Triumph ready for premier class AMA Supercross debut

The 2026 AMA Supercross season will be Triumph’s third in the championship, but it will also be the British brand’s first year in the premier 450SX class.

Triumph’s TF 450-X will debut in the top category of the American Supercross series in Anaheim, California, this weekend (10 January), two years after the TF 250-X brought the Hinckley-based manufacturer to the series for the first time in the 250SX division.

Jordan Smith, who rode for Triumph last year in the 250cc class and took the brand’s first AMA Supercross win at the fourth round of the West Coast regional series at Glendale, was originally due to step up to the 450SX class this year with Triumph, and make his debut in the premier class with the TF 450-X in Anaheim.

However, injury will keep the North Carolina native out of action for multiple weeks in the beginning of 2026, and so Austin Forkner has been promoted in his place. Forkner joined Triumph last year as he made his first move outside of the Kawasaki structure, and was slated to ride the 250cc class again this year before Smith’s injury. 

It’s possible he could return to the 250cc class in the East Coast regional series when Smith is able to return to racing, but he could also complete the full season in the 450cc class should his initial rides go well enough.

“I'm super excited to be making my 450 debut,” said Forkner, who made his Supercross debut in 2017.

“It’s been a long time coming, and I’m excited to get out there. 

“Testing and everything have gone well, but you never really know until you get on the track for the first race. 

“So, get on the track, see where we stack up, see how the bike is, see where I am, and go from there.”

Ian Kimber, Head of Global Racing Programmes for Triumph, added: “This weekend marks another historic moment in our racing journey, as our 450 lines up for the first time with a factory team. 

“This is the culmination of our off-road projects, where we’ve brought an entirely new line-up of bikes to the off-road market. 

“I’m super excited to see Austin [Forkner] make the step to the 450 class. He had a solid year on the 250 last year, and everyone saw the improvements through the season as his confidence grew. 

“Having seen some of his 450 practice riding, we know he’s feeling good on the bike, and it’s a proud moment to be going to Anaheim with the TF 450-X. 

“We also look forward to Jordon [Smith] making a full recovery and being able to race the premier class of AMA Supercross later in the year. 

“The field is really competitive, and we know that we still have a lot to learn, but our approach is to go step-by-step, gather as much information as we can from each event in race conditions, and continue to make progress throughout the season.”

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