Triumph Factory Racing has made its premier class debut at round one of the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship in Anaheim, California, finishing in 15th place thanks to a solid performance from Austin Forkner aboard the TF 450-X. Forkner qualified for the 450SX main event, the first of his career, via a seventh in his heat race.
The opening round of the AMA SMX World Championship was held in front of a sell-out crowd at the Angel Stadium, which provided a thrilling start to the year with the track’s unique layout and technical, dry base. Forkner soon got to grips with the Anaheim circuit while making Triumph’s historical first laps on the TF 450-X, progressing through to the night show with confidence.
The 450SX Main Event was forced to restart after an opening lap collision led to a red flag, which, unfortunately, involved Forkner. Unscathed, the American racer aimed to make the most of the restart. Navigating the tricky opening laps in 19th, Forkner settled into his rhythm and worked his way up to 15th in the closing stages. After a fierce battle, a late charge cemented his 15th position on the final lap, where he took the flag, securing a solid dose of points to open Forkner and the Triumph Factory Racing team’s season.
2026 AMA Supercross heads to San Diego, California, for the second race of the 17-round season next weekend (17th January).
Austin Forkner
“My riding was good in the Main Event. It was just a little too much of a rollercoaster. I was figuring out when to push and when to conserve energy. There are many aspects of racing that you run into in the longer 450SX main event. We will make some adjustments this week, but we are close and it was a solid debut in the premier class for me and the team.”
Jeremy Coker – General Manager, Triumph Racing America
“I am very proud of Austin and the team today. For us to launch the TF 450-X in Supercross and put it straight in the Main Event is a job well done in itself. Austin had a solid ride, and there’s plenty of positives to build on; we now have some more specific goals moving forward now the first race is done. The team will go back to work this week and continue to improve.”
450SX Results: 2025 AMA Supercross, Round 1 – Anaheim 1
1. Eli Tomac (KTM)
2. Ken Roczen (Suzuki)
3. Jorge Prado (KTM)
4. Hunter Lawrence (Honda)
5. Jason Anderson (Suzuki)
15. Austin Forkner (Triumph)
450SX Standings: 2025 AMA Supercross, Round 1 – Anaheim 1
1. Eli Tomac (KTM) 25pts
2. Ken Roczen (Suzuki) 22pts
3. Jorge Prado (KTM) 20pts
4. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 18pts
5. Jason Anderson (Suzuki) 16pts
15. Austin Forkner (Triumph) 6pts
Words and Images by Triumph
