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Ryder DiFrancesco
85cc (9-11) Limited
IMAGE / TENHAGEN WORDS / KILPATRICK DESIGN / WILSON
>> Ryder DiFrancesco has continued to look freaky fast after moving up onto the 85cc machine full time at the end of last year. The Bakersfield, California native only finished off the podium in one of his six motos throughout the entire week of racing at the JS7 Freestone Spring Championship, proving his speed and con- sistency in the process. DiFrancesco contested three different classes -- finishing fourth in the 85cc (9-13) class, second in the 85cc (9-12) class, and first overall in the 85cc (9-11) Limited class. The Team Green Kawasaki superstar stuck out in each and every moto he was on the track -- his loose, flowing style represented by his long hair waving beneath his custom painted helmet. DiFrancesco kept it flawless in the (9-11) Limited class with a pair of first place finishes. He lined up in his heat race with an air of confidence about him that was directly translated into his start; the Kawasaki rider dug his Dunlops into the tacky Texas soil and flew down the start straight like he was shot out of a cannon, propelling him to the holeshot. He put the hammer down immediately and set the fastest lap time of the moto on his very first flying lap, sending a message to his competitors in the process. DiFrancesco slowly built a gap over the second placed Texas native, Brock Walker, and eventually crossed the finish line with a gap of almost fifteen seconds in hand. His dominant first moto performance set him up for another good start in the second moto; he was able to get a good gate pick and his confi- dence was at an all-time high heading into the second race. DiFrancesco repli- cated his start from the first heat and put himself in the lead from the first corner onward. The Jimmy John’s backed rider looked freaky fast for the entirety of the race, never surrendering the lead as he held a gap of more than ten seconds all the way until the fourth lap of the race. The young Californian was able to mark his competitors and cruise home to victory, keeping it calculated and consistent on his way to the overall and the 85cc (9-11) Limited class championship.
54 MPG • APRIL 2017