AARON PLESSINGER EARNS FIRST-CAREER 450 SUPERCROSS WIN IN SAN DIEGO
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.
Chase Sexton: “Round three was another mud race and hopefully the last one of the year! For me, it just wasn’t a great night from the get-go, I struggled in the Heat Race, and then in the Main I actually felt like I was riding pretty good, although just was a long ways back. I did the best damage control that I could do and that got me eighth place. We’ll go back to work this week and come out swinging for A2.”
Following 250SX West qualifying, Supercross rookie Beaumer recorded an impressive fourth-fastest lap-time, before racing to an eventful fifth place in his Heat Race. A more challenging Main Event saw Beaumer take the checked flag in 16th place, now sitting 10th in the championship.
Julien Beaumer: “Finished up here in San Diego and I’m pretty bummed – just crashed too many times. I was riding really average at the start of the race and figured things out at the end, but I’d already lost too much time. We’ll regroup this week and come out swinging in Anaheim.”
Words and images from KTM Factory Racing