Austin Forkner to Race Select 2026 AMA Supercross 450SX Rounds

Triumph Factory Racing has confirmed it will field three riders in the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship. Jalek Swoll is set to race a TF 250-X in the 250SX East division, which commences at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on February 21.

Jordon Smith was planning on making his 450 class debut at the Anaheim 1 opener, but is still on the mend from a shoulder injury sustained at the final round of the 2025 SuperMotocross World Championship. With Smith’s intended return to action at round 7 and an empty TF 450-X seat until then, Triumph has decided to bump Austin Forkner to the premier class for the first six rounds of 2026 AMA Supercross.

“I’m super excited for the opportunity to race in the 450 division to start the 2026 season,” Forkner said. “Whether it turns out to be a little bit of a warm-up going into 250SX East or potentially a full season if we decide to go that way, I think it’s a great opportunity. I’m excited to see where I stack up in the 450 class. I’ve been putting plenty of time in on the bigger bike in recent weeks and it’s been good so far. I think my style fits a 450 pretty well, and I can’t wait to head to A1 for the first round of the series.”

The Missouri native tested Triumph’s 450cc motocross bike ahead of the 2026 season to gain experience for a potential future move to the 450 division, which went well enough that he and the team decided he’d compete in the opening rounds on it. Forkner’s entry in the premier class at Anaheim 1 marks his and Triumph’s first time competing in the 450 class.

“It’s exciting for Triumph to be stepping into 450SX in 2026, and we’re especially pleased to be making our step into the category with Jordon and Austin on the TF 450-X,” Triumph Racing America General Manager Jeremy Coker said. “We originally had the plan to go 450 racing with Jordon, and I know he would have been putting in a lot of effort during the offseason to be where he wants to be in the category. Unfortunately, his injury meant that it wasn’t possible to make the start of the season, and all of his focus is now on returning as soon as possible. He will get his chance to race the 450 very soon, and we can’t wait for that, especially with everything we achieved together last season.“We still wanted to keep our 450 plans on track, and having seen Austin on the bike for some test days, I am beyond thrilled that he has grabbed the opportunity to race in the 450 class and will start the season in Anaheim. It’s a great opportunity for him and for us. We’ve been working really hard on the development of the factory bike, and while Austin hasn’t had much time to prepare on the bigger bike, we look forward to getting going in the new year, making steps week by week, and then having Jordon racing later in the season.”