Image: Octopi Media.

Norwegian Cornelius Tondel has been named fill-in rider at Monster Energy Kawasaki in place of Chase Sexton, set to debut onboard the factory KX450SR at Southwick this weekend.

Tondel, 22, is currently positioned 19th in the 450MX standings after opening the year with ISRT Kawasaki, finishing a high of 13th overall at Thunder Valley.

“I’m super-happy to have this opportunity,” Tondel commented. “It’s a really big deal for me, and being the first Norwegian factory rider in the United States is very special to me. I am super-thankful to have this opportunity, and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Monster Energy Kawasaki team manager Dan Fahie added: “We’re really looking forward to having Cornelius join the team. We believe that with his valuable experience and insights, he’ll be an asset to the team. We appreciate his willingness to step in and look forward to seeing what he can accomplish.”

Tondel has extensive experience in Europe – including finishing third in the 2022 EMX250 standings – and contested three Pro Motocross rounds last season before making the full-time transition to the United States in 2026.