Ryder DiFrancesco delivered a career-best performance at Round 8 of the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, securing second overall at the Washougal National with a commanding 2-2 moto scorecard. The result elevates the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider to fourth in the 250MX standings with three rounds remaining.
The 21-year-old demonstrated consistency throughout Saturday’s racing in Washington, qualifying third aboard his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition with a 2:12.571 lap time. DiFrancesco held second position from start to finish in the opening moto before backing it up with another runner-up result in Moto 2 after grabbing the holeshot.
“It was a great weekend,” said DiFrancesco. “Coming this way to the west coast, it’s close to home and has a special place in my heart. The Washougal fans were great today, and to put a whole day together was my goal coming into the round. To take 2-2 on the day for second overall, I’m stoked with the results!”
The team competed with a special Military Appreciation Race livery throughout the weekend. Teammate Casey Cochran finished 10th overall with 13-7 moto scores, moving to ninth in the championship standings. His strong second moto showed promise heading into the series break.
“It was good to finish the day strong in Moto 2, which put us into the top-10 overall this weekend and in the points,” commented Cochran. “We are heading in the right direction and my speed has been solid, so we just have to consistently put it together and the results will come.”
Daxton Bennick experienced a mixed day, completing the opening lap of Moto 1 in third before settling into fourth at the chequered flag. A difficult second moto—hampered by tearing off all his tear-offs on the opening lap—saw him finish 18th for 11th overall.
In the 450MX class, RJ Hampshire battled to sixth overall despite crashes in both motos. The 30-year-old recovered from opening-lap incidents in Moto 1 to finish seventh, then salvaged sixth in Moto 2 after a heavy crash. Hampshire sits fifth in the 450MX championship standings.
“I felt good on the bike – I just had some issues on the opening lap of Moto 1 and had to come through the pack back to seventh,” said Hampshire. “Second moto, better start, but I caught an edge on the side of the track and landed in a soft spot, and had a pretty big one… I was still able to manage sixth in the moto and sixth overall on the day.”
The Pro Motocross series now enters a two-week break before resuming at Unadilla in New York on 15 August for the penultimate round of the season.
Photo: Husqvarna Media
