Jorge Prado secured his third 450MX podium of the 2026 season with a commanding performance at Unadilla, posting 3-2 moto finishes for second overall at round nine of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider qualified third aboard his KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition around the technical, rutted New York circuit with a 2:12.842 lap time. After converting a strong start into third place in the opening moto, the four-time world champion truly came alive in moto two.
Prado challenged for victory throughout the second outing, engaging in a fierce battle with championship leader Jett Lawrence whilst pulling away from the rest of the field. His runner-up finish secured second overall and moved him to fourth in the championship standings with two rounds remaining.
“We had those three weeks to work on the bike and we knew exactly what we needed to do,” Prado said. “I was convinced that we were on the right path with my decisions, and it showed today. It was the best race of the year for me – we had really good speed battling with Jett in that second moto, and we were pulling away from everyone.”
Four-time 450MX champion Eli Tomac showed incremental improvements at Unadilla, recording the ninth-fastest qualifying time. The veteran ran inside the top five early in moto one before settling for seventh, whilst a poor start in moto two left him buried in the pack. He charged through to 11th for 11th overall on the day.
“We made some small improvements from the previous race in Washougal,” Tomac explained. “I got a good start in moto one and was around the top five for maybe half of that race. Small improvements this week, and I think we’ll keep getting better.”
Aaron Plessinger made his return to 450MX competition after missing several rounds since RedBud. Unfortunately, ‘The Cowboy’ encountered mechanical issues in both motos but gained valuable race mileage as he builds towards the final two rounds.
In the 250MX class, Julien Beaumer endured a difficult day despite qualifying fourth-fastest with a 2:16.361 lap time. An opening-lap crash in moto one relegated him to ninth, whilst a first-turn incident in moto two saw him charge from dead last to 13th. The result left him 10th overall but still third in the championship standings.
“It was a tough day at Unadilla,” Beaumer admitted. “In the first moto, I got a good start and then went down on lap one. Second moto, a lot of riders went straight in the first turn, I got caught in it and was dead-last. We’ll bounce back next weekend.”
The series continues at Budds Creek in Mechanicsville, Maryland, on 22 August for round ten of eleven.
Photo: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Media
