The 2020 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship is shaping up as a two-man race in the 250 Class between the veterans Jeremy Martin (GEICO Honda) and Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy/Star Racing Yamaha). With five rounds down, four to go, Martin has a nine-point lead over Ferrandis (216 to 207). He’s also won three overalls to Ferrandis’ one, with the other going to the third-ranked RJ Hampshire of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team. Martin’s average finish in the 10 motos so far is 2.7, while Ferrandis is at 2.9.

But there is one statistic where Ferrandis is way ahead of Martin: the number of people he’s passed so far. Using the box scores from the americanmotocrossresults.com website (which is the official results stash for the series), where each rider’s first lap position is recorded, it’s obvious that Martin, a former two-time series champion, has been getting not only better starts, but he’s made less first-lap mistakes in traffic. From where Martin started and finished, he’s passed just 10 riders from the first lap to the finish, including the three spots he lost when he crashed with Ferrandis at RedBud 2.

Ferrandis, on the other hand, has had to pass 110 riders over the course of ten motos! This includes a 31st to 3rd in the second moto at Ironman, a 28th to 7th in the first moto at RedBud 1, and a pair of 13th place starts to 5th and 2nd at RedBud 2. And the two times he’s been at the front at the end of the first lap—the first motos at Loretta Lynn’s 1 and Ironman—he’s won both times. 

Jeremy Martin

Average finishing position is 2.7

Martin's position at the end of the first lap to position at the checkered flag:

LL1: 5 to 2 (3 spots)
LL1: 7 to 3 (4 spots)

LL2: 4 to 3 (1 spot)
LL2: 2 to 2

Ironman: 2 to 2
Ironman: 1 to 1

RedBud1: 4 to 1 (3 spots)
RedBud1: 2 to 1 (1 spot)

RedBud2: 8 to 11 (-3 spots)
RedBud2: 2 to 1 (1 spot)

Total overtakes: 10 spots

Dylan Ferrandis

Average finish position is 2.9

Ferrandis' position at the end of the first lap to position at the checkered flag:

LL1: 1 to 1
LL1: 6 to 1 (5 spots)

LL2: 8 to 2 (6 spots)
LL2: 20 to 4 (16 spots)

Ironman: 1 to 1
Ironman: 31 to 3 (28 spots)

RB1: 28 to 7 (21 spots)
RB1: 18 to 3 (15 spots)

RB2: 13 to 5 (8 spots)
RB2: 13 to 2 (11 spots)

Total overtakes: 110 spots

The bottom line is that Ferrandis needs to get better starts and stay out of trouble on the first lap. The fact that he’s still this close to the much more consistent Martin is a testament to his race craft and passing prowess. But with just eight motos to go, he can’t afford to have many more poor starts or first-lap crashes, beginning with the race this coming Saturday, which happens to literally be in Jeremy Martin’s back yard!