Slaw
It is happening! Triumph Factory Racing will make its long-awaited 450 debut in 2026.
The team announced today that their inaugural 450SX campaign will begin at the season opener at Anaheim on Jan 10.
There is a surprise here as well. Austin Forkner will race the 450 Class at Anaheim 1 and for at least the first six rounds before focusing on the 250SX East Division which kicks off Feb 21 in Arlington.
Jordon Smith will race the 450 Class full-time in 2026, but underwent shoulder surgery this off-season, which will put him out for the start of the year. He is expected to return at round seven of the series in Arlington, Texas, per the team.
Earlier this off-season, the team announced that Mikkel Haarup will remain in the U.S. in 2026, and move up to the premier 450 Class with the team in Pro Motocross.
Jalek Swoll also returns to the team and will race the 250 Class in Monster Energy Supercross and Pro Motocross.
Swoll was recently on the Winners Take Y’all podcast and talked about 2026 and more.
Jordon Smith
“I’m really excited to be moving up to the 450 class and racing for the Triumph Factory Racing team next year. I feel like I’ve had my time in the 250 class, and I’ve had a lot of good results, and I think I can transfer that good riding in my move up to the 450. I’m looking forward to working with the team to help develop the bike, and put in some good rides. Unfortunately, the crash I had in practice in Vegas where I dislocated my shoulder resulted in the need to have surgery to repair my rotator cuff and labrum. We’ve been working on the rehab day in, day out and it’s going well, but the return to racing will not be until Arlington. Of course, for me it’s super disappointing not to be out there from the start of the season, especially as this is a momentous occasion for Triumph and the next chapter in my career, but I can’t wait to be back out there and on the TF 450-X.”
Austin Forkner
“I’m super excited for the opportunity to race in the 450SX division to start the 2026 season. Whether it turns out to be a little bit of a warm-up going into 250SX East, or potentially a full season if we decide to go that way, I think it’s a great opportunity. I’m excited to see where I stack up in the 450 class and I’ve been putting plenty of time in on the bigger bike in recent weeks. It’s been good so far. I think my style fits a 450 pretty well, and I can’t wait to head to A1 for the first round of the series.”
Jeremy Coker – General Manager, Triumph Racing America
“It’s exciting for Triumph to be stepping into 450SX in 2026, and we’re especially pleased to be making our step into the category with Jordon and Austin on the TF 450-X. We originally had the plan to go 450 racing with Jordon, and I know he would have been putting in a lot of effort during the off-season to be where he wants to be in the category. Unfortunately, his injury meant that it wasn’t possible to make the start of the season, and all of his focus is now on returning as soon as possible. He will get his chance to race the 450 very soon, and we can’t wait for that, especially with everything we achieved together last season. We still wanted to keep our 450 plans on track, and having seen Austin on the bike for some test days, I am beyond thrilled that he has grabbed the opportunity to race in the 450 class and will start the season in Anaheim. It’s a great opportunity for him and for us. We’ve been working really hard on the development of the factory bike, and while Austin hasn’t had much time to prepare on the bigger bike, we look forward to getting going in the new year, making steps week-by-week, and then having Jordon racing later in the season.”
