Vialle to 450 in 2026

250SX defense triggers early 450 transition for Vialle

Dual 250SX class champion to move to premier class for 2026 Supercross.

Image: Octopi Media.

Winning back-to-back 250SX East championships will trigger an early 450 transition for Tom Vialle in 2026, the Red Bull KTM rider no longer eligible to compete in the quarter-liter division of Monster Energy Supercross as a repeat title-winner.

In just his third year in the United States, Vialle has amassed two 250SX crowns, which implements the category ruling of a rider having to move up into the premier class after having captured two championships.

Already a double MX2 world champion, while 24-year-old Vialle will complete 2025 onboard the 250 SX-F in Pro Motocross and the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) post-season, he had intended to step up to 450MX next year regardless. Now, that transfer will be forwarded to Anaheim 1, but a deal with KTM is yet to be formalized.

“I’m really excited, actually, and I think the plan was to move up to the 450 next year anyway for outdoors,” commented Vialle after successfully defending his 250SX crown in Salt Lake. “It depended on this championship on whether I would stay on the 250 for Supercross or not [next year], but now I have to [go up].

“This provides me [with] a new challenge in my career, as I’ve been in the 250 class since 2019, which is five or six years already. I did some riding already on the 450 during our outdoor preparation, and I’ll work pretty hard during the winter to get on the 450 [for next year] – it’s something that I am excited about.”

Given his longstanding relationship with the Austrian manufacturer dating back to his title years in Europe, Vialle has expressed that he would like to remain with KTM, but has suggested that a contract was ‘not done yet’. Red Bull KTM has already re-signed Aaron Plessinger, with Chase Sexton’s future remaining up in the air amid ongoing links to both KTM and Kawasaki for 2026.

What led to RJ Hampshire’s all-in contact on Seth Hammaker

Veteran racer needed to put points between himself and 250SX East title rivals.

We’ve seen no shortage of championship moves over the last two weekends, with each having yielded different results and consequences. For RJ Hampshire on Saturday night, a straight-up pass on Seth Hammaker wasn’t going to be enough to earn him the 250SX East title, with contact seemingly the only viable option. And that’s the shot he – unsuccessfully – took.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing mainstay Hampshire entered the final round three markers behind Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Hammaker and six behind points leader Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), as the culmination of the eastern regional title chase came down to the Salt Lake City main event.

The Showdown inside Rice-Eccles Stadium was intense, to say the least. Initially, it was Vialle who looked to have the title in reach, before both Hammaker and Hampshire made the move past the Frenchman, and with two minutes left on the clock, had put seven seconds between them and the defending champion.

It was at this moment that Hampshire would strike after being forced to work his way through the pack courtesy of an LCQ appearance, making a desperate pass that left both he and Hammaker on the ground, with Vialle breezing by and claiming what had looked like an unlikely championship up until that point.

 

Image: Octopi Media.

So the question is, what led to such a move? Well, 29-year-old Hampshire needed more points than what simply beating Hammaker by one place would’ve given him. The differential between second and third is two points, meaning he needed at least one more rider to get between him and the number 56.

You could rule out Hampshire making any kind of inroads on the first-placed Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – he was in a different zip code out front. So, Hampshire would’ve needed Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to go by Hammaker, although for Vialle to not make the move on Seth, because that would mean that Vialle’s fourth place would have been enough if Hampshire finished second.

It’s a very complex situation, and whether Hampshire had any idea of the lay of the land is up for debate, but chances are that he was somewhat aware in the moment, especially judging by his comments after the fact. That was the rationale behind such a pass, and if a title is on the line, you’ve kind of got to take it, right? Especially considering it was his final start in the 250 tier.

We saw Deegan strike on Cole Davies (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) one week earlier, and he walked away with a number one plate. On the other hand, we saw Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) arguably play pretty nicely with Cooper Webb (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), and that led to the latter comfortably walking away with the title.

It’s a tough one. Add in the fan reaction after such a move – Deegan comes to mind, along with the hate Hampshire wore after the weekend’s clash – and one can wonder whether it is worth it, however, when a championship and a considerable bonus understood to be in the region of $500k is on the line, sometimes you’ve got to go all in.

 

“Today was a very eventful day,” reflected Hampshire. “I felt good on the bike, then the heat race didn’t go so well after having a big one that sent me to my first LCQ in a couple of years. That’s always stressful, so then the outside gate pick for the main gave me an average start, but I put my head down and charged.

“I had a chance for the championship at the end there, and I went for it, which didn’t go in my favor, and it’s unfortunate to take us both down. Overall, I did everything I could, I tried, and we’ll leave here and move on – I’m looking forward to this next chapter of my career.”

Try he did. And, although it was a wild ending, can he be blamed for it? Honestly, not really. I think that sometimes it depends on who a rider takes down, and adding fire to both Deegan and Hampshire’s moves was the fact that they took both Davies and Hammaker down, who are both universally liked at this point in their careers. There’s the legendary Pro Circuit team factor at play, too.

“A few years ago I almost believed I’d never have a shot at winning a championship,” 2024 250SX West winner Hampshire later explained further on social media. “Last year I proved I could and last night had another shot at one. I fought so dang hard all season just to have that opportunity. A decision I wish I didn’t have to make, which was obviously devastating for Seth and myself.

“I have massive respect for Mitch [Payton] and his whole team, which made the situation even worse. To my team and all the people that invested in me, thank you! Disappointed I couldn’t deliver last night, but the sun still shined this morning and I’ll be ready for the next chapter. I will continue to always give my best and grow from this! Looking forward to an awesome summer.”

As for Hammaker, 24, he was obviously dejected, and the feelings are raw in the moments after losing out on a dream you’ve had since you were young. Nevertheless, he handled himself with class, acknowledging the on-track action, while also remaining upbeat on the improvements made throughout the season.

“It was a great season, but obviously a bummer when you come so close like that,” he commented. “That was a crazy race, a lot of chaos… RJ came in hot in the last corner there and took us both down, which then I remounted and tried to go after Tom, although second place is going to have to do this season.”

There isn’t a lot more to say on the matter, at the end of the day, this is sport and racing. Especially when titles are on the line, history tells that you’ve got to do all that you can, and those big moves in the moment can really work at times, as shown by Deegan, and perhaps not by Sexton, who opted to keep it clean.

As it relates to Hampshire, he went for it and needed the cookie to crumble a particular way for things to go in his favor. Ultimately, it didn’t, and the crafty, calculated repeat eastern division champion Vialle kept things quiet, but straight – as he has done for most of this season. And in the end, he winds up with a very well-earned second-career AMA Supercross crown.

Sidelines: Pro Motocross season preview

By Isabella Gaglione, Editor-in-Chief

Jett Lawrence and Eli Tomac plan to return to the sport for Pro Motocross later this month. (Photo courtesy of motocross.com)

With one more round of Monster Energy AMA Supercross to go, professional off-road motorcycle racing fans will be looking ahead to this summer’s Pro Motocross Championship, kickstarting in California later this month.

If this year’s supercross is any indication, the 450 class will be one to watch.

Cooper Webb and Chase Sexton are neck-and-neck in the indoor season and will continue to be top contenders for the outdoor title. Webb, the current red plate holder, is one of the toughest guys on track and knows that winning the most races doesn’t earn you the top spot. Sexton’s desire to be the top young gun in the sport is sure to carry over to Pro Motocross.

Fan favorites Eli Tomac and Jett Lawrence were sidelined this supercross season with injuries, and both will be entering AMA Motocross with something to prove. With the third-most premier division Pro Motocross wins to his name, Tomac’s long career may be coming to an end with this outdoor season. He has the skillset to pull off the last win fans have been itching to see, but only time will tell if he has the stamina.

On the younger side, Lawrence has proven since coming to the United States that his skills and speed are unmatched. Watching Lawrence — the “Justin Bieber of motocross,” who became the first motocross player to go to the Met Gala this year — got me into professional motocross, and it feels wrong to root against the two-time SuperMotocross world champ, but he’ll be joined by many powerful riders who have spent the time he’s been injured getting stronger.

Justin Cooper, Aaron Plessinger, Jason Anderson and Hunter Lawrence all have chips on their shoulders and goals of getting to the top. I’m hoping Malcolm Stewart gets a few podium finishes along the way.

The 250 class is shaping up to be a little less interesting.

Haiden Deegan — son of motosports legend Brian Deegan and brother of professional NASCAR driver Hailie Deegan — seems nearly unstoppable, having clinched last year’s 250SX Motocross championship. Last week, Deegan ran away with the 250SX West title by 25 points, and he currently stands at 36 points ahead of 250SX East frontrunner Tom Vialle.

Cole Davies — Deegan’s teammate, who he took out last week in a move that sent Davies into the berm — is being talked about as the next Jett Lawrence, but we’ll have to see if that can carry over to outdoors. Jet ski world champion Julien Beaumer is another name on Deegan’s hitlist and is vying to conquer a new sport with a score to settle.

Personally, I’ll always be rooting for consistent riders, and Jo Shimoda has a record of staying on course. Hopefully, this will lead him to a podium finish this year, as he accomplished in 2023.

Zach Osborne Announced as Moto Brand Ambassador for Beta USA

Beta USA is proud to welcome Zach Osborne as the company’s newest Brand Ambassador. In his new role, Osborne will contribute to the brand’s growth by assisting with bike testing, working closely with Beta’s riders, and attending select events across the country to promote the Beta name.

Osborne brings a wealth of experience to the team. A household name in the racing world, his professional career spans over 16 years and includes four major U.S. championships. He was crowned the AMA Pro Motocross 450 Class Champion in 2020 and claimed both the 250SX East and 250MX Championships in 2017. His career highlights also include 20 AMA Pro Motocross 250 Class podiums, 7 wins in the 250 class, and 4 victories in the 450 class. Following his Supercross and Motocross retirement, Osborne returned to full-time racing in 2022 in the off-road world as well in GNCC competition.

“I’m honored to be a part of the Beta family. They are carving out a neat spot as a brand in our sport, and I’m excited for their future. I hope I can add momentum to the great work they are already doing and have some fun along the way,”

Dylan Ferrandis out for Pro Motocross

Dylan Ferrandis of the Phoenix Racing Honda team announced on Monday that he will miss the entire 2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship due to a stress fracture in his leg.

“The Supercross season is over — I finished seventh in the championship. Unfortunately, I won’t be racing this summer. I’ve been dealing with a stress fracture in my left leg all season. I thought it had healed recently, but it came back last week. It’s a real shame, because I love the outdoors and felt like my phxracinghonda bike had a lot of potential. The plan now is to return for SMX and maybe race the last few rounds of the MX season.”

After a slow start in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, Ferrandis found his rhythm later in the season, recording seven top-10 finishes.

The Glen Helen National is BACK! (kinda)

This Week in MXA, presented by O'Neal, is about the upcoming MotoFest at Glen Helen, May 15th through the 18th. Bud Feldkamp, the owner of Glen Helen Raceway, has invested big time into this race; not only is he putting up $100,000 in purse money, but Glen Helen has also invested in a new backdrop to the starting gate, and they're revamping the track for this weekend of racing. This video is all about the MotoFest and "Stopwatch National" at Glen Helen next week, plus MXA's Josh Mosiman talks about this past weekend's Denver Supercross with the Deegan takeout drama and more. Also, special thanks to Kyoshi Becker for the awesome featured image photo.

Countdown: Supercross finale storylines

 Kane Taylor - motoonline

Seven key aspects to follow at this weekend's finals in Salt Lake City.

Following 16 rounds of the 2025 Monster Energy Supercross Championship, all is set to be decided at this weekend’s Salt Lake City finale inside Rice-Eccles Stadium. In this Countdown feature, we review the primary storylines that are yet to be resolved as we enter the final round of action.

Image: Octopi Media.

7. 250SX Showdown:
The 250SX Showdowns are always highly anticipated. A diverse group, including wily veterans, explosive rookies, riders who may have underdelivered, and those who want to carry momentum into Pro Motocross, all meet one last time this year in Supercross, with bragging rights of the fastest racer from either coast on the line. There’s no shortage of motivation, either, as Cole Davies will no doubt be fired up after Denver, and a pressure-free Haiden Deegan will want to put a stamp on the 250SX class that he is indeed the top dog. The top three 250SX East contenders – Tom Vialle, Seth Hammaker and RJ Hampshire – will need to balance a title, but think of riders like Nate Thrasher, Austin Forkner, Jordon Smith and Michael Mosiman, for example, who would love to come out and send a statement that they are indeed not to be slept on in 250SX for future results.

6. JCoop’s last chance:
Justin Cooper’s 2025 Supercross season no longer has him on the bubble of ‘will he get a ride or won’t he get a ride?’ moving forward. This was a little unfair considering his credentials, however, given the loaded 450 rostrum at the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team between Eli Tomac and Cooper Webb, he was more a victim of circumstance. Having seen out the entirety of the season, Cooper is now 10 points shy of the absent Ken Roczen, so P3 in the standings is entirely possible, which is a huge win for both Cooper and the team. That being said, he’s been knocking on the door for that elusive 450SX main event win, and if he wants to check that off the list this year, Salt Lake City is his last chance to do so.

5. Ferrandis and Hill duke it out for P8 overall:
It’s maybe a left-field topic, however, rarely have we witnessed a more silent championship season than Dylan Ferrandis’ 450SX campaign this year. Someone could tell us that he’d been missing since Glendale, and honestly, you could believe it. Yet, the Frenchman sits eighth in the premier class standings and is two markers ahead of the equally quiet – at least in recent weeks – Justin Hill, with a fight here apparently raging on despite having not appeared on the broadcast. Maybe we’ll hire a spotter for this final round, just to confirm that there are indeed motorcycles with the numbers 14 and 46 circulating. Anyway, props for these two for having made it until the end, and for those wondering, Ferrandis has a high score of fifth place on two occasions this year, while P5 in Arlington marks Hill’s best performance.

4. Davies versus Deegan:
It’s unclear how the relationship is now between teammates Davies and Deegan. The once jovial pair experienced adversity last weekend when Deegan effectively put Davies over the berm in a bid to capture the 250SX West class title. Little has since indicated that the friendship has been rekindled, with Deegan notoriously finding the friendship/competition dynamic a difficult one to balance. It now seems that each has a point to prove as we enter the finale here, and maybe it’s the nail in the coffin as to who the alpha-male on the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 squad will be moving forward? Yes, Deegan claimed the number one plate, but Cole is only in his rookie season. For whatever reason, it just feels like this race will bring with it bragging rights that will extend back to the Goat Farm and beyond.

3. The pressure of leading:
It may be counterintuitive to say given his customary mental astuteness, but it could be said that this title chase is getting beneath Cooper Webb’s skin. As far as championships go, it seems like the pressure only mounts as one ticks them off. The first one is met with an air of surprise and joviality – like a ‘You did it!’ type of response. Number two is, ‘Well, you’ve done it before, so it would be cool to do it again,’ and then three and beyond is ‘Yeah, you’re expected to do this now.’ If this is anywhere near correct, then we’re likely seeing this unfold with Webb. Was the weekend sickness stress-induced? Coupled with the ‘not easy’ and ‘you wouldn’t want to bear this type of pressure’ comments, this title seems to be weighing on the two-time 450SX champ. If he seals it this weekend, look for a huge sigh of relief more than anything from Webb this time around.

2. The East is wide-open:
Literally, wide-open – anyone’s game, and may the best man win. We’ve viewed it as no one wanting to grab this series by the scruff of the neck on multiple occasions this year, however, what if the answer lies in just how close these riders are, across the board? Between Hammaker, Hampshire and Vialle, it’s tough to point out a separating factor, which is probably why they’re separated by three points entering Salt Lake City this weekend. They each have great teams, are great riders, and have a great chance of securing what will be a well-earned 250SX East crown. Both Vialle and Hampshire have wrapped up titles before, but Seth is the only multi-time winner this season. Ultimately, all that is left to do is line ‘em up and drop the gates in Rice-Eccles Stadium, and again, may the best man win!

1. 450SX comes down to the wire:
After 16 grueling rounds of Monster Energy Supercross competition, the time has finally arrived – we will crown a 450SX champion this weekend. What an absolute dogfight it’s been all season, and a huge hats off to both Webb and Chase Sexton, as well as their respective teams and camps. It’s been a barn burner of a season, with these two swapping momentum – especially after the break – on a round-by-round basis. These two have given us one of the best title battles in recent memory, and whoever walks away as the champion has well and truly earned this one. Sexton needs help to shrink the nine-point deficit he faces, but it is Supercross, and nothing is guaranteed. However the cookie crumbles, though, it has to be said that we have watched two of the very best go head-to-head in 2025, with anyone who tuned in this season as the real winners.

Hangtown Is Coming Soon!

Round 15, Pittsburgh

450 CLASS: Cooper Webb won the Pittsburgh Supercross from start to finish and barring an injury, mechanical failure or really bad race, Cooper is on the fast track to win his third AMA 450 Supercross crown when the 2025 series ends in Salt Lake City. Coming into Pittsburgh Chase Sexton was 9-points behind Cooper Webb. Chase’s big hope was to win all three of the final races, which would earn him the 9 points he needed if Cooper Webb finished second in all of them (because the 2025 Championship would then be tied on points and the title would go to the rider with the most wins—which would be Chase Sexton. The fly in Chase’s title hopes was that if he lost one of the final three rounds, Cooper Webb would be in the driver’s seat. Webb’s win in Pittsburgh gave him a 12-point lead in the points total—and 12 points would be hard for Chase to make up with only the two remaining races (Denver and Salt Lake City) — not impossible, but a very long shot.

250 EAST CLASS: Four things happened in the 250 Main event; (1) Point leader Seth Hammaker spun his rear wheel at the start and was buried in heavy traffic. He decided to throw caution to the wind and had a wild and wooly ride through the pack, but eventually moved up to finish 5th. (2) R.J. Hampshire jumped off the side of the track while running third, landing on a tough block, but quickly remounting to end up 4th. (3) Nate Thrasher led the 250 East main event from the start and seemed to be in control, but late in the moto he was caught and pass for the lead by a revitalized Tom Vialle. Nate didn’t give up, but there wasn’t enough time left to get back by Tom Vialle, who won his first race of the season and took the 250 East points lead by 1 point ahead of Seth Hammaker, with R.J Hampshire 3 points out of the lead. (4) The 250 East doesn’t doesn’t race again until the East/West Showdown race in Salt Lake City on May 10.

KTM Still Has Problems

KTM Group Stops Motorcycle Production Due Lack Of Parts!

Although KTM AG recently outlined ambitious plans for the future during a rebooting process unveiled a few weeks ago, progress has not gone as smoothly as anticipated. Just days before a critical vote on the company’s direction, production has once again come to a halt due to a lack of funding.

According to European media sources, particularly GPOne, the core issue stems from supply chain disruptions. KTM relies on third-party suppliers—such as Brembo—for many of its motorcycle components, rather than producing everything in-house. A reported spending freeze is currently preventing the company from purchasing necessary parts, effectively stopping production since they can’t complete assembly without them.

While Pierer Mobility has not issued a press release confirming this situation, the development isn’t entirely surprising. It was already known that KTM’s financial struggles had begun affecting its suppliers, with some pushed into precarious positions themselves. Larger suppliers, such as electronics or tire manufacturers, may be able to weather the storm but are likely demanding guarantees of payment. Smaller, local factories, however, are hit much harder and may not survive KTM’s delayed payments.

Now, GPOne says KTM did indeed start production mid-March, as planned, but that they had to shut the Austrian factory down after making only 4,200 bikes. Considering the plan was to build 230,000 motorcycles this year, they’ve got a lot of catching up to do.

This is bad news, but it only sits as background to even more potentially significant news. While Bajaj (KTM’s largest minority owner, by far) contributed the €150M needed to resume production, KTM AG is still short hundreds of millions of euros. When leadership announced its restructuring plan in February, much of that plan hinged on KTM AG repaying its creditors to the tune of €550M by late May. It does not appear that, at this point, the money has been secured; indeed, the company’s early-April press release indicated half of KTM AG’s share capital had been lost. In other words—investors’ shares were losing their value drastically, and the company needed to raise new money. There will be a general meeting on April 25 (tomorrow) to discuss how this is all worked out, especially as to whether KTM needs funds beyond Bajaj’s €150M (with another €50M also potentially incoming from Bajaj).

This story is far from finished—in fact, even the beginning is still unfolding. In the coming months, it appears increasingly likely that KTM will no longer remain under Austrian ownership. There’s also a strong possibility that a significant portion of production will move away from Mattighofen. Bajaj, which already manufactures a large part of KTM’s lineup in India, could take on even more production responsibilities if it gains greater control of the company.

For consumers, there’s a silver lining: there’s still a healthy supply of 2024 KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas models available. So, even if 2025 bikes aren’t on the table, finding a brand-new ride this year shouldn’t be a problem. Ever since the company began openly addressing its financial troubles in late 2024, questions about its long-term future have been swirling. Unfortunately, without a crystal ball, it’s impossible to predict what will happen with parts availability, factory support, or other services. Based on our conversations with North American staff, it seems they don’t have many clear answers either. So, make your purchase decisions carefully—but from what I’ve personally seen, there are some excellent deals floating around in the KTM world right now.