This week in US Powersports racing.
AMA Announces Schedule for 2025 AMA Speedway National Championship Series
The AMA Speedway National Championship Series returns to the dirt track in 2025, with a pair of races in California that will decide the national champion.
With the sport’s strong roots in California, the AMA Speedway National Championship Series has been a staple on the racing calendar in the state and will bring the nation’s top speedway competitors to the Golden State for two rounds of intense racing action.
“We look forward to getting the AMA Speedway National Championship Series rolling later this year,” AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant said. “Industry Speedway and Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway are incredible tracks with long histories in Speedway. We cannot wait for another outstanding series of racing and are grateful to our promoters for their efforts this year.”
The opening round of the series will be run at Industry Hills Speedway in the City of Industry, Calif., on Aug. 9.
“I am super excited and proud to now be hosting Round 1 of the 2025 AMA National Championship Series here at Industry Hills Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 9,” Promoter Kelly Inman said. “With the 2025 series only consisting of two rounds, every single race finished and point scored is even more important.”
The series will then shift to Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn, Calif., on Sept. 20, where an AMA National Champion will be crowned.
“As AMA Speedway National Championships go, the points will be very close and usually will go down to the last race of the evening on the ‘Tricky Dirt Oval,’” Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway Promoter David Joiner said. “This being our 30th year of racing this year’s championships will be very exciting.”
During the two-round season, Broc Nicol will eye his second consecutive AMA Speedway National Championship after he claimed his first last season. Last year’s runner-up, Max Ruml, will likely be the greatest challenger to Nicol’s crown, as he fell just two points short of the title in 2024.
For more information on AMA Speedway racing, visitAmericanMotorcyclist.com/racing/track-racing/speedway/ .
BACK-TO-BACK PODIUMS FOR MONSTER ENERGY® PRO CIRCUIT KAWASAKI RIDER LEVI KITCHEN AT THUNDER VALLEY
Monster Energy® Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Levi Kitchen showed immense grit to claim another third-place overall finish (8-3) in the Pro Motocross Championship at Round 3 in Lakewood, Colorado. Teammate Garret Marchbanks showed his strength and endurance as well by charging through the pack in both motos to take fourth overall (3-8). Ty Masterpool continued to battle through his illness and put in a solid performance in the first moto to take fourth and secure 10th overall (4-16). Drew Adams continued to progress in his performance with a fifth in Moto 1 and claimed 13th overall (5-34) after a bike issue in Moto 2 forced him to retire early. Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Jorge Prado battled against the competitive field and the challenging track conditions to take 13th overall (8-39). Teammate Jason Anderson fought through the elevation to secure 19th overall (12-40).
Thunder Valley was hit with heavy rain throughout the week leading up to the race. Friday brought intermittent downpours and hail, leaving the track muddy and slick for Saturday morning. In the 250 Class, the Monster Energy® Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders continued to showcase their consistent speed in qualifying, with all four finishing nearly right behind one another, despite the difficult track conditions. Masterpool, Marchbanks, Kitchen, and Adams secured third, fourth, fifth, and seventh, respectively. In the 450 Class, Anderson laid down steady laps to qualify 10th overall, while Prado used the first session to learn the soft, technical track. After grasping the layout and refining his lines, he delivered a stronger second session to qualify 11th overall.
In 250 Moto 1, when the gate dropped Masterpool powered up the uphill start straight into the first corner, putting himself into the Top 5. Adams, Kitchen and Marchbanks had less than ideal starts off the gate, putting themselves mid-pack. The Monster Energy Pro Circuit riders locked in and charged through the pack aboard their KX™250 race machines. Masterpool moved his way from fifth into third early on, until his teammate Marchbanks charged from 16th to pass Masterpool for third place with three minutes left until time expired. Masterpool would claim fourth place while Marchbanks would take third to claim his first career moto podium in the 250 Class. Close behind, Adams would push himself from 28th to claim an impressive fifth-place finish, while Kitchen would also make a come-from-behind run from 21st to eighth place.
In 450 Moto 1, Prado launched out of his outside gate pick and attacked the start straight, putting himself in a favorable Top 10 position to start the moto. Anderson’s inside gate pick proved difficult without a strong start, he was squeezed back to mid-pack through the first corner. Prado quickly settled into eighth place, while pushing the pace of his competitors in front of him. Anderson moved towards the Top 10 and put in his fastest lap time on Lap 2. The No. 21 of Anderson pushed to 11th place, but would settle into 12th place where he would ultimately finish. Prado found himself in an intense battle, swapping positions with seventh place for much of the moto, but would ultimately take eighth place for Moto 1.
In 250 Moto 2, Adams, Marchbanks and Masterpool’s strong results in Moto 1 gave them favorable gate picks for Moto 2, choosing to line up on the outside gates next to each other, while Kitchen was lined up a couple of gates over. When the gate dropped, Masterpool pulled another impressive start, turning the first corner in third place. Kitchen and Adams were caught up mid-pack across the line, while Marchbanks got tangled in the first turn pile-up, causing his transponder to break. The Pro Circuit riders found themselves in a similar situation to Moto 1, having to move their way up through the field. Masterpool found himself feeling the symptoms of his ongoing illness in the second moto as he tried to fight off his competitors, but would slip to 16th to finish the moto. Marchbanks would remount his bike after the pile-up and put his head down again to pass his competitors. He climbed from 39th to an incredible eighth-place finish. Adams would move himself inside the Top 10 until a tip-over mid-race would drop him back to 20th. Adams would look to work his way back up in the rankings until a bike issue forced him to exit the track early. Kitchen put on another impressive showing as he powered through his competition from 17th to third place, taking the podium position on the second-to-last lap and securing his second consecutive overall podium finish.
In 450 Moto 2, Prado pulled another strong start out of the gate, turning the first corner in fifth place with Anderson close behind in ninth place. Early in the moto Anderson tweaked his knee from a tip-over on the top of the track. This caused him to be unable to put any weight on that knee, which led to another crash where he was trapped under his bike. Due to the pain in his knee, Anderson retired from the race early. Prado was clicking off consistent laps in the beginning of the moto, until he hit a kicker off a deep rut in the treacherous track conditions that led to him retiring early as well.
“I was in a dog fight the entire day. In the first moto I got a bad start and fell early on. I need to get off the line better, but I’m really happy with my fitness. At the end of the race I felt unbelievable. This second moto was a tough one but I just dug deep and tried to keep moving my way to the front. It feels so good to be back racing and I’m looking forward to next weekend at High Point.”
Levi Kitchen
“Qualifying was pretty good, I got third overall and in the first moto I got a pretty good start. I worked my way up to third and then unfortunately I hit false neutral in a corner. I was battling with Garrett [Marchbanks] for the last couple laps and finished in fourth. I’m still fighting my cold from last week and I was throwing up in between motos. I was in survival mode once that happened, plus with the altitude mixed in, it was pretty tough. This result is not how I wanted the first three rounds to go, but I’m just focused on getting healthy right now and looking forward to the next round.”
Ty Masterpool
“It was a solid day today, one of my best finishes out here at Thunder Valley. I’m super pumped to get my first ever moto podium in the 250 class, which is super cool. Qualifying went great, I was fourth overall in qualifying. I’ve been super consistent in qualifying so far in the first three rounds, averaging around fourth or fifth. The motos have been great, I just need to get a better start. The first moto was alright I was able to make my way through the pack coming from 16th to third, which I feel is great. I think with the elevation it was super hard and how deep it was today on the start definitely made it a little difficult. Second moto I was feeling good, thought I had a great jump but came into the first turn and everyone was fighting for the same line that caused a lot of guys to go down. I got stuck in that pileup and was 39th once I got up. I charged my way back to eighth, but my transponder broke, so I wasn’t sure where I was running. It was a solid day though I got fourth overall, I’m happy with three races around the Top 5. I’m just happy with the consistency at the first three rounds, I haven’t been this consistent outdoors in the past, so we’re just going to keep building on that.”
Garrett Marchbanks
“I ended the day a little short in Lakewood today. I qualified seventh overall. The first moto was good, I didn’t have a great start but ended up coming back to fifth, so I was happy with that. In the second moto I was running in ninth then I had a small tip-over and went back to 20th. I made a couple passes then I had a couple bike issues. We have some positives to take from today, but it’s a bummer when something happens that’s out of your control. I’m ready for next weekend.”
Drew Adams
“Obviously, today was not how I wanted the day to pan out. My main concern for Thunder Valley is always the elevation because I struggle with altitude sickness, so I was focused on managing that. I ended up getting 19th overall. The first moto I got a bit squeezed out on the start and was just trying to hammer in laps. The second moto I went down at the top of the track and tweaked my knee, then I ended up going down again and got trapped under my bike for a bit. I didn’t feel comfortable finishing the race after that. I’m going to get my knee checked out next week and we’ll see how it all goes from there.”
Jason Anderson
“Not the results I was looking for today. The track conditions were pretty difficult out there. The rain made it very slippery and the ruts were super deep. It was a hard track to feel comfortable on having never been here before. In Moto 1 the track felt super soft so we made some changes to the bike for Moto 2, but I ended up hitting a hole in a deep rut that threw me off and ended my moto. We continue to make improvements during the week and we will learn from this race and look for more progress next weekend.”
Jorge Prado
SUZUKI’S COLT NICHOLS CAPTURES CAREER-BEST MOTO RESULT AT THUNDER VALLEY NATIONAL
Heavy rains on Friday cleared and the skies provided excellent Saturday weather for Round 3 of the 2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. The high-altitude track built into the Lakewood, Colorado hillside challenged man and machine with thin air at its 6,128-foot elevation.
Race Highlights:
- Twisted Tea Suzuki Presented by Progressive Insurance
- 450 Class
- Colt Nichols earned a top-ten result in the final 450 class moto.
- Benoit Paturel showed outstanding pace in spite of zero prior experience at Thunder Valley.
- 450 Class
Colt Nichols (45) rode brilliantly in the second moto at Thunder Valley and moved his Twisted Tea Suzuki RM-Z450 up in the championship standings.
Colt Nichols (45) had a rough start to his day at the third race of the 11-round motocross season. Nichols’s pace was a bit below his abilities during qualifying, and he ended his first moto early. Yet Nichols turned everything around when the gate dropped for the second 450 moto. Nichols put all of his RM-Z450’s horsepower into the tilled Colorado soil on the steep start straight; he crossed the holeshot stripe inside the top-ten. From there, Nichols battled with the front runners and when the dust settled Nichols had captured his career-best 450 motocross moto result.
“The day was a bit weird for me,” said Nichols. “Qualifying went terribly for me. We had some bike issues spill over into the first moto and I was unable to finish. But the team rallied, and we rebounded well for moto two with a solid start and a P-9 finish.”
Benoit Paturel (102) adapted quickly to the Colorado track during his first year on the US racing circuit.
Benoit Paturel (102), on his first visit to Thunder Valley, showed strong speed from the early laps on the track. Paturel posted his season-best qualifying session result in the second A-group session. In the first moto, after tough opening laps, Paturel picked up five positions over the following eight laps. Paturel’s second moto was hampered by issues outside his control; he unfortunately was not able to match his top-ten overall result from the season’s opening round.
“We had a bad day with the bike at altitude so no [points-paying] results,” relayed Paturel. “I’m really disappointed, but we will move forward and go on, and fight again next Saturday to make it good.”
“The weekend didn’t go great overall,” said Larry Brooks, Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance Team Manager, “In the first moto, Colt Nichols didn’t finish He had some bike issues. But then in the second moto Colt got a really good start and finished ninth. He did extremely well. He rode strong the whole moto and finished ninth, giving him 14th overall. Benoit Paturel had some bike issues, somewhat the same issue that Colt had in the first moto. Then in the second moto, a three-dollar part broke and he had to pull off the track… But the highlight of the weekend was Colt finishing ninth that second moto and him riding the way that we knew he could. The weather was good on Saturday; it rained like crazy on Friday, making the track super muddy, but they did a good job with the track and it ended up being good for Saturday’s race.”
The Suzuki riders line up next on Saturday, June 14th in Mount Morris, Pennsylvania at the High Point National. The riders and team members are looking forward to the next chance to show what they and the Suzuki RM-Z450 can do in the toughest motocross series on the planet.
Tomac Scores Runner-Up Finish at Home Outdoor National
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac returned to the podium with a hard-fought second overall finish (3-2) in front of the home crowd at Round 3 of the Pro Motocross 450MX Championship in Lakewood, Colorado. Justin Cooper delivered another strong performance at the Thunder Valley Motocross Park, narrowly missing the overall podium in fourth (5-3). Despite feeling under the weather, Cooper Webb continued his upward trend outdoors, finishing sixth overall (7-6).
After being sidelined from the Thunder Valley National the last two seasons due to injury, it was a welcome return for Tomac in his home state of Colorado. He topped the first qualifying session and was second in the combined times heading into the motos. In Moto 1, Tomac started fourth and ran a strong pace throughout the race, advancing to third after a late-race mistake by the competition. In the second moto, Tomac was 14th after the start but charged forward, moving into third by Lap 6. He continued his push, making the pass for second just past the halfway mark, and set his sights on the leader. As the clock wound down, the four-time 450MX Champion prepared to strike, but unfortunately crashed with around two minutes on the clock. Tomac quickly rejoined and finished second, securing second overall to reclaim the runner-up spot in the championship standings and trails the leader by 25 points.
Cooper started the day strong, earning his first career 450MX fastest qualifier honors. From there, he had a solid start to the first moto in fifth, and although he dropped back to sixth on that opening lap, he continued to push and made his way back to fifth on Lap 11, where he would finish. In Moto 2, Cooper was fourth after the start and then charged to the front, taking the lead on Lap 3 and building a gap. After leading for nearly half the race, he was eventually passed and then managed his race to secure third, ending the day fourth overall and maintaining fourth in the championship standings.
Despite feeling less than 100%, Webb continued to make forward strides outdoors, earning his best qualifying result of the season so far in seventh. In Moto 1, the three-time 450SX Champion was around 12th after the start, but quickly made his way to seventh on that opening lap. Although he dropped back to eighth six laps into the moto, he continued to fight and made his way back to seventh in the final laps. Webb got a flying start to the second moto, narrowly missing the holeshot and slotting into second. Unfortunately, he dropped back to seventh on the second lap, ultimately finishing sixth to secure sixth overall.
The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 team heads east to Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, for Round 4 of Pro Motocross and Round 21 of the SuperMotocross World Championship at High Point Raceway on June 14.
Rich Simmons – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team Manager
“Overall, it was a good day. Qualifying went well for Justin and Eli, and also for Webb, especially since he was feeling under the weather. In the first one, Eli had a good moto but just couldn’t get around Hunter (Lawrence). I feel like if he did, he could’ve pushed to the front. In the second moto, Webb had a great start and was battling up front, but unfortunately couldn’t stay there. Justin showed good speed at the beginning of that moto, and Eli obviously was pushing as hard as he could to try to get Jett (Lawrence), and just made a mistake. We’ll just keep working at it, regroup, and go into the next weekend. I think we’re on the right track, and a big thanks to the whole team for their efforts.”
Eli Tomac – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #3
“It was a solid day here in Colorado. In the first moto, I did a ton of battling, but I just struggled with making some passes. I needed to be a little bit better with some lines. Then I was able to capitalize on a late-race mistake from Hunter and ended up third. In Moto 2, I went to battle once again and was a little bit behind on the start, but made a push all the way to the front. I was right behind Jett, and we were dicing back and forth. I had one spot specifically where I thought I was a lot faster than him, and then got a little too excited when I was near him and crashed in the turn before that section. I gave it all I had. Unfortunately, it was second, but I will keep pushing.”
Justin Cooper – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #32
“It was a good day here at Thunder Valley. I got my first qualifying pole position in motocross, so that felt good. The track was really rutted in practice. They kept fixing it, and it got easier and easier, but the speeds really went up. It took the technical side out of it a little bit, and I just kind of struggled to really send it in the motos, but we had two good rides today. Fifth was all we could do in Moto 1. By the time I got there, there was a pretty big gap to the top four. The second moto was really cool. I started around fourth and got into the lead and led for about half of the race, which was fun. I was smiling under my helmet and just enjoying the moment for the first time. I haven’t really ever done that, so that was cool. The weather was awesome today. The track was good too, but I was just a little bit off those top two.”
Cooper Webb – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #2
“Lakewood was a good day for me. I was able to qualify seventh, which was the best I’ve done so far this year. Being under the weather, it was a tough day, but we pushed hard, and I gave it my all. I was able to go 7-6 for sixth overall. We’ll heal up and get ready for High Point.”
Deegan Doubles Points Advantage with Runner-Up Finish at Thunder Valley
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan overcame adversity to finish second overall at Round 3 of the Pro Motocross 250MX Championship at the Thunder Valley Motocross Park in Lakewood, Colorado. The reigning 250MX champ continued his strong title defense, scoring a pair of runner-up finishes and doubling his points lead. After a technical issue sidelined him in the first moto, teammate Michael Mosiman rebounded to finish seventh in Moto 2 for 14th overall. Getting some experience before Loretta Lynn’s, Kayden Minear enjoyed a strong debut in the series, finishing 16th overall (18-12). Nate Thrasher continued to fight through another challenging round to finish 19th overall (19-18).
Deegan qualified second and got a great start to the opening moto, quickly advancing to second on the first lap. As the clock wound down, he threw down some consistently fast laps and closed in on the leader. Unfortunately, he had a technical issue that changed his focus to securing the second-place finish and scoring valuable points in the championship. In Moto 2, Deegan once again started near the front in second. Although briefly shuffled to third, he reclaimed second and made another charge to catch the leader. With 10 minutes remaining, Deegan made a push and closed the gap to the leader, but then had a tip-over. He quickly remounted to finish second once again, further expanding his championship lead to 25 points heading into Round 4.
Mosiman continued to make progress throughout the day. After qualifying 14th, he started sixth in Moto 1 and advanced to fourth by Lap 7 before a technical issue ended his race early. With the less-than-ideal gate pick, Mosiman found himself towards the back of the field and was caught up in a first-turn pile-up. Undeterred, he quickly went to work and made his way to eighth by the halfway mark and ultimately crossed the line seventh to secure 14th overall.
Fresh off his 1-1 performance at the SMX Next Motocross round during the Hangtown Classic, Minear made his Pro Motocross debut at Thunder Valley. The young Australian qualified 12th and was 14th after the opening lap of the first moto. He continued to push, and despite a couple of tip-overs early in the race, he rode on to an 18th-place finish. In Moto 2, the 18-year-old got a much stronger start, running 10th on the opening lap and battling for a top-10 result, ultimately finishing 12th for 16th overall. Minear looks to continue to build as he gets more seat time at a couple of rounds of Pro Motocross before the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch.
After a tough first session of qualifying, Thrasher made improvements to close the gap and qualify 17th. From there, he got a great start in third before getting shuffled back. He crossed the line 19th in that opening moto and followed it up with an 18th-place finish in Moto 2 to end the day 19th overall.
The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 team heads east to Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, for Round 4 of Pro Motocross and Round 21 of the SuperMotocross World Championship at High Point Raceway on June 14.
Wil Hahn – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team General Manager
“It was a solid day for us at Thunder Valley, and gaining 13 points in the championship with Haiden. It was an unfortunate mishap for Michael in Moto 1, but he came back with a great Moto 2 charge! Kayden had a great first pro race, and Nate had a tough day and some crashes, but he never stopped charging.”
Haiden Deegan – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #1
“It was a good day out here at Thunder Valley. We kind of got lucky in the first one. We had a bike problem, but we ended up making it through. We went 2-2 on the day and doubled our points lead, so we’re stoked.”
Michael Mosiman – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #93
“In the first moto, I had a top-10 start and worked forward to fourth before having bike issues, which caused me to exit the race early. In the second moto, I had the 38th gate pick and had to line up on the far inside. I didn’t get a very good start and was caught behind a pileup in the first turn. However, with all the adversity on the day, I was very proud that I was able to ride strong all moto and moved my way from near last to seventh by the end of it. I’m leaving with my head held high and a positive outlook on the season ahead. We have many more races to go.”
Kayden Minear – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #106
“It was a very positive day. My first pro race in America, so there were a lot of nerves going into it. You would’ve seen that in the first race, as I tipped it over three times in the span of two laps. So that was a bit disappointing, but in the second moto, I got a much better start and was running around the top 10. Then I ran a bit tight through the middle of the moto, but I made a late comeback. In the end, it just wasn’t enough. We’ll do some testing with the team and be back at High Point.”
Nate Thrasher – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #41
“It was not a very good day, but we are going to try and get better every weekend. We’ll just keep pushing.
ROCKSTAR ENERGY GASGAS FACTORY RACING’S CASEY COCHRAN P6 IN COLORADO
Rockstar Energy GASGAS Factory Racing’s Casey Cochran impressed with a sixth-place finish following Round 3 of the 2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Thunder Valley on Saturday, which marks his best result of the 250MX season so far.
• Casey Cochran finishes sixth overall in 250MX
• 14th overall the end result for Ryder D at Thunder Valley
• Progression evident for both riders after three rounds!
Equipped with the GASGAS MC 250F Factory Edition, Cochran powered to 13th position in the first 250MX moto of the day after an average launch off the gate, before ripping to a pivotal top-five start in Moto 2.
After running in fifth place during the opening stages, Casey would go on to capture a season-high P6 moto finish and sixth overall for the weekend. With his Colorado result, Cochran rises to 10th in the 250MX point standings after the opening three rounds.
Casey Cochran: “Overall, it was a good day in Colorado. We made some big improvements! Unfortunately, it was a bad start that cost me in the first moto, because I had to work through a lot of traffic in that one. I’m happy with my riding, had a good start in the second moto with a solid finish, so we’re looking forward to keeping this momentum going!”
250MX teammate DiFranceso finished the first Moto in P15, while he had to settle for a 13th-place result onboard his GASGAS MC 250F Factory Edition in Moto 2 after a first turn fall. Those finishes resulted in 14th overall for the round, as he too continues to rebuild from injury.
Ryder DiFrancesco: “My riding was better in Colorado, I just struggled to get off the gate and went down in the first turn of the second moto. I came back to 13th in that one, so it’s steps in the right direction again, and our goal has been to be up front by Southwick. That’s the plan!”
Next Race: June 14 – High Point, Pennsylvania
Results 250MX Class – Thunder Valley National
1. Chance Hymas (Honda)
2. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
3. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
4. Tom Vialle (KTM)
6. Casey Cochran (Rockstar Energy GASGAS Factory Racing)
14. Ryder DiFrancesco (Rockstar Energy GASGAS Factory Racing)
17. Julien Beaumer (KTM)
Standings 250MX Class 2025 after 3 of 11 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 144 points
2. Jo Shimoda, 119
3. Chance Hymas, 95
5. Tom Vialle, 85
7. Julien Beaumer, 81
10. Casey Cochran, 64
17. Ryder DiFrancesco, 43
AARON PLESSINGER CONTINUES 450MX PODIUM FORM AT THUNDER VALLEY
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
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
2. Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
3. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
7. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna)
8. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna)
Standings 450MX Class 2025 after 3 of 11 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 145 points
2. Eli Tomac, 120
3. Aaron Plessinger, 118
6. RJ Hampshire, 87
11. Malcolm Stewart, 60
Results 250MX Class – Thunder Valley National
1. Chance Hymas (Honda)
2. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
3. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
4. Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
6. Casey Cochran (GASGAS)
14. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS)
17. Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
Standings 250MX Class 2025 after 3 of 11 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 144 points
2. Jo Shimoda, 119
3. Chance Hymas, 95
5. Tom Vialle, 85
7. Julien Beaumer, 81
10. Casey Cochran, 64
17. Ryder DiFrancesco, 43
MATEO OLIVEIRA EXTENDS WHS ADVANTAGE WITH MT. SHASTA SKI PARK VICTORY
FMF KTM Factory Racing Team’s Mateo Oliveria posted a wire-to-wire victory at Round 5 of the 2025 AMA West Hare Scrambles (WHS) Series, increasing his lead in the Pro Class standings with one round remaining. This weekend also saw Ben Kelley race to a podium result in Round 4 the National Enduro Series at the Flying W Ranch.
WEST HARE SCRAMBLES – ROUND 5
It was another exceptional effort from Mateo Oliveira in Round 5 of the West Hare Scrambles at the Mt. Shasta Ski Park in Northern California, finishing in a total time of 2:21:08 after five laps.
Oliveira powered his KTM 450 XC-F to a fast start at the inaugural Mt. Shasta Ski Park Hare Scramble, and wouldn’t look back for the remainder of the five-lap encounter, claiming his third victory of the year and increasing his series lead to 29 points with one round remaining later this month.
Mateo Oliveira: “I approached this race like all others, I focus a lot on the start and then pick my spots of where I can manage or put the hammer down. This event was a lot different from Glen Helen with a bunch of tricky switchbacks and technical mountain climbs, but overall, I was happy with how today went and it was awesome to pick up my third win this season.”
Pro Class Results
1. Mateo Oliveria, FMF KTM Factory Racing
2. Jaden Dahners, KTM
3. Layton Smail, Kawasaki
NATIONAL ENDURO SERIES – ROUND 4
FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley took third place in the NE Pro1 Class following Round 4 of the 2025 AMA National Enduro Series at the Flying W National in Cherryville, Missouri, enduring challenging conditions to secure a podium finish.
Upon rebounding from an illness which hampered his results at the previous round, Kelley made a welcome return to the podium equipped with the KTM 350 XC-F to record what was a convincing third-place result in the NE Pro1 Class.
Ben Kelley: “It was a pretty good round here in Missouri – I rode solid all day! It was a little slippery with a good bit of chunky and loose rocks, so it was pretty technical in sections. I was competitive all day and really ramped it up at the end, winning the last two tests, and securing third overall. I need to start a little faster at the next one and keep it consistent to try and fight for a win at one of these things, but all-in-all, satisfied with my day!”
FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers rider Angus Riordan experienced a trying day at the races, with the Australian racer struggling to come to terms with the conditions as he rode his KTM 250 XC-F to P7 in the NE Pro2 Class.
Angus Riordan: “It was a tough day of racing for me today. I struggled to adapt to the terrain, and just could never really get going and find a flow. We’ll regroup and come back stronger at the next one. Thank you to the team for the support.”
In addition, KTM Team Landers-supported Chase Landers put in a strong ride in the NE Pro2 Class, by claiming a solid second position at the fourth round of the season.
NE Pro1 Class Results
1. Steward Baylor Jr, Kawasaki
2. Josh Toth, Kawasaki
3. Ben Kelley, FMF KTM Factory Racing
NE Pro2 Class Results
1. Jhak Walker, Beta
2. Chase Landers, KTM
3. Nicholas Defeo, Kawasaki
7. Angus Riordan, FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers
Consistency continues for RJ Hampshire and Malcolm Stewart at Thunder Valley National
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire and Malcolm Stewart raced to consistent 450MX top 10 finishes in Round 3 of the 2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Thunder Valley, highlighting ongoing progression being made as the season develops.
Hampshire and his Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition posted the sixth-fastest qualifying time during the morning sessions, before racing to a well-earned P6 result in Moto 1 on a rutty, technical race track.
Moto 2 was another strong showing for the premier class newcomer, who finished in seventh place, and climbed to sixth overall in the 450MX standings in his first year as a full-time racer in the category.
“I definitely progressed this weekend,” commented Hampshire. “I made progress during the week with my wrist, and I finally feel like we’re turning a corner there. I was inside the top-five again for the first 25 minutes of Moto 1, so I am getting longer with that. Then the second moto, got a good start, then made a mistake early and went down… Got up, then went down again a couple of laps later, so I had my work cut out for me, but that was the strongest I’ve been at the end of a moto. I’m pretty happy with where we are at and we’ll keep on building.”
Teammate Stewart – also equipped with the Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition – raced to 10th in Moto 1, before collecting another P10 score in Moto 2. Those combined finishes rewarded him with eighth overall for the weekend in Colorado.
“The day started off a little rough with the mud,” reflected Stewart. “I got off to a mid-pack start in Moto 1 and made a lot of passes to get my way up into 10th there. Moto 2, the track was pretty gnarly in that one, another average start for me, and I made a lot of passes throughout the race. I tried to find a flow and eventually ended up with 10-10 for eighth overall. Things could’ve been better, but at the same time, we learned a lot, so we’ll come back for High Point and try to put this bike inside the top-five.”
Mikkel Haarup Shines at Thunder Valley Pro Motocross
Triumph Factory Racing travelled north to Thunder Valley, Colorado, for round three of the 2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, continuing their steady climb towards the 250MX podium. Mikkel Haarup once again demonstrated strong form in the first moto, battling near the top three, before thrilling fans with a determined comeback in the second race.
Skilfully putting down the power of his TF 250-X, Haarup secured a top-five start in moto one. Building on insights gained at the previous round at Hangtown, he surged into third just a few laps in. After intense on-track battles and learning the demands of the Colorado circuit, he ultimately crossed the line in seventh. A crash on the opening lap of the second moto forced him to charge from the very back, but in what was arguably the performance of the day, he rallied to 12th place, earning eighth overall.
Jordon Smith has fond memories of Thunder Valley but could not quite capitalise on that momentum after a fall in timed qualification. Battered and bruised, he persevered to claim 14th in moto one and eight championship points. The #19 signed off a consistent day with an impressive charge from 22nd to 10th in the second moto. It was another example of his grit and determination, earning him 11th in the 250MX classification.
Thunder Valley served as another valuable step in Austin Forkner’s tale; he started in the top 10 for the first time in moto one and went with the furious pack. Securing 11th – just eight seconds from 10th – marked a season-best finish. An early crash in moto two thwarted his push for a position in the top 10 in the overall classification, but he still salvaged a creditable 19th despite an additional fall. His 11-19 scores placed him 18th on the day.
Pennsylvania’s magnificent High Point Raceway is next on Triumph’s agenda. The race will mark round four of the Pro Motocross season and the end of four consecutive weeks of intense on-track action.
Mikkel Haarup
“I think this was rather successful, taking everything into consideration. I had a good start in moto one and made passes on the first lap for the first time! That was good. I am getting the intensity up a little bit. I had a bad jump in the second moto and was in the pack. I took a trip into the fence and had to untangle myself but came from dead last to 12th. I’m happy with my efforts.”
Austin Forkner
“The track was tough today, especially the ruts. I wanted to work on my starts and sprint speed this weekend – both starts were sick! I did not have that sprint speed in moto one and was shuffled back, but I still finished 11th. I sprinted hard in moto two, after another good start, but had a crash after two laps. I am happy to be in one piece! I rode it out after that. There are definitely positives to take from today.”
Jordon Smith
“A rough day for me. I crashed onto my shoulder on the first lap of practice; I dealt with that all day. I fought hard to go 14-10 for 11th overall. It was not a terrible day, so we will keep fighting and come back stronger next weekend.”
Steve Westfall – Team Manager, Triumph Factory Racing
“It was not a bad weekend. The first moto was very good for the guys, but we did not have the greatest starts in moto two. We will work on that this week. Mikkel went from dead last to 12th, Jordon went from 22nd to 10th and Austin crashed twice but still scored points. The goal is to get everyone in the top 10 at High Point.”
250MX Results: 2025 Pro Motocross, Round 3 – Thunder Valley
1. Chance Hymas (Honda) 1-1
2. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) 2-2
3. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) 8-3
4. Tom Vialle (KTM) 6-5
5. Jo Shimoda (Honda) 9-4
8. Mikkel Haarup (Triumph) 7-12
11. Jordon Smith (Triumph) 14-10
18. Austin Forkner (Triumph) 11-19
250MX Standings: 2025 Pro Motocross, Round 3 – Thunder Valley
1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) 144pts
2. Jo Shimoda (Honda) 119pts
3. Chance Hymas (Honda) 95pts
4. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) 86pts
5. Tom Vialle (KTM) 85pts
11. Mikkel Haarup (Triumph) 63pts
14. Jordon Smith (Triumph) 56pts
19. Austin Forkner (Triumph) 29pts
