It’s Time! Ryder DiFrancesco Is Here

Ryder DiFrancesco always seemed destined for stardom. He had the talent and the look. He was sponsored by Jimmy John’s, was featured in Racer X Illustrated and headlined social and websites as he dominated the amateur ranks, taking home eight titles from Loretta Lynn’s.

A longtime Team Green Kawasaki rider, the move to Mitch Payton’s Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team was an obvious choice once DiFrancesco turned pro. But that relationship only lasted a half a season, as DiFrancesco signed with Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GasGas after spending his rookie Pro Motocross season in 2023 with Pro Circuit. The change would mark the first time since 65s that Ryder wouldn’t be riding Kawasaki’s.

The transition to the pro ranks can be a meat grinder. Faster riders, faster bikes, more races and more pressure tend to gobble young riders up. Especially ones of DiFrancesco’s caliber. Immediate success is a must. That’s what they are getting paid for after all. Past rookie phenoms like James Stewart, Ricky Carmichael and the like have certainly adjusted the bell curve in a tougher direction.

While DiFrancesco hasn’t lite the world on fire through his first season and a half, he’s shown flashes. But the critics have been loud. Why we no longer allow a rider to mature and develop at a slower rate is beyond me. But in our world of what have you done lately, DiFrancesco is an easy target.

The patience has paid off, though. New TLD team manager Frankie Latham has allowed DiFrancesco to begin training back in his hometown of Bakersfield, California, and the results are starting to come. Over the last three races, DiFrancesco has showed the talent everyone was salivating over when he was an amateur. A fourth at Washougal marked a career high for the sophomore, but the turnaround started at RedBud where he finished 8th overall and he followed up with a 6th overall at Spring Creek.

On Monday, DiFrancesco went on the PulpMX Show and talked about his turnaround, which in part seems to be taking a less is more approach, as he said he’s only been riding once during the week.   

“I would say Frankie [Latham] has been a huge help,” he said. “He’s allowed me to go to Bakersfield and let me have a little bit of freedom, which is hard for them to let me do that, but it worked.

“I haven’t touched the bike in 4-5 weeks. So, I’ve been on the same setup, just getting comfier and comfier.”

I guess my point in blogging this is: maybe we wait a year or even two before judging a rider and tossing them aside. Case in point, DiFrancesco’s fellow Bakersfield native, Jett Reynolds, who like Ryder D was a star at a young age but has dealt with injuries through his short time in the pros and is beginning to turn it around.

“We grew up together, but we were a little like rivals, I guess you could say,” said DiFrancesco. “But right now I’m one of his biggest fans and I’m stoked for him.”

Main Image: Octopi Media