Racer X Online - Motocross & Supercross NewsRacer X Online

  • Subscribe Now
  • Latest
  • Features
  • Breaking News

Racer X Online - Motocross & Supercross NewsRacer X Online

  • One Click Sign-In

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    OR

    Sign in with your username and password

    • Sign In
  • Features
    • 10 Things
    • 30 Greatest AMA Motocrossers
    • 3 on 3
    • 250 Words
    • 450 Words
    • Between the Motos
    • Breakdown
    • Deals of the Week
    • GNCC Report
    • Great Battles
    • How to Watch
    • Injury Report
    • Insight
    • In the Mag, On the Web
    • Lockdown Diaries
    • Longform
    • MXGP Race Reports
    • My Favorite Loretta Lynn's Moto
    • Next
    • Observations
    • On This Day in Moto
    • Open Mic
    • Privateer Profile
    • Race Day Feed
    • Racerhead
    • Racer X Awards
    • Racer X Redux
    • Rapid Reaxtion
    • RX Exhaust
    • Saturday Night Live
    • Staging Area
    • The Conversation
    • The List
    • The Moment
    • Things We Learned at the Ranch
    • Unphiltered
    • Wake-Up Call
    • Where Are They Now
  • Multimedia
    • Podcasts
    • Photo Galleries
    • The Weege Show
    • Racer X Films
    • Video
    • SX Preview Shows
    • Factory Tech Tip
    • MX Preview Shows
    • Behind The Bars
  • Races
    • Series Schedules
    • TV Schedules
    • Results
    • Champions
    • Teams
    • 2021 Numbers
  • Results
    • Points Standings
    • Race Results
    • Riders
    • The Vault
    • Loretta Lynn's Vault
  • The Mag
    • Customer Care
    • Digital Magazine Bookstand
    • Current Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletter
    • Free Stickers
    • Store Locator
    • Sell Racer X
  • Shop
  • About Us
  • Table of Contents
  • Subscribe Now
  • Latest
  • Features
  • Breaking News
Results Archive
Live Now
Supercross
Houston 1
Articles
450SX Results
  1. Justin Barcia
  2. Ken Roczen
  3. Marvin Musquin
Full Results
250SX East Results
  1. Christian Craig
  2. Austin Forkner
  3. Colt Nichols
Full Results
Upcoming
Supercross
Houston 2
Tue Jan 19
Articles
Upcoming
Supercross
Houston 3
Sat Jan 23
Articles
Upcoming
Supercross
Indianapolis 1
Sat Jan 30
Articles
Full Schedule
450 Words: Another Rookie Watch
Jason Weigandt

Jason Weigandt

450 Words Another Rookie Watch

October 27, 2020 10:30am
by: Jason Weigandt
  • Home
  • 450 Words
  • Expectations for Ferrandis and Sexton's Rookie 450SX Season

Yamaha off-road competition bikes are designed to turn enthusiasts into the best riders possible – to help them become one with their machine and win races – and to put them in the Victory Zone, atop the podium. From exciting youth models like the YZ65 and YZ85, to the legendary YZ125 or YZ250 two-strokes, and the championship-winning YZ250F and class-leading YZ450F with the industry-exclusive Power Tuner app, all Yamaha motocross bikes have one thing in common: winners choose them. Learn more at YamahaMotorsports.com

Advertisement | Advertise with Us

Backed by a dream year with both the Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX West Region Championship and the Lucas Oil 250 Class Pro Motocross Champion, Dylan Ferrandis heads head-long into the 450 class running downhill, with pure momentum. This will generate hype and an impatience to see the Frenchman, 26, join the front of the 450 pack and make the racing even deeper, closer and more exciting than it already is.

Well, we need to temper those expectations. An exciting rookie watch is nearly an annual occurrence in this sport, but rookie is more than just a term denoting first-year 450 racers. It’s practically a road map to predict where the season will go, and it rarely goes well in the first step.

Rookies often crash frequently in their debut 450 seasons. We know this. We try to keep the hype alive by believing certain rookies possess experience that can fast-track the process to the front. Even those seasons become difficult. Just last year Adam Cianciarulo was garnering extra hype as a potential 450SX title contender because all of the ups and downs he faced through his 250 career gave him a character beyond the typical young star. This is probably true. Plus, AC entered the class with big ‘mo on his side, winning the Monster Energy Cup, and coming thisclose to a dream race-winning debut at Anaheim 1. Plus, in the FWIW category (for what it’s worth), Adam is a tall guy. Maybe the 250 was holding him back and would go to a higher level on the big bike?

Adam Cianciarulo
Adam Cianciarulo Align Media

All of these things could be true. Yet, the grind of a 29-race season, the adjustment to racing faster bikes that are more temperamental to bike setup changes, on tracks that are more beat up, in races that are longer, against competition that’s tougher, can outweigh even those advantages. AC’s experience and talent perhaps sped up the process, as figured out how to win and contend by the end of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. But in the early days of supercross, his spectacular MEC and Anaheim 1 debuts faded into the typical ups and downs and rookie lessons. He took some hits until one finally did him in, via a broken collarbone, and then another even worse crash as soon as he returned to racing in Utah.

“You can’t kind of cheat the steps, there are lessons you have to learn,” said Adam. “When you come into the 450 class from the 250s, there’s such an unknown.” 

In short, Adam’s rookie season went about as well as a rookie season can go, but yet he missed nine of the 17 supercross races.

A year earlier, Zach Osborne had similar hype for his rookie campaign, again because he’d been through more ups and downs and had more life experience than most rookies. Zach won three 250cc titles in 2017 and 2018, and as soon as he got on the bigger Husqvarna he was reportedly going very fast. He showed promise in off-season races. Then…he crashed and missed the opener. He missed the first six races and scored just one podium finish.

Zach Osborne at the 2019 Nasvhille Supercross.
Zach Osborne at the 2019 Nasvhille Supercross. Rich Shepherd

Like Adam, Osborne had a much better handle on the outdoor season, and began rounding into a title contender. A shoulder injury ended up costing him that momentum, and then more bumps and bruises came during 2020 supercross. When he got back on the bike his injuries were so bad and his speed was so off that he considered retirement. Only after walking through that fire did Zach finally find something that clicked. Then he started rolling.

When the supercross results finally started coming for Zach late in Utah, he said part of the lesson was learning how to adapt and change the setup of the 450 as the day and night went on. What worked in practice or at the test track wouldn’t work when the track was beat in the main event. The only way to learn that is through more main events, and more time.

The hot rookie two years ago was Aaron Plessinger. He, like Ferrandis, was powered by a pair of 250 titles in the same year, and he, like Cianciarulo, is a tall rider, so there was hope he’d be even better on the 450. Alas, Plessinger’s story has been so similar to others: too many injuries on the big bike. Time will tell if he has the Osborne-like breakthrough coming.

Aaron Plessinger
Aaron Plessinger Align Media

Before Plessinger? Cooper Webb. Cooper already had some 450 experience through Motocross of Nations and USGP exploits, plus Cooper always raced wise beyond his years. You know the story from there: two really tough years before he found himself.

The Webb and Plessinger stories dovetail into another question surrounding Ferrandis. Over a long string of seasons, Yamaha’s YZ250F has been the most successful bike in American 250 racing. The YZ450F’s record isn’t even close. Webb and Plessinger contributed to the outsized YZ250F stats while also not adding much in the way of wins or podiums to the Yamaha 450 tab. Ferrandis’ situation is a little different. The factory Monster Energy Yamaha squad, which hosted Webb and Plessinger for two seasons, is gone. Now Star Racing is entrusted to run the Yamaha 450 program. Is there a secret sauce to the Star operation that can tame the YZ450F, or was this team just the beneficiary of an amazing 250 platform? Ferrandis won’t be the only one in this experiment, as Plessinger will be his teammate. Will this come down to bike or team?

Recommended Reading

  • Voicebox Voicebox October 23 - 11:00am
  • 250 Words: Coming Together 250 Words: Coming Together October 20 - 2:00pm
  • 250 Words: Old, New, Borrowed And Blue 250 Words: Old, New, Borrowed And Blue October 15 - 9:45am
  • Yamaha Announces 2021 Supercross and Motocross Teams Yamaha Announces 2021 Supercross and Motocross Teams October 14 - 11:55pm

Regardless, there are building blocks all around. Ferrandis might have experience beyond the typical 250 racer, but recent history has shown no experience can truly prep a rider for the demands of the 450 class.

We have another story on a parallel track. Chase Sexton will also be a 450SX rookie in 2021, and he has back-to-back supercross titles, like Ferrandis. He’s also a big, strong kid, but still definitely just a kid. The racing world seems to be aging rapidly, but Sexton is a return to the normal rookie age, at 21 (contrast that to Osborne and Ferrandis). Sexton’s style seems custom-made for the 450, and he proved it with that win at the Pro Motocross finale at Fox Raceway at Pala. Still though, we’ve seen plenty of riders show potential on the big bike in individual races. Putting together a whole season is something completely different.

Now comes the counter argument that I know is coming: Ryan Dungey and Jeremy McGrath won the AMA Supercross Championship as rookies. Also, Chad Reed came within six points of beating Ricky Carmichael straight-up for the supercross title as a rookie. Sure. To that I say, yes, the three most consistent riders in the history of supercross were able to make it through a first supercross season unscathed. Nearly everyone else took their lumps.

Rookies will make the class exciting and will add to a great field in 2021. There isn’t a fast-track to the top, though. The only remedy is time in the class, measured in years.

  • Dylan Ferrandis
    Dylan Ferrandis Align Media
  • Chase Sexton
    Chase Sexton Align Media

Don’t Miss a Moto!

 

Sign up for our newsletter to get headlines, info, and scoops as soon as they break. As a bonus, you’ll be entered into our weekly giveaways too!

TGI Freeday - Newsletter Giveaway
By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy
Forms on this page are protected by reCAPTCHA, its Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
  • Fly Racing Racer X Podcast: Jeff Emig Fly Racing Racer X Podcast: Jeff Emig 3:20pm
  • Insight: 2021 Supercross Schedule Insight: 2021 Supercross Schedule 1:00pm
Presented by:
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Website
Read Now
March 2021 Issue Now Available
Get Racer X on your iPhone
Check out all the exclusive content this month on any device!
Read Now
The March 2021 Digital Issue Availalbe Now

Motocross & Supercross News - Racer X Online

122 Vista Del Rio Drive, Morgantown, WV 26508 | 304-284-0084 | Contact Us
©1999 - 2021 Filter Publications LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
designed at: Website DesignImpulse Studios