An impressive ride was a championship-worthy performance as the Frenchman came out with the number-one plate in the Western Regional 250SX class as the dust settled inside Sam Boyd Stadium.
Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing Team rider Dylan Ferrandis did exactly what he needed to do in order to give himself the best shot at his first title, winning the final race of the season in Las Vegas tonight. The impressive ride was a championship-worthy performance as the Frenchman came out with the number-one plate in the Western Regional 250SX class as the dust settled inside Sam Boyd Stadium. Teammates Colt Nichols and Justin Cooper both grabbed results inside the top 10, finishing sixth and eighth, respectively. Mitchell Oldenburg didn’t agree with one section of the track and unfortunately was unable to qualify for the main event.
Ferrandis entered the night with an eight-point deficit and knew he had to go out and win if he had any chance at all to come out a champion. When the gate dropped on the 250 East-West Showdown, he led the riders around the first lap. At the halfway point, in spite of his best efforts, it was looking like he would have to settle for second in the championship when the points leader went down. With that knowledge provided by his mechanic, Ferrandis did everything he could to keep his composure for the final six laps and took the checkered flag as the new Western Regional 250SX Champion.
“Coming into the main, I just asked my mechanic to tell me what Adam was doing and when I saw it at P-10 and P-12, I couldn’t believe it,” said Ferrandis. “We trained so hard coming into this weekend. It’s more than a dream come true. It’s hard to put into words. I’m just thinking about all the people that have been with me and supporting me. The team has been behind me the past few years and I’m very grateful to them for believing in me. This is incredible.”
Anaheim 1 winner Nichols brought confidence into the night after a great showing at the previous race. He had to use that confidence as he started outside the top 10 and quickly started picking off riders. Nichols was 10th by the second lap and continued to work his way around slower riders, ultimately finishing sixth.
The championship was out of reach for Cooper, but he still put in a solid effort. After falling in just behind Nichols at the start of the main event, he followed suit and was in the top 10 by lap two. The track was tough and it was a fight against the conditions as much as it was with the other riders. In the end, Cooper helped give the team its third top-10 finish in eighth.
With the conclusion of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series, the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s riders will make the transition to the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship in two weeks, starting at the Hangtown Classic in Folsom, California on Saturday, May 18.