When he showed up for Anaheim 1 earlier this year, you could tell Ryder DiFrancesco was set for a breakout year in Monster Energy AMA Supercross. The California native had gained 15 pounds of muscle and seemed more mature when talking on press day. Then on race day, he was attacking the track more so than he ever had. He qualified third overall then took third in his heat race. In the 250SX main event, he was running third until a pass from Jordon Smith landed the then-GasGas rider fourth on the night. It seems things had clicked in the off-season, and he would be a podium threat in the championship. He finished fourth and fifth at the opening two rounds, but those were the only two SX rounds he would make, as a nasty crash at the test crash the following week would end his supercross season prematurely.
In the crash, DiFrancesco sustained a fractured radial, a broken left rib, and suffered internal abdominal damage. He worked through the injuries and returned at the AMA Pro Motocross Championship opener and he would finish out that season strong before putting in a solid run in the SMX Playoffs. Unfortunately, his finale ended early as well when Haiden Deegan accidently landed on him in the first moto of the Las Vegas final.
At the SMX Media Days, DiFrancesco reflected on his season, and knew he needed to come back in Pro Motocross and get the reps in but admitted coming off such a big injury forced his confidence to take a hit.
“Yeah, outdoors was rough,” DiFrancesco said. “Obviously, I had that big injury and I wasn't even going to plan on racing the first round of outdoors, and it kind of came along quicker than I thought with the help of Doc G and the people around me. But, yeah, I think having such a big injury like that and then trying to come back and being where you want to be, and confidence also takes a huge swing when you're when you're fighting yourself.”
“So, I don't really know what the smart way would have been to go about that, but I think racing is the best way to obviously improve yourself,” he added. “But by the time SMX and the last couple of rounds of outdoors came around, I was kind of where I wanted to be. I wanted to be a little bit better than that. But I started coming around and I got a lot better.”
![Ryder DiFrancesco in his new Rockstar Energy Husqvarna kit for 2026. “Yeah, it's the same team, different color but at the same time, the bike is different. We got a new crew chief. I'm obviously working more with Nate [Ramsey] now, and it just feels more of a factory team, in a way.” -DiFrancesco](http://rxi.iscdn.net/2025/12/319017_img7958-2.jpg)
The recovery process went well but the injury took a toll on him mentally.
“I would say I thought I overcame it at first, but then I started racing again and I was kind of struggling with it,” he said on the mental side of his injuries. “And, yeah, I think I talked myself into being mentally over it and, ‘I'm good, I'm fine, I'm ready to go race,’ but at the same time, I was, kind of still iffy. And doing something like that where you're pretty close to, like, life and death is pretty gnarly. And with the good people around me, obviously I was ready to go race and I think the last couple rounds of outdoors and even into SMX, I kind of forgot about it and just went racing again.”
With his added weight, he feels like it has improved his day-to-day recovery and also helped if he does have big crashes. He credited Joe, Cancellieri, his off-the-bike trainer, for strengthening his body for the bumps and bruises that will come.
“And even, like, everyday recovery, I'm not really sore after riding,” he said on the muscle gained. “And last year and even the years before, I would get home and I would just be so done from the day. But all the crashes I've had this year, and even the one where I did my stomach and my arm, like that could have been much worse, and I could possibly be way worse than what I was. And then getting hit in Vegas, like, I think not being as strong as I was, it could have really been bad. So yeah, I really give all my luck to Joe.”
Now, he has been back putting the work in and is ready to go. Continuing to work with Davi Millsaps, DiFrancesco is ready for that breakout SX year…just 12 months later.
“I feel like last year, compared to this year, I'm just more consistent on the bike,” DiFrancesco said. “I've done...I don't even know how many motos this year already but just knowing that I can put 60 good laps in a day is a pretty good stress reliever.”
“So, coming into A1 last year, I feel like I started the off-season there this year,” he continued. “So, I'm already steps ahead. You've seen a little bit of it last week and how hard Davi is on me as well. But it's also good. I just got to take it with a grain of salt. He's the guy who got me to where I was at the first two rounds last year, and there was only a couple things that needed to be fixed for me to be where I wanted to be, and that was a podium spot. So, I feel like I'm leaps and bounds ahead of where I was going into A1 last year. And yeah, I have pretty high hopes for myself.”
He has high expectations for himself. Last year, he was aiming for a top five finish at the opener. He did that at rounds one and two before his injury. Same goal for this year, but he said when he gets into the top five, he needs to focus on racing forward and not what is happening behind him.
“You obviously have realistic goals, and a realistic goal for me would be to get some good points and have a top five coming out of A1,” he said. “But then like, a still realistic goal would be a podium or a win. Like if I can get a good start and get out there and throw laps down, then yeah, that's...but a good top five or top three to just collect some points to get out of here would be good.”
While he competed in seven total SX Futures races over two years, DiFrancesco only has 12 total professional 250SX starts to his name. Can he make the jump to race winner in ‘26?
“Yeah, I mean, that's a little bit of the unknown of why I'm kind of asking myself as well,” he admitted. “But I'm riding with guys like Jorge [Prado] and were compared to where I was last year, I'm just kind of going off that as well. But even SMX, like I had the speed and qualified very well all three rounds. And I'm around like where I was there as well.”
“So, I know I can win, I just got to get the reps and experience under my belt in supercross,” he added. “And I feel like the more I ride supercross, the more it fits me. I was never really huge into supercross until last year. But I think that also comes with me just growing into my body and getting more of a man-sized statue as well.”
Does he have confidence from the highs and good results or frustration from the low points?
“Well, I take the little wins for sure, like a good qualifying session or a good heat race or one good moto,” he said. “Makes me want to come back and obviously do it. But at the same time, it's more frustration for me because the bads are really bad and the goods are where I'm supposed to be and they feel normal. But that is one thing that I need to fix, and I think we have already this year in the off-season. Just consistency and putting in the laps and being there and not having up and down days. Our sport's hard, but I think these guys that are up there every weekend, they're title contenders and that's what they're good at. So, that's something that I can be better at for sure.”
“There needs to be a new guy that is that guy and it's really my goal,” he said.
Main image by Mitch Kendra
