Ahead of 2022, the Supercross Futures program of Monster Energy AMA Supercross was adjusted to focus specifically on the top 250cc division—basically the B and A kids that would be turning pro soon—and this allowed those next up and coming racers to compete on the pro track on the day of the pro race and even in front of the same crowd. This was a big step up in the process of prepping those top amateur kids to get ready for the so big leagues, compared to what used to be a tamed down track the day after the pro race. This new program returned in 2023 and will be back again in 2024, once again helping bridge the gap between the professional and amateur levels. No one seemed to benefit more from the program than Julien Beaumer, even though he did not earn the 2023 Supercross Futures #1 plate at the championship finale in Utah.
A more under the radar name, Beaumer struck big when he passed both the eye test and the lap time test against the clock in his first Supercross Futures event of the 2023 season. Quickly, Beaumer was welcomed onto the KTM Orange Brigade program last February after his strong showing. He went on to win two SX Futures main events before finishing 17th at the finale after a few crashes. But then in August, Beaumer’s ride with the amateur team turned into a seat on the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team in the professional 250 Class, where Beaumer made his debut at the Budds Creek National.
Then, just last night at the 2024 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team intro in California, the four riders on the Austrian team were introduced to members of the media: Chase Sexton and Aaron Plessinger lead the 450cc charge with Tom Vialle and Beaumer in the 250cc divisions.
Now, with an off-season of testing and training with the team under his belt, the Arizona native is set to make his AMA Supercross debut here at the Anaheim 1 Supercross season opener (this more than likely moves Tom Vialle to the 250SX East Region, which starts the first weekend in February in Michigan). Following the KTM team intro, our man on the ground Kellen Brauer caught up with “JuJu” to get an update on his boot camp, his thoughts on how far he has come the last 12 months, and more.
Racer X: Julien Beaumer, well, Factory KTM has probably got a really nice ring to it. But going back to last year, I know you talked about it on the stage, you start the year more or less as a privateer and now you're here a year later on a factory team. It must just feel like a whirlwind, right?
Julien Beaumer: Yeah, for sure. It went by really fast. This whole year, I feel like it's gone by really fast. Obviously, starting last year as a private in the B class and now we're getting ready for A1. So, it's been amazing though. I'm really happy with everyone. We got a really good team around us. So, it's been a good time.
I feel like your learning curve with supercross was pretty fast and rapid. Does it feel that way or do you feel like you've always been kind of comfortable and it just really shined through this year?
I feel like I've always liked supercross. Obviously, I don't, I just don't think we had that big of a stage as we do now in [Supercross] Futures to, to really show it. And I came into Futures, honestly, I wasn't even really expecting it. And at A2, I was like, “Woah.” So, but I think even just the progression from last year to now has been incredible. So, I'm really happy with where we're at.
![Julien Beaumer at the KTM intro on Monday, December 4.]()
Julien Beaumer at the KTM intro on Monday, December 4. Simon Cudby ![Julien Beaumer's KTM 250 SX-F race machine.]()
Julien Beaumer's KTM 250 SX-F race machine. Simon Cudby
What's it been like getting in with this program and, and kind of like feeding off of the riders that you ride with and learning from this team as well and not doing it yourself.
It's actually been awesome, having Chase, Tom, AP, who've been at the races. They know what it's like. They know what the track’s like. So, just being with them, learning from them, talking to them, getting advice from them has been awesome. Just gonna keep going, keep learning. Obviously, we have an amazing team around us. And, and we got a really good environment. So, can't wait for the season.
Do you feel if you didn't do Supercross Futures and have that experience? And now being with this team that you'd be a little bit, a little bit more reserved or maybe nervous going into racing or you feel like either way you had a lot of confidence going in?
I think obviously, like the Futures gives you an eye opener of the way the stadiums like the, the atmosphere you're in the noise. So, I think that was a big help. I feel obviously the nerves would be a little more high coming into the season if we didn't have that, just that experience in being under the lights in those big stadiums with the noise, the crowd. So, I definitely think that that was a big help. I don't think the training would have gone any, any different, obviously, just laps at the tracks, laps at the track. But, when the lights come on, it's a lot different. So, I think having that, having that experience is gonna help a lot.
So, I feel like for me, I saw you ride about a month ago out here and you were my early looking fast at the test track kind of guy. Do you feel that this is all kind of come like naturally to you pretty quick? And did you actually like, actively go into this thinking, “I got to learn these tracks quickly, I got a test really hard,” or have you taken it slow and it just is looking like you're riding fast.
I think the learning the track thing we took really fast. We've tried to focus on getting everything down really quick, when we get a new track, just because that's how it's gonna be at the races. We get one free practice to learn the track if you don't have press day and then we have press day, but we ride two or three rhythms. So, we don't really get the full track on press day. So, I think just the learning the track thing. We took really fast to make sure that we could learn tracks quick and be ready for qualifying. But other than that, we took everything fairly slow. We worked our way into our motos. We started boot camp six weeks ago, five weeks ago and we're pretty much done now. So, I think we're just gonna take these last five weeks are going to be just sharp, sharpen everything up, sharpen the bike up, sharpen myself up and come out swinging.
What's that been like as well? Getting into boot camp and really having to kind of like buckle down coming into a season like this too.
It's definitely been a new environment. I feel like I took the first two and a half weeks well, three weeks. My body was responding good. I was recovering good and then, I mean, the last two weeks have been tough. Obviously, your body gets tired. You're putting in a lot of laps, a lot of off the bike training, a lot of hours on the bicycle. So, I'm happy with where we're at though, even those, those days where I'm tired, we still get through the motos. Body’s ready to go. So now I think we're just going to wind down. And we're going to come in fully, fully ready.
Do you have a preference of racing, west or east? And then do you have any clue of what you might be, end up doing?
The plan is to race West plans race right now, we're on track to race west.
And I'm assuming that's just because a little bit more familiarity with you. You're comfortable with the dirt here too.
Yeah, for sure. Comfortable with the dirt. Obviously, Tom Chase are going back to Florida. So, they're going to be on that dirt. I'll stay here and be riding the test tracks. So, we'll be comfortable with the dirt. We'll have to bike dial for this dirt. So, we're gonna stay over here, try to race west and then go from there.
