Mikkel Haarup has been named the 450 Factory Triumph rider in the 2026 Pro Motocross series.
Haarup’s time in the U.S. was initially intended as a fill-in rider in the 250 Pro Motocross division for Factory Triumph, but five results from fourth through seventh in 10 Motocross starts were strong enough to encourage the team to keep him in the States for at least one more season. The two-year contract extension could have him returning to the MXGP World Championship in 2027.
“After two years of racing Triumph’s 250, I’m really excited for the next chapter of my career,” Haarup said in a news release. “Racing a 450 is something that I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time, and I can’t wait to get this next step started. I’ve been riding the 450 for a little while now and things have been going really well. I’m really thankful to Triumph for this opportunity and for believing in me. I can’t wait to go out and show what the bike is capable of, and for a second year of racing in the AMA Pro Motocross series.”
Despite skipping the Monster Energy Supercross season, Haarup’s results in Pro Motocross were strong enough to qualify him for the 2025 SMX Playoffs. He finished sixth in Motocross and would have been seeded 13th at zMax Dragway for the start of the three-round playoffs. Unfortunately, an injury suffered at Unadilla sidelined Haarup for the remainder of the season.
“After Mikkel’s breakthrough performance on the 250 last summer, we’re ecstatic at the thought of him staying stateside to race our 450 here in the Pro Motocross series,” Jeremy Coker, General Manager of Triumph Racing America said in a news release. “His development and race craft have been phenomenal this season, proving he’s ready to take on the premier class, and the prospect of him doing it here is incredibly exciting for all of us. Over the next few months we’ll continue our preparation for his 450 race debut, and with his sole focus being on outdoors, it will be invaluable to our program overall. We look forward to seeing what he can do on the bigger bike and can’t wait to get into next season.”
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