• RED BULL KTM SIGNS AARON PLESSINGER FOR THE 2026 SEASON
Aaron Plessinger (7) started the 2025 Supercross season with a couple disastrous DNFs, but came back strong to win the Foxborough Supercross.
KTM Press release: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing has re-signed Aaron Plessinger for the 2026 season including the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship, 2026 AMA National Motocross Championship and the 2026 SuperMoto Playoffs.. This latest contract extension between the pair signifies what will be a fifth-consecutive season together next year.
‘The Cowboy’ will race-on with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team managed by Ian Harrison, continuing what has been a successful collaboration. Plessinger will once again be “Ready to Race” in the high-profile American series, equipped with the KTM 450SXF Factory Edition.
Heading to the final round of the 2025 Supercross series, Aaron Plessinger sits in sixth position in the 450 Supercross Championship standings and with five podiums to his credit. That tally is underscored by a popular second-career premier class victory at the Foxborough round in April, building momentum throughout the 17-round duration.
The 29-year-old Plessinger first joined Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in 2022 and has firmly established himself as one of the sport’s most popular and competitive riders both indoors and outdoors. He has finished third in 450 National Championships for the past two seasons and has also scored top-five finishes in the 31-round SMX World Championship series both of those years – fifth in 2023 and fourth in 2024.
Aaron Plessinger said: “It means everything to me to be part of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for 2026. I love everybody and everything about this team, it’s been an awesome four years together already, and it’s flying by, but we’re having such a good time. We’ve had some really, really good results, so to have the team want to keep me around and keep going together, it’s really special to me. I can’t wait for what the future brings and my focus right now is to get the best results that I can with the team. To build the fanbase that we have is really special as well, because without them and their support we wouldn’t be anything.”
• TIM GAJSER HAS SURGERY AS 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP DREAMS FADE
HRC’s Tim Gajser had a solid 50-point lead the 450 World Championship until he injured his shoulder in Switzerland. Now his title hopes are over.
Honda HRC’s Tim Gajser has undergone a successful surgery on his injured right shoulder as a result of his crash in Switzerland on Monday 21st April. The nasty incident at the Frauenfeld circuit, wasn’t initially showing such a serious prognosis but after attempting physiotherapy to try and improve the shoulder, surgery was deemed as the best option.
Unfortunately, this means that Gajser’s title aspirations are now over, despite a start to the season that saw him podium the first six rounds, winning three of them and pulling out a lead of nearly 50 points at one stage. He looked in imperious form, and although it was early-on, the way he was riding and the way he was continually increasing his lead had all the signs pointed towards a sixth world title for the Slovenian.
Instead, he will now be sitting on the sidelines for a number of weeks as his body heals up from this latest setback, working with his medical team to make sure everything is done correctly so that when he does return, it won’t take him long to reach that same level of performance.
Tim Gajser said.” I am bitterly disappointed to have needed surgery, which effectively rules out any chance I have of the title this year. There isn’t a set recovery timetable for this, but I’ll be missing a number of rounds and even when I return, it’ll take some time to get back up to speed. My focus now though is to do everything I need to do to, to get fit and healthy and back to being 100% and we’ll just take it from there. I felt so good this season, and I think that showed with my results and how comfortably I was leading the championship, but this is motocross and anything can happen at any moment unfortunately.”
• MXA FANTASY LEAGUE HEADS TO SALT LAKE CITY!
We’re on to the seventeenth race of MXA Fantasy League presented by ON X Offroad with all new prizes up for grabs. Currently, we have a new update out that helps revolutionize the gameplay from last year. However, you can still play seamlessly with the current version you may have. Last year we were able to give away a Triumph TF 250-X to the winner of the full SMX season. We were able to get some awesome prizes from our amazing sponsors and supporters. You can download the app today in both app stores and get set up for racing in San Diego. See you at the races!
• 2025 BLU CRU YZ WORLD SUPERFINALE AT IRONMAN MXDN
Yamaha has announced the 2025 Blu Cru YZ World SuperFinale will be held in the United States at the 2025 Motocross des Nations (MXDN) at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana from October 3 to 5, 2025. This marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the SuperFinale, which has become a premier global showcase for Yamaha’s top youth motocross talent. Continuing the tradition established last year, Yamaha will select qualifying racers to participate in Blu Cru YZ World SuperFinale through their performance in Yamaha’s 2025 Blu Cru Invitational series.
The 2025 Blu Cru Invitationals will lead to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for amateur youth racers to compete at Yamaha’s annual SuperFinale during the 2025 MXDN at Ironman Raceway from October 3-5. By participating in theBlu Cru Invitational’s YZ65, Y85 and Y125 class, eligible racers can earn the chance to “feel like a factory racer” and enjoy an exclusive week-long experience to race alongside other Yamaha youth racers from around the world on the same track as the world’s top motocross athletes, creating lifelong memories along the way. Like the 2024 SuperFinale event, Team USA will face off against an international contingent of Yamaha Blu Cru riders from Europe, Australia, Canada, Japan, and beyond, competing for top honors in this exclusive international event
Eligible Blu Cru Invitational racers who participated at the Glen Helen round or will participate in the upcoming rounds at Red Bud MX and Oak Hill Raceway will be able to qualify for the 2025 SuperFinale. The final round of the 2025 Blu Cru Invitational series at Monster Mountain MX Park, November 7-9, 2025 will apply toward eligibility for the 2026 Yamaha SuperFinale. To learn more go to www.yamahablucru.com.
CLASSES ELIGIBLE FOR THE SUPERFINALE INCLUDE:
YZ125: Ages 13 to 16 (Riders must be at least 13 years old and no older than 16 years old at the time of the SuperFinale)
YZ85: Ages 11 to 14 (Riders must be at least 11 years old and no older than 14 years old at the time of the SuperFinale)
YZ65: Ages 8 to 12 (Riders must be at least 8 years old and no older than 12 years old at the time of the SuperFinale).
• THIS WEEK IN MXA: THE GLEN HELEN NATIONAL IS BACK…SORT OF WITH $100,000 IN PURSE MONEY
Bud Feldkamp, the owner of Glen Helen Raceway, has invested big time into the 2025 Glen Helen MotoFest 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.
• THE $100,000 GLEN HELEN MOTO FEST IS COMING ON SATURDAY, MAY 18
Saturday’s 250/450 MotoFest Pro Invitational pays $70,000 purse money (to 20th place in both the 250 and 450 classes). Thursday’s $35,000 “Stopwatch National” is a combined 250/450 event that pays $30,000 to 20th place. The Stopwatch National and MotoFest Pro Invitational races are free to the accepted Pro riders. There are amateur events and practice sessions mixed in on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Including a “Saturday at the Glen” motocross race on the Arroyo track on Saturday, May 17. For more information and to pre-enter go to www.glenhelen.com.
PRO INVITATIONAL 250/450 PURSE BREAKDOWN
1. $10,000
2. $5000
3. $3000
4. $2500
5. $2250
6. $1750
7. $1400
8. $1000
9. $950
10. $900
11. $850
12. $800
13. $750
14. $700
15. $650
16. $600
17. $550
18. $500
19. $450
20. $400
• THE “STOPWATCH NATIONAL” PAYS $30,000 IN PURSE MONEY ON THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025
The $30,000 Stopwatch National is on Thursday, May 15 and the $70,000 MotoFest Pro Showcase race is on Saturday, May 17. Now is the time for amateurs and Pros to sign-up at www.glenhelen.com. If you’re wondering how much purse money the Stopwatch National is paying, below is the purse breakdown for Thursday’s combined 250/450 Stopwatch National.
STOPWATCH NATIONAL COMBINED 250/450 PURSE BREAKDOWN
1. $10,000
2. $5000
3. $2500
4. $2400
5, $1500
6. $1200
7. $900
8. $800
9. $750
10. $700
11. $650
12. $600
13. $550
14. $500
15. $450
16. $400
17. $350
18. $300
19. $250
20. $200
TOTAL $30,000
• 2025 AMA SUPERCROSS WINNERS AT A GLANCE—16 DOWN, 1 TO GO
• THE GREATEST DEAL IN MOTOCROSS: REAL WORDS, LARGE PHOTOS, MORE TECH & A $25 ROCKY MOUNTAIN CREDIT
This is the May 2025 cover of MXA. Inside are indepth tests of the 2025 Beta 450RX, 2025 -1/2 Husqvarna FC450 Factory Edition, 2025 GasGas MC250F, plus, four home-built Works Edition including an unobtainable Fantic XX300 two-stroke (on the cover), a KX450 that reimagined the 2025 KX450 Special Racer with different components than the ones Kawasaki chose, the GasGas MC85 that carried Dane Pappas to the 85cc (13-15) Mini Sr. 2 title at Loretta Lynn’s and the personal YZ250F of ETS Fuels’ Kyle Moose, built with an unlimited budget that totaled up to $28,000 (also on the cover).
The May issue also went inside the KTM Junior Supercross Challenge at the San Diego Supercross, where we followed the son of Manfred Edlinger, the head of R&D for KTM’s motocross division, from the time he got off the plane from Austria until 8-year-old Raphy Edlinger raced under the lights, in front of 40,000 American fans. If that’s not enough, with the news that Kawasaki intends introduce a two-stroke in 2026, we went back into the MXA archives to a test of the last Kawasaki KX250 two-stroke that Kawasaki made before pulling out of two-stroke back in 2007. You find it to be enlightening.
• THE 2025 GREAT PLAINS VINTAGE MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP STARTS ON MAY 18 IN ALMA, NEBRASKA
The eight-round Great Plains Vintage series The Great Plains Vintage MX association is kicking off our 2025 season with six vintage-style tracks, each designed to honor the roots of our sport. No monstrous double (or triple) jumps or treacherous rhythm sections! For 2025 it has has four rounds in Nebraska, two rounds in Iowa and one round in South Dakota.For more information go to www.greatplainsvintagemx.org.
• PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: HAS JETT LAWRENCE SIGNED TO WEAR ALL-NEW GUCCI MOTO GEAR AT PALA?
Jett Lawrence attended New York’s Met Gala. It is a high-falutin event in which everyone who is any one in New York or Hollywood society dons their wildest fashion choices for an evening of hobnobbing with the upper crust. This year, the guest list included Jett Lawrence. Photo: Jett Lawrence Instagram.
Jett was savvy enough to know that true fashion etiquette demands that your bow-tie be slightly askew. Photo: Jett Lawrence Instagram
• “LAST WEEK IN MXA WITH JOSH MOSIMAN:” MXA’S 2025 WORLD TWO-STROKE VIDEO
• 2025 MXGP WINNERS AT A GLANCE — SIX DOWN, 14 TO GO
Lucas Coenen (6) moved up to the 450 class from the 250 class this year and won his first-ever 450 Grand Prix at his sixth 450 race ever and backed it up with a second victory a week later in muddy Portugal.
Date/Venue 450 250
Mar. 2…Argentina………..Maxime Renaux (Yam)…………………..Kay de Wolf (Hus)
Mar. 16…Spain #1………..Tim Gajser (Hon)…………………………….Liam Everts (Hus)
Mar. 23…France #1……….Tim Gajser (Hon)……………………………Andrea Adamo (KTM)
Apr. 6…Sardinia……………Romain Febvre(Hon)……………………….Kay de Wolf (Hus)
April 13…Italy……………….Tim Gajser (Hon)……………………………..Thibault Benistant (Yam)
April 21…Switzerland……Lucas Coenen (KTM)…………………..Simon Laegenfelder (KTM)
May 4…Portugal……………..Lucas Coenen (KTM)…………………..Andrea Adamo (KTM)
May 11…Spain #2
May 25…France #2
June 1…Germany
June 8…Latvia
June 22…Great Britain
July 13…Finland
July 27…Czech Republic
Aug. 3…Belgium
Aug. 17…Sweden
Aug 24…Holland
Sept. 7…Turkey
Sept. 14…China
Sept. 21…Australia
450 points leader…Tim Gajser (Hon)
250 points leader...Kay de Wolf (Hus)
• 2025 SUPERCROSS, MOTOCROSS, MXGP, MXDN & SMX PLAY-OFF SCHEDULES
The 2025 AMA outdoor Nationals will start on May 24 and end on August 23, but the 2025 Motocross des Nations will be held at Crawfordsville on October 5.
The post RUMORS, GOSSIP & UNFOUNDED TRUTHS: THIS WEEKEND IS ALL ABOUT THE AMA 250 EAST SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP appeared first on Motocross Action Magazine.
