Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado seized control of the 450SMX championship standings after claiming third overall at the opening round of the 2026 SuperMotocross World Championship Playoffs in Columbus, Ohio. The Spaniard now carries the red plate into the Los Angeles round with a two-point advantage over Haiden Deegan.
Heavy rain transformed Historic Crew Stadium into a muddy battleground, creating treacherous conditions that tested the entire field. Despite muddy races being his weakest performances earlier in the season, Prado demonstrated significant improvement to secure his playoff podium finish.
The four-time world champion grabbed the holeshot aboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION in Moto 1, leading the opening moments before prioritising consistency to finish third. He followed that with a fourth-place result in Moto 2 after another strong start, giving him third overall for the round and command of the championship.
“I really don’t know what to say! My worst races came in the mud this year, and now I finish up here on the box, which is amazing for me,” said Prado. “It’s a big improvement, so I am super-happy, and proud of my progress, and the work from the whole team. Now we are leading the SMX series and I can’t be more happy than this.”
Aaron Plessinger showed promise in his home state of Ohio but was left frustrated after a first-turn incident derailed his opening moto. Racing alongside Prado up front off the start, ‘The Cowboy’ crashed when the Spaniard’s bike slid into his wheel, relegating him to 10th after a recovery ride. He rebounded with sixth in Moto 2 for seventh overall, moving to eighth in the standings.
“I feel like Columbus was a pretty big missed opportunity for me, since we had lots of rain and lots of mud, which is usually my cup of tea,” said Plessinger. “Moto 2, I got off to a horrible start and ended up battling Joey [Savatgy] for fifth pretty much the whole time. We’ll focus on Los Angeles now and look for a stronger round.”
Retiring legend Eli Tomac struggled in the difficult conditions, posting 15-13 finishes aboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. With just two race weekends remaining in his decorated career, Tomac sits ninth in the championship heading into next weekend’s double-points round.
In 250SMX action, Julien Beaumer endured a challenging day after crashing out of a top-five position on the opening lap of Moto 1. He salvaged 16th in the opener and 18th in Moto 2, leaving him 10th in the standings with double and triple points on offer at the remaining two playoff rounds.
The SuperMotocross World Championship continues September 19 in Los Angeles, California, where double points will raise the stakes considerably in both classes.
Photo: Red Bull KTM Media
