Jorge Prado closed out his debut AMA Supercross season with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing by claiming third place at the series finale in Salt Lake City on Saturday night. The four-time motocross world champion capped off a solid learning year in the 450SX class with his second podium finish of the campaign.
The Spaniard qualified eighth aboard his KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition at Rice-Eccles Stadium before grabbing the holeshot in his heat race and finishing second. In the main event, Prado completed the opening lap in third position and remained patient throughout the 26-lap race, briefly running second before securing the final podium spot behind race winner Chase Sexton and runner-up Justin Cooper.
“It has been a pretty cool Supercross season for me,” said Prado. “I’m very happy to have made it to the end, and then obviously starting A1 with a podium, my expectations were high all year long, but I knew it was a learning curve. We had some good and bad moments, but at the end of the day, we got here to the last round and put ourselves back on the box with a great ride.”
The 25-year-old’s maiden 450SX campaign yielded two podium finishes alongside seven additional top-10 results, securing ninth in the final championship standings with 189 points. After making the transition from MXGP, Prado admitted the adjustment proved more challenging than anticipated.
“To be honest, I thought the change coming from MXGP to Supercross was going to be a little bit easier, but Supercross is a whole different world,” he explained. “I am very proud of myself and the work I put in every day, but also the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team. They have been putting a lot of work in as well at the test track, improving the bike with me.”
The night proved less fortunate for teammate Eli Tomac, who was forced to withdraw from the event after a heavy crash in 450SX Heat 2. Despite topping qualifying with a blistering 49.065-second lap time, the 33-year-old suffered a significant impact to his stomach and hip, with the team confirming his withdrawal as a precautionary measure.
Tomac concluded his first AMA Supercross season with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in fourth overall with 275 points. His campaign included a memorable debut victory at Anaheim 1, followed by wins in San Diego, Seattle, and Daytona, alongside five additional podium finishes.
Ken Roczen claimed the 2026 450SX championship with 349 points, narrowly edging Hunter Lawrence by just three points in one of the closest title battles in recent memory.
Attention now turns to the Pro Motocross component of the SMX World Championship, which commences at Fox Raceway in Pala, California, on 30th May.
Photo: KTM Media
