Race Report: Chase Sexton and Tom Vialle Conquer Ironman, Sexton Wins 450MX Title

The 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship has concluded with the final round at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, IN. This also completes the SuperMotocross World Championship season, with riders gaining points throughout Monster Energy AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross series for combined points as we enter the SMX Playoffs in just a few weeks.

Ironman received changes to the racetrack, creating more passing opportunities and fantastic racing for the final round. For the first time since the beginning of this track on the pro circuit, the start was in a different location, with a new section added just after the second corner, along with other minor adjustments.

It was a hot day in Crawfordsville, IN, for the final round of the summer, but that didn’t stop the riders from putting on another great round—perhaps the best racing we have seen in this championship series.

Let’s see how the motos shaped up, rider interviews during the post-race press conference, check the results, and everything else during the finale round:

450MX

The first 450MX moto at Ironman Raceway kicked off with drama right from the start as a crash on the outside took down Phoniex Racing Honda’s Dylan Ferrandis. Up front, Muc-Off/ClubMx/FXR Yamaha’s Phil Nicoletti and Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence battled for the lead, with Lawrence holding strong early on. However, it wasn’t long before Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger, riding confidently in the new wood section of the track, started to challenge. Plessinger made a pass on Lawrence, but the points leader on the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Chase Sexton stole the show. Sexton methodically worked his way up, eventually passing both Lawrence and Plessinger to take the lead and never looking back. His dominant performance in moto 1 secured him the 2024 Pro Motocross Championship, marking his first-ever AMA Pro Motocross title.

In Moto 2, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Justin Cooper grabbed the Motosport.com holeshot, but it was short-lived as Chase Sexton quickly took over. Hunter Lawrence got off to another good start but struggled to keep pace with the leaders. Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha’s Eli Tomac was also on the move, making his way past Lawrence and into third. Sexton already crowned the champion after Moto 1, pulled away with ease. Sexton then made a mistake, allowing his teammate Aaron Plessinger to catch up right on his rear wheel. Both riders battled for a few laps, but Chase was too strong. Sexton completed a perfect day with another Moto win, going 1-1 on the day and capping off his championship season with his sixth straight overall in a row, 7th O/A on the season, and celebration, including a "ghost ride the whip" moment. This is Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s first 450MX championship since Ryan Dungey last did it on the team in 2015.

This victory solidified Sexton's status as one of the sport’s elite, now holding 450MX titles in both Supercross and Motocross.

Chase Sexton, 1st place: “I really don't know how I improved so much. Racing Eli in 2022 was a big part of it. I found something on the bike that helped me improve, and last year’s struggles helped me push harder this year. I felt I took my riding to a new level. It's special to win here in front of my friends and family. This outdoor series has been really good for me. After struggling in Supercross, I needed this. I felt comfortable on the bike, and I think I've reached a new level this year. The competition is tough, but I expected to be in this position. It adds a bit of pressure, but it's great to have familiar faces around. The track changes this year were cool, and it felt like home with some of the features.”

Aaron Plessinger, 2nd place: "I feel like there's still room to improve. This year has been the best I've felt in my career, and I want to continue growing. I think the same bike and program next year could make me even better. I really want to redeem myself for last year. I feel like I was the third-best guy this season, and I think I deserve to be part of the team. I believe with the track being similar to Unadilla, we’d perform well. I'm getting better with age, and I still have room to grow. This year was my best so far, and I want to keep improving. Consistency will be a focus for next year, and ending this season strong is a good start.”

Eli Tomac, 3rd place: "That was nice to have two good motos and not just one. Kind of got a similar start in both races there and then, yeah, I was able to make a pass on Hunter that time to get to third. But overall, happy with just having two solid motos and getting back in the game. It's definitely nice just to get gate drops period. I noticed just being away from the summer, no matter what you do at home and however hard you train, you don't simulate those first laps and those first few corners. It seemed pretty wild to me and the sprint speed—I'm like, okay, I need to up my game on those first laps there. It was really all about just getting back into Motocross, knowing I'm going to race in 2025. I signed up to race it this year, so it's just good to get racing…It's good to get those gate drops in because I'm sure SMX is going to be even more of a sprint.”

250MX

The opening 250MX moto at Ironman Raceway saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle grab the Motosport.com holeshot and control early, leading the field from the outset. Vialle found his groove quickly and rode a smooth, consistent race, never facing a severe challenge for the lead. Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen, making a rare appearance in the 250MX class, showed flashes of brilliance early but couldn't sustain the pace. Behind them, newly crowned 250MX Pro Motocross Champion Haiden Deegan had a rough start with two different tip-overs and had to work his way through the pack to come back to eleventh. Monster Energy Pro Circuit’s Levi Kitchen emerged as the main threat, charging late in the moto to pass both Team Honda HRC’s Chance Hymas and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Jordan Smith, securing second place. Jordan Smith would finish 3rd in the moto, marking his first moto podium in many years. Vialle cruised to a dominant victory in moto 1, with a clean front number plate as proof of his commanding performance.

In the second moto, Tom Vialle again got off to a strong start, but this time, he faced stiff competition from fellow riders right off the jump. Haiden Deegan, determined to bounce back from his earlier moto struggles, quickly joined the fight at the front. Deegan and Vialle traded the lead multiple times in a thrilling battle while trading paint, with Deegan eventually gaining the upper hand. As Deegan pulled away, Hymas also managed to overtake Vialle for second place, who began to fade as the race wore on. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire, returning strongly from injury in his second race back to the series, passed Vialle late to claim third in the moto. Deegan would take the moto win but off the overall podium from the first moto result.

Despite finishing fourth in Moto 2, Vialle’s earlier win, combined with his solid second moto result, earned the Frenchman his first overall victory of the season. Deegan’s redemption in moto 2 and Hampshire’s resilience rounded out a dramatic day of racing in the 250MX class.

Tom Vialle, 1st place: "It was a great way to finish the season. The track was rough and challenging, but I felt strong throughout both motos. I had a good rhythm, and the team did an excellent job setting up the bike for the conditions. Coming into this race, I knew it was going to be tough. We (he and Deegan) had a nice battle. We traded positions a few times, and it was a lot of fun. The track allowed for some great line changes. I got a little tired towards the end, but I was really happy to finish the day with the win. Racing in the U.S. has been a big adjustment, but it’s been a fantastic experience. The competition is tough, and the tracks are different from what I’m used to in Europe. It’s been a learning year, and I’m excited to build on what we’ve learned for next season."

Chance Hymas, 2nd place: “Just last half of the season it's been rough for me so [I’ve been] a bit inconsistent... Nice to end the season with the podium, you know, pretty glad the summer's over, but yeah, it was a big boost in my career so far, best I've ridden in my career. I don't bounce like I used to, you know, I don't really have that kid energy, but... I'm starting to get back to 100% again and hopefully go into SMX [SuperMotocross] at 100%. This year was big for me just to get the experience I missed out on a lot last year... Obviously my goal is to win every weekend, but you take what you can get and you move on. Just trying to learn as much as I can and leaning on Hunter [Lawrence] the last few weekends.”

RJ Hampshire, 3rd place: "I feel like it's kind of just peeling the layers off... No matter what, whenever I came back it was going to hurt. So just try to get through these two [races]... I was not supposed to go out there and do that... So to pull that off and kind of suffer through it like that was a huge win for our team. To be honest, [my wrist] sucks right now... I'd say that was probably 60-70% today... It's hard to get that feeling back, and then how notchy it was, like yeah, I was in a lot of pain. I rode two days SMX full Supercross... I have more time on a SX track right now than I do on a motocross track... My wrist honestly feels a lot better on the SMX style than outdoors."