Round 4 - AMA Supercross Championship

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger captured third place at Round 4 of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, with 450SX teammate Chase Sexton posting a strong haul of results including the opening Race win across the Triple Crown format for fifth overall.

Entering with the premier class points lead following his breakout win in San Diego, Plessinger’s KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION sported the red plates as he took to the circuit for qualifying. P14 was the result, which 'The Cowboy' would build upon as he took sixth place in the first Race of the night.

Strong starts and convincing race-pace saw Plessinger in the mix throughout the two following Races, as the number 7 charged to P4 and P3 results, respectively, and third overall on the night. With his Anaheim 2 podium, he opens his lead atop the standings to four over teammate Sexton, heading a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1-2 entering Detroit.

Aaron Plessinger: “This race was really important for me, just to stay consistent and not let things get to my head. I feel like I did a good job of that – I got great starts all night, I tightened up a little in Race 1, before in Race 2 I rode really good, and then Race 3 I was right there behind Chase [Sexton]. Tonight was tough, a lot of the success had to do with being consistent, and I think I did a good job of that."

Returning to the second Angel Stadium stop of the season, defending 450SX Champion Sexton charged to the second-fastest time in qualifying as he dialed in his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION on the hard-packed, dry track surface.

Starts proved to be critical in the Triple Crown Main Event, and Sexton would launch to the front of the field in the first Race, going on to post a standout wire-to-wire race victory to begin the night. The tables would be turned for Race 2, however, with a difficult start seeing him only manage an 11th-place finish by race's end.

The third and final Race saw all the contenders in the mix as they battled at the front of the field, with Sexton putting together a calculated performance that would see him bring home second position and fifth overall for the round.
Chase Sexton: “Round 4, Triple Crown, I think I finished 1-11-2. First Race was good, second Race I came through the pack and then had a stupid crash, which put me back, then the third Race was okay also – I was just focused on closing it out consistently. Not my greatest night, but we’ll bounce back next week, and onto some east coast dirt, which I’m excited about.”

Results 450SX Class – Anaheim 2
1. Cooper Webb (USA), Yamaha
2. Eli Tomac (USA), Yamaha
3. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM

Pata Prometeon Yamaha has unveiled its 2024 R1 WorldSBK livery, as leading title contenders Jonathan Rea and Andrea Locatelli eagerly anticipate the start of this year’s FIM Superbike World Championship. 

Rea’s move to Yamaha has been widely covered since news broke of his first change in manufacturer in nearly a decade. The six-time WorldSBK Champion has made no secret of his desire to claim a seventh title ¬– this time boldly sporting Yamaha “Racing Blue”. 

Teammate “Loka” has also established himself as a clear contender for podiums – and his first race win – returning for a fourth season in the Official Yamaha Team.

Despite the incredible depth of talent in the 2024 premier class entry list, JR and Loka, with the Pata Prometeon Yamaha and Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport R&D teams behind them, are aiming once again to compete for the “Triple Crown”. As Team Principal Paul Denning describes, it will be one of the most exciting and intriguing seasons in WorldSBK history.

Fighting for a World Title is no easy feat without dedicated, loyal partnerships. For the ninth straight season, Italy’s number one snack manufacturer Pata, owned by Remo Gobbi, is Title Sponsor – joined by Co-Title Sponsor Prometeon, as the innovative truck, bus and agricultural tyre company seeks to build its global brand awareness and identity.

The team also welcomes Monster Energy back to Yamaha within the WorldSBK arena, alongside Official Technology Partner Ampito Group and long-term Official FX Partner Corpay. Valuable support to the programme is delivered by a wide variety of key partners including Yamaha Indonesia and its “Semakin Di Depan” message, Akrapovic, Pro-Bolt, Hel Performance, GB Racing, Solace Cyber, Minoli Tiles, GP Titan Tech, Ferodo, WRS and Sapphire Vehicle Services. Two further new brands join with strategic partnerships including Total Energies as the team’s technical fuel supplier and SRG – Specialist Risk Group as Official Insurance Partner.

Pre-season testing continues tomorrow with two days at Autódromo Internacional do Algarve (Portimão, Portugal), before the season-opener in Australia at Phillip Island from 23-25 February after one final test.

Jonathan Rea:

“I am just excited to start the season now! The transition into the Yamaha Family has been a really smooth one and throughout winter testing we’ve been working hard on getting comfortable on my R1, exploring the limits and understanding the work we need to do to start the season. It’s getting very close to Phillip Island, a track I really enjoy and the target is to try to enjoy the bike every weekend – to exploit all its strengths – and for sure the goal is to be competitive and fight for race wins. I am curious to see our full potential in Australia, but just now after the Pata Prometeon Yamaha team photoshoot in my new colours, everything is real! I really feel like a Yamaha rider now and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do together.”

Andrea Locatelli:

“It’s my fourth season with Yamaha in 2024, and I am more motivated than ever. With the team around me, I think we can do a really good job this season. We work really hard over the winter to continue to develop the R1 and also for myself, I need to trust and believe in myself and for sure, we are nearly there! The goal is not only to fight for the podium, it is to be at the front and fight for the win – we were closer than ever in 2023, and I am ready to take the next step. The new colours look amazing, I think it is the best Pata Prometeon Yamaha R1 this season. I would like to thank the team and Yamaha for everything they do, the whole team is always pushing to work on all the details together to have the best package for us. I really like Phillip Island and after two more days at Portimão this week, I think we can start very well in Australia!”

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Aaron Plessinger charged to his first career 450SX Main Event victory at Round 3 of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, taking a convincing win in rain-soaked conditions and taking control of the series points lead in the process. Teammate Chase Sexton raced to P8 in class, now positioned second in the standings.

In a tight 450SX Class qualifying session, Plessinger was P13 on the time-sheets, before storming to the second Heat Race win of the evening. That set him up for a breakout result inside Snapdragon Stadium amidst the steady rain falling in the region.

Powering his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to a top-five start in the Main Event, Plessinger looked right at home as he battled at the front of the field, exercising patience as he closed in on the lead at the midway mark. An eventual pass for P1 and a well-managed race up front earned AP his first-career 450SX Main Event – a popular result after coming so close during his career previously.

Aaron Plessinger: “Man, San Diego! It was a really good race, managed to get into the lead around the midway point, and just rode clean laps, stayed up, and got the win! On top of that, we take the red plate and points lead into the next round, which is huge for me. We had a great off-season... The team and I worked super-hard and to start the season with 4-5-1 results is my best start ever! The fans were crazy sticking it out here in the rain, so I’m stoked to be able to deliver a result to them, and ready to do it again next weekend."

Defending 450SX champion Sexton looked sharp on his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION from the outset in San Diego, charging to the third-fastest lap time in a shortened qualifying program due to weather, and notching a time just two-tenths shy of pole position.
After racing to seventh place in his Heat Race following a troubled start, Sexton would also experience adversity in the Main Event, with the number 1 caught up in the chaos of the mid-pack early on. He clawed his way from the rear of the field to capture a hard-fought eighth-place finish, now one point behind Plessinger in the series.

Ricky Brabec got himself into the history books again with his second victory at the famous Dakar Rally, kicking off his 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship campaign on a high.  Joining him on the podium in third at the world’s toughest rally was teammate Adrien Van Beveren who finally made that step up having come so close in previous editions of the Dakar.

The 2024 Dakar was going to test competitors even more this year with the 48 Hour Chrono providing an extra challenge to what is already a difficult and often unpredictable rally.  Across the many kilometres in the stunning landscapes of Saudi Arabia, through the highs and the lows, the Monster Energy Honda Team riders really pushed themselves to their limits across the two weeks.On what was a successful rally for the new generation Honda CRF450 RALLY, the riders showed their potential from the first day of action taking eight stage victories between them as Honda aims to be the World Rally-Raid Championship Manufacturers’ champion for the third consecutive year.

Taking a well-earned break the riders will rest up before heading back to the deserts around the world for more testing, ahead of the new BP Ultimate Rally-Raid round at the end of April.We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our sponsors and the whole team for all their support and hard work during this legendary journey through Saudi Arabia.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler has claimed his second podium finish of the 2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, finishing third overall at round four in Cluj, Romania. In front of a packed stadium of fans, Mani steered his KTM 300 EXC to runner-up in Superpole, and 3-5-3 race results, to move himself up to third in the championship standings.

The track at the BT Arena in Cluj was technical and physically demanding, and left no room for error. But Mani immediately gelled well with the tight course, placing second in SuperPole, narrowly missing out on the top spot by less than one second. Transferring his impressive pace into race one, Mani initially emerged in seventh place from the gate. However, the KTM 300 EXC rider swiftly found his rhythm, making his way through the field to ultimately claim an impressive third-place finish.
Starting from the second row in the reverse-grid race two, and despite getting caught up in a series of crashes off the frenzied start that left him in last place, Lettenbichler quickly showcased his skill to push through the pack. Though the tricky log sections caught many riders out, Mani put his head down and focused to deliver a near mistake-free ride and bring home his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine in fifth place.

Happy with his riding and hungry to end the event on a high, Mani wasted no time in getting to the sharp end of the pack when the gate dropped for race three. Moving into second early on, the young German hung on to a top-three position for the duration of the race, taking third at the checkered flag, for third in the overall event classification.
Manuel Lettenbichler: “I’m definitely making improvements and finding more pace at every round. The top two guys are still a little way ahead in terms of speed, but I’m happy with how I rode today. I’m really trying to get that gap down though and in fact, on the first race, I was able to hang on for quite a lot of the moto. The races are just so intense, so physically demanding, but I’m learning and hopefully I can carry the speed and what I’ve learned here in Romania on to Budapest.”

The seven-round 2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship continues with round five in Budapest, Hungary on February 3.

Results – 2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship – Round 4, Romania

Prestige Overall
1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 57 points
2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 54 pts
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 43 pts
4. Dominik Olszowy (POL), Rieju, 37 pts
5. Eddie Karlsson (SWE), Husqvarna, 31 pts

Prestige Race 1
1. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 11 laps, 7:07.645
2. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 11 laps, 7:21.009
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 11 laps, 7:23.827
4. Will Hoare (GBR), Rieju, 11 laps, 7:32.146
5. Dominik Olszowy (POL), Rieju, 11 laps, 7:35.262

Prestige Race 2
1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 11 laps, 7:07.496
2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 11 laps, 7:10.431
3. Dominik Olszowy (POL), Rieju, 11 laps, 7:31.001
4. Mitchell Brightmore (GBR), GasGas, 11 laps, 7:48.825
5. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 10 laps, 7:14.947

Prestige Race 3
1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 11 laps, 6:45.093
2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 11 laps, 7:06.612
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 11 laps, 7:13.515
4. Eddie Karlsson (SWE), Husqvarna, 11 laps, 7:31.751
5. Dominik Olszowy (POL), Rieju, 10 laps, 6:46.767

Championship Standings (After Round 4)
1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 239 points
2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 220 pts
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 153 pts
4. Will Hoare (GBR), Rieju, 146 pts
5. Dominik Olszowy (POL), Rieju, 132 pts

Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence made history at the highly anticipated opener to AMA Supercross’s 50th anniversary season, becoming the first rookie to win in his premier-class indoors debut. Meanwhile, in his first official ride aboard the factory Team Honda HRC CRF250R, Jo Shimoda fought through the pack to finish fourth in the 250SX West division. The Anaheim 1 Supercross was not as kind to Hunter Lawrence, as a series of misfortunes prevented him from advancing to the main event, but he’s determined to come back strong next week to show his true potential in San Francisco.

Jett came out swinging in the 450SX main event, with an impressive holeshot aboard his CRF450RWE. The 20-year-old Australian sensation led every lap with his signature smooth, collected style, perfectly managing the gap to the riders behind him and crossing the finish line with a 7-second margin. Also impressive was Dylan Ferrandis, who finished in the top five in his debut with Phoenix Racing Honda.

450SX Results

1.       Jett Lawrence (Hon)

2.       Jason Anderson (Kaw)

3.       Chase Sexton (KTM)

4.       Aaron Plessinger (KTM)

5.       Dylan Ferrandis (Hon)

6.       Cooper Webb (Yam)

7.       Justin Barcia (Gas)

8.       Justin Cooper (Yam)

9.       Eli Tomac (Yam)

10.   Ken Roczen (Suz)

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kevin Benavides has topped the timesheets on the grueling third stage of the 2024 Dakar Rally. Putting in an impressive performance on his KTM 450 RALLY, the Argentinian moves up to sixth in the provisional overall standings. Meanwhile, after an action-packed day in the Saudi desert, Toby Price wrapped up the stage in ninth place. He now lies seventh overall.

Including a long timed special of 438 kilometers, stage three of the Dakar proved to be another huge test of skill and endurance for all competitors. Leaving the bivouac at Al Duwadimi, riders covered a total distance of 733 kilometers to Al Salamiya. Marking the first half of the event’s opening marathon stage, just two hours of assistance were permitted before competitors left their teams and completed a final liaison to a separate bivouac to spend the night.

Starting stage three from 19th, due to losing several minutes from a small mistake on the previous day’s special, Benavides knew he had to deliver his best over the course of day three to make up time on his rivals. Using his experience and speed, the reigning Dakar Rally Champion put in a superb ride over the mixed terrain, immediately slotting into second on the timesheets at the first checkpoint, and carried that momentum to the finish. Securing his first stage win of the 2024 Dakar so far, Kevin’s result elevates him to sixth in the provisional overall standings.
Kevin Benavides: “A much better day for me today. It was a long, long stage, but after making a couple of mistakes yesterday, I set off with the plan to focus more on my navigation. It definitely paid off – there were already a lot of tracks on the ground ahead of me, but I concentrated on my roadbook and was able to find a good, solid rhythm over the different types of terrain. I’m happy with my pace today and the result. We have a couple of hours now to work on the bikes and then we head off to the bivouac. I feel good and the bike is in good shape – I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Stage three proved to be an interesting one for Price. Despite showing good speed over the special, Toby’s day was far from straightforward. Stopping to assist two different riders didn’t slow the Aussie’s pace however, and the two-time Dakar champion was able to make up ground on his rivals. Initially completing the stage in 23rd, with the time lost reallocated to him, Price finished in a highly commendable ninth place and now lies seventh overall, just one position behind teammate Benavides.

Provisional Standings – 2024 Dakar Rally (after 3 of 12 stages)
1. Ross Branch (BWA), Hero, 14:32:51
2. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (CHL), Honda, 14:36:02 +3:11
3. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 14:37:59 +5:08
4. Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Honda, 14:49:07 +16:16
5. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 14:53:07 +20:16

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler has placed fourth overall at the second round of the 2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship. Delivering a strong performance on the Polish dirt inside the Tauron Arena in Krakow, including a third-place finish in the final race, Mani now lies fourth overall in the series standings.

Lettenbichler made a strong start to his night, completing his one-lap Superpole in fifth place and ensuring an early gate pick for the Prestige finals. A great start in race one saw Mani move up into fourth place on the first lap where he immediately started challenging for the top three. Despite delivering a solid performance over the 10-laps, without any major mistakes, Mani wasn’t quite able to clinch a podium position and had to settle for fourth place at the checkered flag.Starting from the second row in the reverse-grid race two, Lettenbichler quickly showcased his skill on his KTM 350 EXC-F. Following a powerful launch off the gate, he then fought his way into the top 10 by the end of the first lap. Demonstrating outstanding focus on the tight and technical track, Mani steadily worked his way through the field, fighting his way up to sixth with one lap to go. Finally, in sight of the finish, Lettenbichler executed a skillful pass on early leader Mitch Brightmore to secure a commendable fifth-place result.Making his best start of the night, Mani was in fourth place going into the first turn in race three. What followed was a race-long fight for the podium with Dominik Olszowy. Mani kept the pressure on, and with one lap to go, a mistake by the Polish rider in the rocks enabled Lettenbichler to move into third and secure his best race result of the season so far.With his 4-5-3 result, Mani placed fourth for the night and now moves up to fourth in the overall Prestige class standings.

Manuel Lettenbichler: “I’ve got mixed feelings about today to be honest, I was hoping for a little more. I did a lot of testing during the week to try and find a better rhythm on the bike and came here to Poland aiming for a podium. My speed has definitely improved but I’m a little way off the pace of the top two guys. I’m still riding a bit stiff, and so it’s not easy to find a good flow, especially on such a tight track. Overall though, it was an awesome event. It’s so sick to ride in front of so many fans – the atmosphere in the arena was incredible. We have a little break now, then back at it at home in Germany for round three.”The 2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship continues with round three from Riesa, Germany on January 6.

After another successful season in 2023, aspiring young racers can now sign up for the renamed 2024 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup, which will once again support selected rounds of the FIM Superbike World Championship.

Register for the 2024 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup by clicking here

After its inaugural campaign in 2021, the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship opened the door to world championship racing for several young riders, including the 2023 winner Italian Emiliano Ercolani, plus former victors Brazilian Enzo Valentim (2022) and Spaniard Iker Garcia Abella (2021).

After attracting ten overseas riders to compete in the championship during 2023, for 2024, the one-make series has a new name to reflect its growing nature and global appeal more accurately, the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup, as it continues to represent the perfect opportunity for young riders from around the world to showcase their ability on the world stage.

You can follow in these riders’ footsteps and pursue your dream of racing full-time by signing up to join the 2024 R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup grid and become a part of Yamaha’s award-winning bLU cRU program that forms the foundation of the Yamaha Racing pyramid, which is designed to cultivate the next generation of young riding talent in road and off-road racing.

It creates the perfect platform for young riders to benefit from professional coaching, technical support, and mentoring from some of the biggest names in racing, designed to encourage, develop, and nurture the stars of tomorrow while providing an uninterrupted career path from national to world championship level, with over 600 youngsters benefitting from the scheme in 2023.

Open to riders aged 14-20, the 2024 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup will run alongside six rounds of the WorldSBK campaign, giving youngsters the perfect platform to showcase their talent in front of the top teams and riders.

Provisional 2024 R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup Calendar

TBA: Preseason Test
22-24 Mar: Barcelona, Spain
19-21 Apr: Assen, The Netherlands
14-16 Jun: Misano, Italy
12-14 Jul: Donington, United Kingdom
06-08 Sep: Magny Cours, France
27-29 Sep: Aragon, Spain

This talent doesn’t go unnoticed, with a number of former bLU cRU riders lining up on the grid during the 2023 WorldSSP300 Championship alongside several of the current crop of talented youngsters getting the opportunity to run as wild cards.

At each race weekend, the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup riders will be based at the dedicated bLU cRU village inside the WorldSBK paddock. All entrants will receive coaching and technical support, while Yamaha R3 machinery and a complete riding package, including race leathers, gloves, boots, helmet, tyres and fuel, are provided, with season entry fees of just €30,500 (Euros).

The overall champion will earn a place on the 2025 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship grid with full Yamaha Motor Europe support, providing they are over the minimum age for entry into the class. Second in the standings will be offered a 50 percent discount on their 2025 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup registration, while the rider who finishes third will receive a 25 percent discount.

A number of riders will also be selected from the championship to attend the exclusive VR46 Yamaha Master Camp in Italy, where they will receive coaching from the same team responsible for advising the VR46 Academy Riders.

Following the success of this year's series, interest is expected to be high, and with only 30 grid slots available for the 2024 season, early sign-up is essential to take advantage of this incredible opportunity.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Matthias Walkner is recovering well following surgery to repair an injury to his left leg, which he sustained while training in the United States. However, the damage is such that the Austrian will be unable to compete in the Dakar Rally in January. Teammate Kevin Benavides also injured his left leg while training recently, but the Argentinian is expected to be back riding in time for Dakar.

While training with the team on December 5, Matthias Walkner unfortunately fell from his KTM 450 RALLY, which resulted in him breaking his tibia, fibula, and ankle joint. Flown to the hospital in Palm Springs, Walkner underwent a successful surgery to repair the damage. The 2018 Dakar Rally Champion will require a further surgery in due course, which he hopes to have carried out at home in Austria.In what was a tough few days for the Red Bull KTM team, Kevin Benavides also injured his left leg while testing on Sunday, December 3. Thankfully, Kevin’s injury was not deemed too serious, but the reigning Dakar Champion had to cut short his training schedule. With just under one month to go before the Dakar start, Benavides is expected to make a positive recovery and will take part in the rally.All at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing wish both riders all the best for a speedy recovery.

Andreas Hölzl – Rally Team Manager: “It’s been a very difficult few days for the team here in the United States. Training for the Dakar had been going extremely well, with all riders working very hard. Kevin damaged his leg last Sunday, but thankfully, it wasn’t too bad. We hope he will be back to near full fitness by Dakar. On Monday, Matthias had a nasty crash while training, which ended up in him having several fractures. The surgery went really well, and they have attached a fixator to his left leg to help the recovery. But he will require more surgery, once the swelling starts to go down. Obviously, these two incidents have been a massive blow to the team, but we will continue to look ahead and do all we can to be as strong as possible for Dakar. The whole team wishes both Matthias and Kevin a quick and full recovery.”