After being sidelined for nine months with a serious back injury sustained at last year’s SMX Playoff weekend in Charlotte, Julien Beaumer was ruled out of the entire 2026 Monster Energy Supercross season. And now, the Red Bull KTM standout’s Pro Motocross return has been remarkably successful – here’s why this version of ‘Juju’ is the best that we’ve seen so far.

Much has been made of the 20-year-old Beaumer’s Supercross skillset, highlighted when he challenged Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan during the 250SX West series one year ago.

He claimed a career-first victory at San Diego, along with podium finishes at both Anaheim rounds, ultimately claiming second in the championship and establishing himself as a future title contender.

That same form had largely evaded him outdoors, however, unable to reach the Pro Motocross podium and missing time in 2025 through injury. It created an indoor-only perception regarding Beaumer’s capabilities, which is something he was determined to change upon his return this year.

Significant changes to his program – including a move from the west coast to Florida and joining the championship-proven Baker’s Factory under legendary trainer Aldon Baker – have already paid dividends, with Beaumer already finding himself on the podium at both Hangtown and High Point.

Image: Octopi Media.

That’s an important point to emphasize, since he had also drawn criticism for his ability on the softer, rutted surfaces more prevalent in the east, something that was clearly remedied following his performance through the Pennsylvania ruts on Saturday. Simply put, these early results speak volumes in 2026.

“I moved to Florida while I was hurt, and I’ve been riding out there for the last couple of weeks, so I’m just making improvements on the east coast side of things. I think that’s something I struggled with in the past – I’m just trying to improve each week,” revealed Beaumer following round four.

“This was my first good performance on an east coast-style track with some ruts, so we shut that narrative down. It’s trial and error, coming off the injury that I came off of, switching trainers, [and] everything. It’s hard to kind of find your groove – I struggled with that in those first three rounds with the first motos. I think we fixed that this week, so we have a plan now, and we’re going to come out swinging.”

A hallmark of elite athletes is an unwavering belief in themselves, sometimes to the point of delusion. But after nine months away from competition while recovering from a series of burst fractures in his vertebrae, it’s natural to question where your ability stacks up against rivals who have continued logging laps and collecting gate drops.

Candidly, that was a question mark for Beaumer himself. This stretch of form – which sees him just two points from the 250MX championship lead – was unexpected, with the priority simply being to regain comfort under race conditions. It wasn’t even clear leading into Fox Raceway’s outdoor opener if he’d be in a position to line up.

Image: Octopi Media.

“I don’t think I’d have a reaction – I didn’t think it was possible [to be in title contention],” he said. “We came in with a plan, coming off the injury, that we wanted to just see where we were at the first four rounds and then have a plan coming out of the break. We’re what, two points down now?

“We are not really focused on [the championship] right now, but we have a plan to come out swinging after the break. I think we’re in a really good spot and we made it through the building and seeing [phase].”

So yes, this is the best version of Juju that we have witnessed throughout his young professional career, arriving at a pivotal time as his long-term future with Red Bull KTM takes shape. It’s expected that KTM will expand its in-house 250 program, with Beaumer positioned strongly to lead the Austrian manufacturer into the future with as many as four factory 250 SX-Fs on track.

Seven rounds of Pro Motocross remain in 2026, with the opening stretch of the series now complete. Just seven points separate the top four in 250MX, with the title battle currently led by Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), while Jo Shimoda (Honda HRC Progressive) and Cole Davies (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) are also in the mix.

Image: Octopi Media.

Beaumer is clearly ready to put up a fight this season, with a first victory appearing within reach. Plus, his equipment and team is in a strong place, and while the Arizona native acknowledges that this is the best he’s been able to perform to date, he believes that there is still more to come.

“I think it’s the best version that we’ve seen,” he continued. “I don’t think it’s the best version of myself, yet – we did make a lot of strides with the bike and I haven’t… I’ll be honest, today, I didn’t touch my bike once. We’re in a good spot with the bike [and] I’m really strong.

“I put in a good base camp when I was hurt, and my body’s really good so I’m not too worried about that, but I think we can still get a little bit better and obviously each week is going to see an improvement, I think. Coming into RedBud, I’ve got my sights set on trying to get a win. I think for me it is just about believing in myself and I believe in myself a lot right now.”