At 23 years of age, Tom Vialle adds his maiden 250SX East American Supercross title onboard the KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to the pair of MX2 World Championships that he earned in 2020 and 2022, respectively. It further establishes him as one of the sport’s emerging superstars on an international scale with his success in both Europe and the United States.
Upon joining Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in 2019, a successful rookie term in the MX2 World Championship saw the Frenchman race to fourth position in the point standings, before he went on to be crowned the MX2 World Champion at his second attempt the following year in 2020. After placing third in 2021, he spectacularly regained the crown at the finale.
Originally from Avignon, France, Vialle then moved to the U.S. ahead of the 2023 season, in which he made a highly-anticipated AMA Supercross debut and gained immense experience in the stadiums on his way to P8 in the final 250SX East standings.
Vialle also finished sixth overall in the 250MX category of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship – claiming a breakout first victory at Southwick – as part of a wider SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) campaign, where he was eventually ranked eighth in the 250SMX Class at the conclusion of the hybrid-type SMX Finals Series.
Building upon the vast knowledge that he picked up one year ago, Vialle has taken his career to new heights in 2024, standing on the AMA Supercross podium for the first time in Arlington’s second round of the season before taking elusive back-to-back 250SX Main Event wins in Daytona and Birmingham.
Tom continued that podium form with a runner-up result in Indianapolis, followed by third in both Foxborough and Nashville, and then was second again in Philadelphia’s penultimate round. Those finishes set him up with an instrumental 15-point advantage entering Salt Lake City’s ninth and final race of the eastern region.
A calculated eighth-place finish was enough to seal Vialle the title tonight in the second 250SX East/West Showdown of the year, marking Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s first in the 250SX category since compatriot Marvin Musquin won the eastern regional title victory in 2015. Vialle will now focus on the upcoming AMA Pro Motocross Championship, which commences in Pala, California, on Saturday, May 25th.
Tom Vialle: “That’s pretty amazing, to learn one year and then win this title in the second year. After I won Daytona and made it two in a row in Birmingham, I knew I could fight for the title. I made it to the end and I felt great all season. Going into Supercross this year, I enjoyed it even more and am very happy to win the championship. It’s only my second year here and feel like I have a lot to learn, am still learning every race, but I’m really excited now to head outdoors in two weeks at Pala. Thank you to everybody that has been behind us for this championship.”
Ian Harrison – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Starting at the first race when Tom wrecked in the first turn and finished 18th, I literally thought the season was over and it was just going to be another learning year for him. And then he found his groove, started winning a couple of races, and was finishing on the podium, getting better and better – the next thing we knew, we were in the lead. Daytona was a special one for us, always tough to win, and I was really proud of him there. We had the points lead coming into the final round and I was quite confident until practice today, but then I felt a little bit nervous as the day went on because it seemed like some of the stress was maybe getting to Tom a little bit. I have to say, he handled himself really well in the Main Event, put himself in a good position, and finished where he needed to finish. I’m super proud, it’s been a long time since we’ve won a 250 title and it feels really, really good.”
Alongside Vialle in the 250SX East/West Showdown was rookie Julien Beaumer, who was third quickest in Qualifying on the western region and then placed eighth in his Heat race. Unfortunately, he was credited 22nd in the Main Event after a crash and was ultimately positioned seventh in the final 250SX West Championship standings.
Julien Beaumer: “It was a rough night for me tonight. Qualifying and everything was good, but unfortunately, there was nowhere for me to go and I had a collision with Seth Hammaker in the Main. I’m 100 percent healthy and am ready to go into the outdoors.”
Salt Lake City also saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton stand on the top step of the 450SX Main Event podium after delivering a commanding performance to cap off the season on his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. Last year’s 450SX Champion was fastest in Qualifying and then won Heat 2 of the night, before going on to take victory by 3.228s at Rice-Eccles Stadium this evening. As a result, Sexton placed third in the championship with two victories to his credit in 2024.
Chase Sexton: “Salt Lake was a really good day for me – fastest qualifier, won the Heat, and the Main. I felt a lot more like myself in the last three races, because it’s been a long year, but I’ve learned a lot and the team stuck by me, so I’m looking forward to outdoors and building off this. This is a good momentum builder and what I needed going into the Pro Motocross series, so I’m pretty confident and am ready to keep getting better.”
