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Red Bull KTM Confirm 450SX and 250SX roster for 2023

Strong squad announced.

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Forming the base of the newly-launched 2023 KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb, Marvin Musquin and Aaron Plessinger put their wheels to the dirt on Tuesday to showcase the new bike and livery in front of the press at the team’s practice facility, RD Field. Joining their premier 450 class teammates for the first official launch as a 250-class duo were Northern California native Maximus Vohland and two-time MX2 World Champion Tom Vialle, both aboard the KTM 250 SX-F.


Words: Press Release | Lead Image: KTM


With even more on the line than ever before with the SuperMotocross World Championship, the five-rider Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team is chomping at the bit for the new season and new format of racing. It will commence with the AMA Supercross season-opener in Anaheim, Calif. on January 7, before spanning 31 events, including the AMA Pro Motocross Championship outdoors, for the remainder of the year.

Webb, a two-time champion in the 450SX class, is back in action and looking for redemption in 2023 as a title contender this season. Since first joining Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in 2019 and claiming a maiden premier class crown, Webb has consistently been a title candidate and the 27-year-old is determined to challenge for a third championship once again.

Joining the squad for his 13th consecutive season in the U.S., French rider Marvin Musquin looks to build on his strong performance in 2022. Musquin, 32, finished fourth in this year’s 450SX standings with a Triple Crown victory to his credit, alongside six podium finishes in total, and he now looks to build upon those results in the new year.

Aaron Plessinger will return for his second season at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. He earned a season-high of second in the Oakland 450SX Main Event and then later, upon return from injury, delivered multiple podiums in the 450MX class outdoors. The 26-year-old is now motivated to make his mark on 2023 alongside both Webb and Musquin.

Cooper Webb: “I’m really looking forward to the upcoming season. It’ll be another great year with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team. We had a bit of a rough year last year, but we’re looking to get things back on track for this year. The crew’s been working hard, and we’ve been doing a lot of testing. I’m back with Aldon Baker, so we’re back exactly like we were in 2021 and 2019. I’m looking forward to getting back on top this year, the goal is to go out and try to win a championship again.”

Marvin Musquin: “Right now, it’s obviously the off-season with bootcamp and hard training. The team is working hard to learn the bike even more for the second season and we still have a couple of weeks before the racing starts for 2023. We had a trip in Paris and raced – it was nice to get behind the gate and do one race, at least, before the start of the season. I’m still based in California and following the program with DV [David Vuillemin]. I really like the program and DV gets to know me a little more, so hopefully we can be better for next year.”

Aaron Plessinger: “I’m super excited for 2023, I’m ready to get back behind the gate! Supercross was cut short for me last year and I’m looking forward to getting back out there and showing everybody what I can do. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team has put in a ton of work to get this bike to where we need it to be for this year and I’m feeling really good on it. I’ve been back riding for a while now and I’m super stoked on my fitness and where I am on the bike right now. Only good things should come from here on out. We have three new races on the schedule this year, so I’m also really excited for that. I’m looking forward to spending the whole year with my mechanic, Jade, and getting some race wins. He deserves it. The whole team deserves it. I deserve it. We’ve been working hard, so time to let the hard work pay off. I’m just ready to get back out there and do some racing with my boys!”

On the 250 side, Max Vohland continues to gain experience in the professional ranks after claiming sixth overall in the 250MX standings this year. At 19 years of age, Vohland is excited to return to supercross for a third attempt, this year in the 250SX Western Regional Championship, and has his sights firmly set on making an impact throughout the SuperMotocross World Championship season.

Max Vohland: “I’m excited about the 2023 season. We made some significant steps forward at the end of the motocross nationals and have built on that progress in our SX testing this off-season. I’ve been putting in the work at The Baker’s Factory and I look forward to showing what we have done. My goals are to position myself as a front-runner in supercross, be a consistent podium guy for the outdoors, and to try to win the SuperMotocross World Championship.”

Making his anticipated U.S. racing debut in 2023, 22-year-old French rider Tom Vialle is eager for the gate to drop for the 250SX Eastern Regional Championship come February. Based in Florida at The Baker’s Factory alongside his Red Bull KTM teammates, the two-time and current MX2 World Champion also looks ahead to the Pro Motocross season, beginning in May.

Tom Vialle: “For me, it’s a new life. After winning the title in 2022 in MX2 World Championships, I moved to the U.S. and it was a tough decision, but so far everything has been so good. I’m training in Florida with Aldon and the group at The Baker’s Factory and everything so far, so good. I like it a lot. I enjoy riding supercross, it’s a new discipline for me so I have a lot to learn. I’m doing a good job training with the team and mechanic – everyone is really nice to me, so we’ve really moved forward. I’ve never raced a supercross here in the U.S., so I’m really excited about it. Just to go there and see what it’s going to be like to ride at night in the stadium, and to ride in front of so many fans is going to be a big thing for me. And then I will move to motocross in the summer, I am also excited for that. That will be a new challenge for me – a little bit closer to what I’ve been training for the last four years in Europe – but I’m really excited about racing both SX and MX for the first time in the U.S. For me, a lot of new things are coming and I can’t wait to start racing.”

Ian Harrison, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “We are just a month away from going into the 2023 season. We’re out in California today with all the guys riding, which is nice to see them all healthy and going well. We have made some progress on the bikes and it seems like it’s working well at the moment for the riders – you never know until you go racing. We have a big team, the biggest we’ve had since I’ve been a part of KTM – with five riders. We have 250 riders on each coast, which we are excited about. With the 450 guys, they all seem ready to go, so we just have to keep them safe and keep building until January comes.”

Breaking News

NPC 2024 IS ON! All eyes are on Oakhanger.

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Oakhanger will host the first round of the NPC series this weekend. Gulf Racing Fuels, which will support the series for the next three years, will be in attendance. The line looks impressive, while entry lists are still being worked on. Starting a series from scratch is always hard, but trying to do that in a recession and with industry budgets at an all-time low is even more challenging. The guys behind the NPC have been working around the clock to make this happen.

MX1 and MX2 classes will provide some exciting racing with this at the weekend. MX1 will see Tristan Purdon, Brad Todd, Jamie Carpenter, Carlton Husband, Tom Grimshaw, John Adamson, Dan Thornhill, Chalie Putnam, and Aaron Patstone lining up. MX2 will offer some great racing with Charlie Cole, Charlie Heyman, Ollie Colmer, Ben Mustoe, Glen McCormick, Callum Mitchell, Syd Putnam, Ben Franklin, Harvey Cashmore and Liam Bennet all looking to get some hours in the bank racing.

Justin Barclay and Alfie Smith have produced a stunning track for riders to compete on. As I’m typing this update, more British riders are signing up, and they will be confirmed every day leading up to what will be a historical event. I say historical because I believe this series will go from strength to strength and offer one of the best championships in the UK and, hopefully, Europe.

The Acerbis is cancelled this weekend, so places at the NPC are filling up fast. There are four groups, and wildcards are still available in each group.

Entries for the event can be accessed here: https://nora92.com/event/nora-pro-championship-round-1/#tribe-tickets

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Breaking News

Alberto Forato signs up for Standing Construct Honda MXGP

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Although it’s been speculated for a while, it’s always great to get the official PR! One of the rider’s favourite teams to work under, Standing Construct Honda have secured the young and talented Alberto Forato for 2024. Along with Pauls Jonass the team will surely be not just one of the professional in the paddock but fun and friendly! A great match.

Standing Construct Honda MXGP is delighted to announce the signing of Italian sensation Alberto Forato for the upcoming 2024 MXGP season. The 23-year-old talent is set to campaign a Honda CRF450R alongside Pauls Jonass in the highly anticipated 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship.

Forato first made waves on the world stage in 2013 in the European Championship EMX150 class, where he competed on a Honda CRF150 and finished as the championship runner-up. Since then, his remarkable talent has propelled him through the ranks.

Starting his 450 career in 2021, “Alby” has demonstrated consistent improvement each year. After finishing 18th overall in his first full season in MXGP, he has progressed impressively, and finished 11th in 2022.

Continuing his upward trajectory, the charismatic #303 achieved four top-five race finishes in 2023, which includes a thrilling third-place finish in Race 1 at his home Grand Prix in Maggiora.

He was also one of only six riders to win a Qualifying Race and ended his 2023 campaign ranked seventh in the world.

Alberto Forato:
“I’m happy to be back with the Honda family and to join the Standing Construct Honda MXGP team. It’s so important to have a solid team behind you and a strong bike, so I’m really looking forward to the new challenge and seeing what we can do in 2024.”

Tim Mathys:
“We are pleased to welcome Alberto Forato to the team for the 2024 MXGP season. We’ve been watching him in MXGP over the past two years, and his progress has been nothing short of impressive. He will be a great addition to our team, and we look forward to seeing what he, together with Pauls Jonass, can achieve!”

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British MX Nationals

£100,000 Reasons to race British Motocross with Nora Pro Championship

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Following the first few press releases, we are pleased to announce the upcoming payouts and prize money for the new series. We believe that the riders who risk everything to compete in what is arguably the World’s most exciting sport, deserve to earn as much as possible.

We are pleased to announce that the Nora Pro Championship will have a £94,500 payout over the six rounds for the riders and a further £4,200 in payouts for teams, giving the overall Championship a purse of £98,700.

Prize money for riders will be paid out per race, with two MX2 races, two MX1 races and one Superpole. Plenty of opportunities for riders to get rewarded.

Position Prize Money Per Race (5 races) Team Overall on the day
1st £500 £400
2nd £400 £200
3rd £320 £100
4th £260
5th £220
6th £200
7th £180
8th £160
9th £140
10th £120
11th £110
12th £100
13th £90
14th £80
15th £70
16th £60
17th £50
18th £40
19th £30
20th £20

The prize fund per event is £15,750 for riders and £700 for teams.

The total Prize fund for the six-round series will be an incredible £98,700 paid out to riders and teams in 2024.

The prize fund and the format we have chosen will make the event one of the most exciting series in the UK next year and attract some good riders from Europe to battle it out with the British riders. The racing should be fantastic to watch with riders receiving good financial rewards that will make the live streaming exciting for those at home watching these fun action-packed 20-minute plus 2-lap races.

News on title sponsor, tracks, teams, riders, entries and partners will be released as a priority.

The interest in the series so far from teams, riders and the industry has been staggering. For media and sponsorship please direct all contact to James Burfield – [email protected]

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