TOMAC & PRADO JOIN KTM FOR 2026 SMX

It’s (now) official – the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team has formally announced their 2026 SuperMotocross World Championship season line-up with Eli Tomac and Jorge Prado joining their 450 line-up, following Chase Sexton’s switch to Kawasaki announced just days ago. Returning riders Aaron Plessinger and Julien Beaumer remain with the team, who now boasts three 450 riders with just Beaumer in the 250 division.

Plessinger, Tomac, and Prado will each be equipped with the latest generation KTM 450SX-F Factory Edition in the 450 Class across AMA Supercross, Pro Motocross and the SMX post-season, while Beaumer has the new KTM 250SX-F Factory Edition at his disposal.

Previously confirmed in May, 29-year-old fan favourite Plessinger is remaining with Red Bull KTM through 2026, entering a fifth-straight term together and it’s one that the Ohio-native is eager to make count. After achieving five podiums in 450SX this season, including a second-career Main Event victory in Foxborough, ‘The Cowboy’ continues to excel on SMX’s biggest stage.

Joining Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for 2026 will be legendary 32-year-old Tomac, who arrives as one of the most decorated athletes in the sport’s history with four 450MX championships and two 450SX crowns to his name. Based out of Cortez, Colorado, he ranks second on the all-time Supercross premier class career wins list (53) and fourth outdoors (32), firmly establishing himself among the greats of SMX. He stood on top of the 450SX podium in San Diego this year prior to having his indoor campaign cut short, before recovering to finish third overall in both 450MX and 450SMX to complete the 2025 season. Notably, Tomac was also a graduate of the KTM Junior Supercross program at Phoenix in 2001.

Making a welcome homecoming to KTM in 2026 is four-time FIM Motocross World Champion Prado, the internationally credentialed Spaniard that previously made his mark with the group by winning a pair of championships in both MXGP (2023-2024) and MX2 (2018-2019). After first debuting in Supercross during 2024 with four 450SX appearances and claiming a career-high of P7, the 24-year-old enters the new year motivated to further define his career in the U.S. with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.

Headlining the team’s 250 Class program as the sole representative next season is Beaumer, the teenager preparing for his third year with Red Bull KTM. At 19, Arizona prospect ‘JuJu’ claimed the AMA 250SX Rookie of the Year honors in 2024 and recorded a breakout first Supercross victory in San Diego on his way to second in the 250SX West standings this year but was injured during the SMX post-season. He remains fully focused on his ongoing recovery and will return to competition upon regaining 100 percent fitness.

Ian Harrison, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: 
“It’s that time of year again when we start preparing for the upcoming season with new riders and bikes. We are really excited to continue working with Aaron and Julien for another season, while we also welcome both Eli and Jorge into the team for 2026. This year started strongly for Aaron, and after spending an extended period on the sidelines, he is focused on getting back to where he was. We are all looking forward to having ‘The Cowboy’ back at the races with the team – he is chomping at the bit to get going.”

“In addition, it is always interesting to bring in a rider such as Eli, who we have raced against over the last decade and we’ve always looked for ways to beat him, but now we are focusing on how we can support him to win. I am confident that our team and all of the riders will benefit from his experience and maturity. Jorge, on the other hand, had been in the KTM family for a long time with a lot of success in Europe prior to this past season. He trained alongside our team at the beginning of 2024, so for us it is an opportunity to have him back where he feels most at home, and to help him achieve his goals in the United States.”

“‘JuJu’ is doing all that he can in his recovery, so even though there is still a long way to go and we don’t expect him back until Pro Motocross, we know that he’ll be competitive once he’s in a position to do so, and we are supporting him every step of the way. Collectively, the team dynamic is really strong leading into the new year, everybody is quite familiar even if 50 percent of the rider lineup is new for next season. Right now, it’s time to keep our heads down and to keep progressing leading into Anaheim 1, and we will be ready to go racing together come January.”

The 2026 SMX World Championship is scheduled to commence on January 10 at Anaheim 1’s Supercross season-opener, with the series set to span 17 rounds. Featuring 11 rounds, Pro Motocross takes off with the Fox Raceway National in Pala, California, on May 30, while the three-race SMX Playoffs and Final will take centerstage throughout September.