Looking back on Supercross this past season, Aaron Plessinger claimed a total of five 450SX podiums and managed to clinch a second-career victory in the process. The toll of racing for an extended period over multiple seasons finally caught up with him during Pro Motocross and put him on the sidelines, but now, entering 2026 and his fifth-straight year with Red Bull KTM, the 29-year-old is motivated to piece the entire puzzle together. MotoOnline was able to Check In with ‘The Cowboy’ during this week’s team launch.

Image: Dylan Kelley.

Walk me through how recovery’s been for you.

I mean, I haven’t really done too much. After Spring Creek, I just went and, actually my wife and I, the week after went to a resort and just kind of chilled, let my body relax a little bit. At first, it was kind of stressful because I didn’t really know what was happening, what was going on, I just felt like I should have been out there, but I wasn’t, and that kind of sucked a lot. But after I calmed down and, you know, let the body just kind of do its thing, I started feeling a lot better. Over the last couple weeks, I’ve just kind of took the time to hang with the family. 
We travelled to see, some people – my family – and my son actually got to race his first race, and then, yeah, so that was on my dad’s track, so that was pretty cool. And then, yeah, just kind of cruising, man, not doing too, too much. In the last week, week and a half, got back to kind of somewhat training, just kind of rolling back into it.

So how long have you been back on the bike?

This is my fourth day. I started, my first day was last week on Thursday, so not much time at all. It was close to eight or nine weeks off, completely off the bike, didn’t touch a dirt bike. So, yeah, it was pretty nice, yeah.

Walk me through your mindset, where you’re at, and how you’re feeling, coming into this next season.

Feeling good, man. I mean, I’m excited for for these next couple weeks and this next, like, pretty much two months, getting ready for A1. But yeah, man, my plan is to start off hot. 
Start off like I did in [2024] and hopefully, you know, get another red plate – hopefully keep it for a little bit longer than last time [laughs]! 
But no, the plan is to learn as much as I can from these new teammates that I got, and, yeah, just try to kill it, man.

Image: Dylan Kelley.

I’m sure you haven’t spent that much time with him yet, but just having the opportunity to be teammates with Eli Tomac. How are you feeling about that?

Nah, I think it’s awesome. 
I really, really do. And I think the team, including myself, is gonna learn a lot from this guy, because he’s one of the best, if not the best, so, yeah, I think we’re gonna be able to learn a lot from him. 
Who knows? Maybe I can teach him a thing or two. I’ve raced him now for quite a few years and I know how fast he is, you know. I’ve beaten him before, and he’s obviously beaten me before, but no, I think together – I know we won’t ride all the time together – but when we do ride together, I think we can learn from one another and, who knows?

Is Supercross coming back naturally at this point or are you a little rusty?

Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I’m feeling a lot better than I thought I would. Yesterday was my first day riding out here, and I got off the track and the boys were like, ‘man, you look a lot better than we thought you would.’

Is that a compliment or an insult [laughs]?

That’s what I was like, I was like, ‘boys, but, you know, I didn’t forget how to ride, even though I thought I was going to’ [laughs]. No, it’s definitely a compliment, so it makes me feel good and I think my confidence is still there. 
Especially with taking some time off. I think last year going into Supercross, it just seemed like, really sketchy to me for some reason, and I think I was going for so long and just like, kind of overdid my brain, like, overcooked my brain pretty much on Supercross, and I just didn’t really like the feeling of riding it. But now that I’ve taken this time off, I was more than excited to get back on the bike, and I feel like that’s kind of changed my outlook on Supercross some. I’m really excited for it.

Image: Supplied.

For a while you were chasing that first win, then you got that win. You were able to capture the points lead for a little bit, right on that cusp of being somebody that’s a top-three, top-five contender week in, week out. 
Do you feel like you were pushing so hard, for so long that [it caught up with you]?

I think collectively, over the years, I did most of the races in ’23. And then I think I only missed, like, three or four races at the end of Supercross. 
And then the next year, well, I did MXoN that October or whatever, and then the next year did the same – did most all of the races, and then did MXoN again after that, too. So I mean, I kind of tallied it up and over the last three years, if I would have finished it out this year, that would have been three years on the bike. 
Or three years with five weeks off the bike altogether. So, I think my brain, my body, everything was just like, ‘hey, dude, just got a chill for a little bit, take it easy for a minute.’

I’m sure your body was thanking you, and that’s exciting. Last thing, just coming into 2026, are you going to be coming out swinging or [what is the intent]?

I mean, I’d like to, you know. I’d like to come out swing and start off really, really hot. You can’t win the championship on the first night, but you can definitely make it a lot harder for yourself to win it. So, I think yeah, just get starts and be consistent is my biggest thing, you know? I’ve always been the one to go up and down, up and down, and like, get a podium here and finish ninth there, just go all over the map. My ultimate goal is to get really good starts, be up front with the good guys, and then just be really consistent. If I can do that, I think I’ll be in the championship hunt. 
If not, you know, hopefully have the red plate. I mean, I’ve raced these guys for long enough now, and I think I can beat most of them, but I’ve just got to put my put my mind to it and I believe I can do it.