bike change going into the second moto, which I should have just left alone. That was on me, and I struggled that second moto, but it was just a good day. I had some really good lines in the first one, but being in the battle and making passes on those guys is all I can really ask for. Back to work this week – we’ll come back next weekend looking for that elusive win.”
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle posted a consistent performance at the third round of 250MX competition, racing his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to sixth position in the opening moto. A P5 ride in Moto 2 on a deteriorating track was enough for fourth overall, and an important haul of championship points.
Tom Vialle: “I ended up with fourth overall today, which wasn’t ideal because I just wasn’t feeling it on the track. I was running third in each of the motos, then ended sixth in the first one after a small crash, followed by P5 in Moto 2. I just didn’t have the feel that I needed all day, so we’ll keep working for next weekend in High Point and make some improvements.”
250MX teammate Julien Beaumer experienced a challenging day out at Thunder Valley onboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. He showcased his speed throughout the races, however, a fall during each outing kept him out of front-running contention. A 17th-place score overall via 16-14 results has him now sitting P7 in the standings.
Julien Beaumer: “Not a good day at Thunder Valley. I crashed both motos and that pretty much sums up my weekend. The result doesn’t show how I am riding at the moment, so we’ll regroup and come out swinging at High Point.”
Next Race: June 14 – High Point, Pennsylvania
Results 450MX Class – Thunder Valley National
- Jett Lawrence (Honda)
- Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
- Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
- RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna)
- Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna)
Standings 450MX Class 2025 after 3 of 11 rounds
- Jett Lawrence, 145 points
- Eli Tomac, 120
- Aaron Plessinger, 118
- RJ Hampshire, 87
- Malcolm Stewart, 60
Results 250MX Class – Thunder Valley National
- Chance Hymas (Honda)
- Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
- Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
- Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
- Casey Cochran (GASGAS)
- Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS)
- Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
Standings 250MX Class 2025 after 3 of 11 rounds
- Haiden Deegan, 144 points
- Jo Shimoda, 119
- Chance Hymas, 95
- Tom Vialle, 85
- Julien Beaumer, 81
- Casey Cochran, 64
- Ryder DiFrancesco, 43
