Ryder DiFrancesco - The dirt bike kid
By TMX Archives on 22nd Feb 17
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a phenom as a person who is outstandingly talented or admired a star, particularly an up-and-comer or young prodigy.
The word phenom is banded around fairly regularly in our game.
It seems as though we're always hearing or talking about the next big thing. However, more often than not these prodigies fail to reach the lofty heights that were predicted for them before they'd even reached puberty.
It's the tragic story of the star that shines too bright, too soon.
Right now 11-year-old Ryder DiFrancesco is the biggest name in American amateur motocross. The Californian rocketed to worldwide attention in 2011 after he claimed his first Loretta Lynn national championship at just five years old, becoming the youngest person ever to win there.
His profile surged even further that very same year once Troy Adamitis' documentary ‘The Heart of Motocross' was released online.
The 30-minute movie showcased the 2011 Red Bull AMA Amateur Nationals at Loretta Lynn's ranch and Ryder starred as one of the featured riders, impressing a worldwide audience before even graduating pre-school.
But does this qualify the naturally cool kid as a legitimate phenom?
"Right now Ryder is showing that he has everything it takes to make it," reckons his riding coach Buddy Antunez.
"For sure he's going to be slated as a phenom - people have already used that word and I'd definitely use it to describe Ryder. He already does things at a very high level and if I can bring that intensity that he sometimes shows on the track out of him every time he throws a leg over a bike he's going to win a lot of races going forward.
"He's still young and some of that intensity comes with maturity as well."
The pressure of that phenom status can weigh heavily on young shoulders and motocross has more than its fair share of next big things who've cracked when the going's got tough.
"Can he handle the pressure? That's the thing that you just don't know," says Antunez.
"I'd like to say yeah and be positive and say that he can and will handle it but there are just so many things that can come into play between now and when he turns professional - injuries being the number one culprit in derailing things."
Bud-Man is cautiously confident here, as is Ryder's mother Lisa.
"I definitely feel that when he was younger he didn't feel any pressure but maybe as he gets older he will a little bit," she says.
"He's still very young though. Maybe he does feel it a little now but not a lot. At the moment he is still just having fun - that's his main goal!"
Ryder himself seems unfazed by his status and the expectations projected upon him.
"It's pretty cool I guess," he states.
"I don't really think about it too much..."
With over 80,000 followers on Instagram, Ryder is on a par with - if not a level above - some of the biggest names in the sport in terms of social media presence and the overall exposure he receives. He's not quite sure how it happened though.
"Dude, I don't even know how I got that many followers!"
I guess that's what three Loretta's titles and 45 national championships brings you...
This following and the reach that comes with it has earned Ryder some big-time sponsors.
You'll see the Jimmy John's - a gourmet sandwich shop chain in the States - logo splattered across his bike and gear and Lisa informed us that he's just made the switch to TLD.
Ryder has arguably the top team in the amateur paddock supporting every step of his career. Team Green Kawasaki has produced some of the best talent in American motocross history and with clear stepping stones in place the route to the pro ranks is as straight forward as feasibly possible for Ryder.
"It means a lot being part of Team Green," says Ryder.
"Obviously it's a great team and they've really helped me a lot through my riding career and they'll continue to be a big help."
The route may be clear but there's certainly no rush - a promising career such as Ryder's needs to be nurtured carefully.
"He can turn pro at 16 but we aren't sure if he'll go at 16 just yet," says Lisa.
"He'll be on 85s next year and most likely Superminis the year after. It all depends on his growth. He's still pretty small right now so we are just going to judge it on that.
"If he's too little to jump on a Supermini we won't put him on it.
"Pro Circuit just put him on an 85 and they didn't even want to do that until January. He was racing 65s last year and they didn't want him on it but we begged just to get him going on the 85. Kawasaki and Pro Circuit are all about taking time with him."
As mentioned previously, many of the greatest talents in American motocross history were cultivated and brought through the Team Green/Pro Circuit system.
So how does Ryder stack up against names such as Adam Cianciarulo and Ricky Carmichael?
"Ability wise Ryder is right there with the Cianciarulos, the Tomacs and those guys at this age," claims Antunez.
"But like I said he's still got some room to grow as far as intensity is concerned. Until we can achieve that we are just waiting to unlock and see what the true capability is.
"He has done it at times, it's just down to me as his riding coach to bring that out of him all the time. Hopefully as he gets older we'll start to see it come out more often and if we start to see a lot of wins we can put that tag [as one of the greatest amateur racers] on him officially."
Despite being so young this is a serious business for Ryder and his circle.
"I feel like if people knew how much effort and commitment it took they would be surprised," says Lisa.
"Some people may just look from the outside and say ‘oh look, he just goes riding every day' but it's so much more than that.
"It's 200 per cent effort from me, my husband, from Ryder and our mechanic. It's a full circle, we all need to be giving 200 per cent to make this work."
Juggling the moto life with regular life is hard for any family and the DiFrancescos are no exception.
"I think it's harder for my husband. He's the full-time worker, he's at home bringing in the money. My life and Ryder's life are geared fully towards motocross.
"If we have to be at an event, we are at the event. He's home schooled and we do most of that on the road.
"So for me and Ryder everything is circled around motocross. My husband gets to come to the races - especially the big ones - but he doesn't get to take him to training or be at the track with us every day."
Ryder follows a full-on seven-days-a-week schedule that even a pro would find punishing.
"Monday and Friday I do a crossfit work-out, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I ride and Saturday and Sunday I race. I always try to keep it exciting, pulling some whips and things to keep it fun."
It's clear after spending time with Ryder that he is simply a fun-loving kid that loves to shred laps on his dirt bike.
"Every time we met at the track he just couldn't wait to get back out and ride. But the fun doesn't stop at the track.
"He loves to hang out with his friends, he likes to golf, he likes to ride his scooters, he likes his Snapchat," says Lisa.
"He's an 11-year-old you know, he just likes to have fun!"
With Ken Roczen as a role model it's clear what type of racer Ryder would like to become.
"In five to 10 years I'd like to be winning supercross championships. My goals for next year are to go out and win at all the big nationals on the 85 and to take home the Loretta Lynn win."
Racing is in Ryder's blood and the whole family - including his sister and two brothers - know how to turn a wheel.
"My husband's family rode flat track," says Lisa. "My husband was a national flat track and speedway rider, the uncles were flat track riders so motorcycles and dirt bikes have been a part of the family!
"We all used to go out into the desert and trail ride but my older boys also played baseball - they're in their 20s now so they have their own jobs.
"His sister rode a little bit but nothing serious. When Ryder came along we stopped trail riding and went full force with motocross. We are all so very proud of him."
Ryder's talent on a motorcycle is crystal-clear once you've watched him ride and it's easy to see why he is considered a phenom.
I believe that if Ryder can keep things fun - which he seems to be good at - while following the advice of his mentors and trainers he most definitely has the potential to make the big time.
It's b een a long road for the DiFrancesco family since Ryder first made headlines and that journey stretches much further into the distance.
"Just winning Loretta's at five years old was huge," adds Lisa, "and then getting to be featured in one of Troy's shows was big for him, it was neat. I think it was at that time that we realised we were stuck in this motocross world for good!"
