There’s something different about Julien Beaumer entering 2025. No longer is he a rookie in the professional ranks of 250SX or altogether for that matter, because he’s back for a second term at Red Bull KTM and this time he is certain that he can now be in the frame for victory – as long as he converts his mid-week pace into race-day results.

Still only 18, Beaumer’s rise to the factory KTM organization under Ian Harrison’s team management was a rapid one, but regardless, Rookie of the Year in both Monster Energy Supercross and Pro Motocross was a significant box to tick. He raced to a first podium, too, being at the Charlotte round of the SuperMotocross Finals series in second position.

Image: Supplied.

“Satisfied at times… I was happy with my riding at times, but I think I just made a lot of rookie mistakes that everyone makes their first year,” the Lake Havasu product reflected. “We cleaned that up quite a bit and I think I showed a lot in SMX – I’ve had a really good off-season so far and am excited with where we’re at.

“I’ve fixed a lot of the issues that we’ve had. I think a lot of it just came from – it wasn’t necessarily the way I was riding – a lot of me just thinking stuff was doable that wasn’t, or little crashes like on press day that shouldn’t have happened. So, just picking up on those things.”

A Red Bull KTM contract in your rookie year is typically rare, but Beaumer’s capabilities in Supercross Futures during 2023 earned him the prized opportunity, first within the KTM Orange Brigade amateur program with Daniel Blair, and then soon afterward in the official SMX team.

Image: Supplied.

Despite the usual outside noise and unrelenting sense of expectations at times, the opportunity for the teenager to sharpen his craft as experience builds has been granted under the guidance of trainer Davi Millsaps, and pressure mostly comes from within. A sense of belonging has also been elevated for next year, which is his greatest newfound strength at least on the surface.

“It’s been nice, we have a really good environment and, for me, it’s not pressure from the team, it’s pressure on myself,” he added. “I know what I do during the week, and if I can ride like that on race day, I’ll be up front. It’s a pressure on myself to do that, but pressure creates diamonds, right?

“I feel like I belong here now. I don’t think that last year I really believed in myself or believed that I was here for a reason, but now I do. I believe in myself, our group, and our team, so I’m ready to go. Learning everything and that podium in Charlotte helped a lot, but my off-season’s been awesome so far and I’ve been in a really good spot.”

Image: Supplied.

Now, after finishing seventh in 250SX West, 11th in 250MX and again P7 in 250SMX to conclude the SMX World Championship, Beaumer has his sights set on being up front more often, on a consistent basis.

“That podium was the highlight, because yeah I got Rookie of the Year in Supercross and Pro Motocross, but I didn’t even top-five a race in either of them,” Beaumer commented. “I didn’t do what I wanted to do, ride how I wanted to ride, and that frustrated me quite a bit.”

The question remains, can he deliver on his promise this time around? “I’m showing up to win. Last year I came into the season, I had speed or whatever, but I couldn’t do that speed for 15 plus one. This season, we made a lot of changes and I can go wide-open for 20 minutes… I’m ready to go and I’m ready to win.”