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Red Bull KTM Signs DiFrancesco and Bennick for 2027 SMX

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing expands to a four-rider 250 program for 2027, adding Ryder DiFrancesco and Daxton Bennick alongside Julien Beaumer and Sacha Coenen on KTM 250 SX-F Factory Edition bikes - with Nathan Ramsey managing the 250 side and a debut at Anaheim 1 on January 9.

Trail Roamer Editorial TeamOct 15, 2026 · 4 min read
Official announcement graphic: DiFrancesco and Bennick join Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's expanded 250 program for 2027. - Credit: KTM / Align Media

Red Bull KTM just turned its 250 program into a four-rider factory bench. KTM confirmed Ryder DiFrancesco and Daxton Bennick for the 2027 SuperMotocross season, joining Julien Beaumer and Sacha Coenen on KTM 250 SX-F Factory Edition machinery across AMA Supercross, Pro Motocross, and the SMX Finals.

Cycle News and Racer X put the move in the same Rockstar Energy Husqvarna shutdown that sent R.J. Hampshire to Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati. DiFrancesco and Bennick were teammates on that Husqvarna 250 team. Now they are orange, and Nathan Ramsey - who ran that Husqvarna side - is Red Bull KTM's new 250 team manager.

The deal, in plain terms

Per the KTM North America release (Oct 14, 2026; also carried by Cycle News, Racer X, and MotoOnline):

  • Riders: Ryder DiFrancesco (21) and Daxton Bennick (20)
  • Bike: KTM 250 SX-F Factory Edition
  • Team: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing - expanded four-rider 250 program with Julien Beaumer and Sacha Coenen
  • 250 manager: Nathan Ramsey (Ian Harrison stays on the 450 side)
  • Debut: January 9, 2027 - Anaheim 1, opening round of the 2027 AMA Supercross Championship

What the release does not spell out: contract length, salary, or race numbers. Those stay out until the team fills them in.

What each rider brings

DiFrancesco's 2026 card, per KTM: runner-up in the 250SMX World Championship, fifth in 250MX, and fourth in the 250SX Western Division. The Californian earned his first career 250SX podium at Anaheim 1 and stacked outdoor and playoff podiums from there. His quote in the release is blunt: get on the orange bike and go win.

Bennick, the North Carolina rider, finished third in the 250SX East and took his first 250SMX podium at Playoff 1 in Columbus. He came up through KTM's Orange Brigade amateur program, so this is a return to orange as much as a new factory seat. MotoOnline flags that prior Orange Brigade tie the same way the KTM release does.

The four-rider 250 bench

Beaumer, 20, is back for a fourth season after extending through 2027 and beyond. Coenen, 19, arrives from the MX2 World Championship after finishing third in the 2026 MX2 standings - his first full SMX year, as Racer X notes. Put DiFrancesco and Bennick next to that pair and KTM is stacking a young, deep 250 roster instead of a two-rider factory cell.

On the 450 side, the same release keeps Ian Harrison over reigning SMX World Champion Jorge Prado and new recruit Lucas Coenen. Ramsey's job is the 250 half of that factory structure.

What Ramsey and Harrison said

Ramsey, in the KTM release: "What an incredible opportunity to be a part of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for 2027 and beyond. I will be managing the 250 race team, alongside of Ian and his crew on the 450 side. I believe this expansion and structure for the complete Red Bull KTM program is very strong and I look forward to having an unbelievable season. I couldn't be happier to add Dax and Ryder to the team! They both had very strong seasons in 2026 and should absolutely be in the championship conversation in 2027. Dax and Ryder alongside Juju and Sacha make up a very young and extremely strong Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 250 effort for 2027! I am honored to be a part of this group moving forward and can't wait to see what the future holds."

Harrison: "We are incredibly excited to introduce our strengthened Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 250 program, which will debut in 2027 with a four-rider lineup equipped with KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION machinery. KTM has enjoyed significant success in the category for many years, and this next step further underlines the brand's READY TO RACE commitment into the future."

Rider takeaway

DiFrancesco and Bennick are officially on Red Bull KTM for 2027 SuperMotocross, completing a four-rider 250 program with Beaumer and Sacha Coenen on 250 SX-F Factory Edition bikes, managed by Nathan Ramsey, with a competitive debut at Anaheim on January 9, 2027. Primary sources: the KTM release, Cycle News, Racer X, and MotoOnline.

Further reading

Sources

FAQ

Who did Ryder DiFrancesco and Daxton Bennick sign with for 2027?
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, for an expanded four-rider 250 program with Julien Beaumer and Sacha Coenen on KTM 250 SX-F Factory Edition bikes, per KTM's Oct 14, 2026 release.
When do DiFrancesco and Bennick debut for Red Bull KTM?
January 9, 2027, at Anaheim 1 - the opening round of the 2027 AMA Supercross Championship - per the KTM release.
Why are DiFrancesco and Bennick leaving Husqvarna?
Cycle News, Racer X, and MotoOnline report they move from Rockstar Energy Husqvarna after that factory program shut down for 2027. Nathan Ramsey, who managed that Husqvarna 250 team, is now Red Bull KTM's 250 team manager.

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