Dylan Ferrandis Is Calling It — Saturday in Missouri Is His Last Gate Drop
Two-time Pro Motocross champion Dylan Ferrandis will retire after Saturday's SMX World Championship Final, turning down a 2027 Ducati offer because his body has had enough.
Another one's hanging up the boots. On September 22, Dylan Ferrandis announced that this Saturday's SMX World Championship Final at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri, will be the last race of his professional career. "This weekend's race will be my last race as a professional racer, and I will retire from the sport," he said (Racer X, Pro Motocross).
The timing makes it worse, or better, depending on how you look at it. Earlier this month we wrote about Eli Tomac riding off after the playoffs. Now the same finale sends off two champions who defined an era of American racing.
He had an offer. He said no.
This wasn't a rider pushed out of a seat. Ferrandis, who's 32, had an offer to come back with the Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing team for 2027. He told Racer X that after a long career his body is tired, and he had to weigh the risk against the reward of continuing to race (Racer X, Cycle News).
Anyone who rides knows that math. Every season the crashes cost a little more and the recoveries take a little longer. Pros just run the numbers with a lot more at stake. Walking away healthy, with a ride on the table, is a choice a lot of racers never get to make.
What he leaves behind
Ferrandis came over from France and built a résumé most riders would trade anything for (NBC Sports, Pro Motocross):
- 250SX West champion in 2019 and 2020, back to back
- 250 Pro Motocross champion in 2020
- 450 Pro Motocross champion in 2021
Winning outdoor titles in both classes in consecutive years is rare. The 2021 450 crown in particular marked him as one of the few riders who could hang with anyone on a rough, hot, 30-minute-plus-two outdoor moto. Title seasons like that don't happen without the fitness, the setup, and the stubbornness to keep charging when the track's falling apart.
His last season came in Ducati red, part of the Italian brand's push into American racing. "It's been a great year with the Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing Team," he said, adding that the plan is to finish on a high note and enjoy the last few moments (Powersports Business).
Why it matters beyond the pits
For fans, Saturday is a send-off worth watching. The SMX World Championship Final runs on Peacock and NBCSN starting at 7 p.m. ET (NBC Sports).
For the sport, it's more turnover in a short window. Tomac and Ferrandis leaving together opens up factory seats and changes who the veterans are in the 450 class next season. The young guns have been knocking for years. Now the door's open.
And for the rest of us, it's a reminder that nobody rides forever. Not even the guys who make it look easy. The seasons you've got are the ones to enjoy, so ride smart enough to keep having them.
Log your own career
You're probably not closing out a pro career this weekend. You're still building a riding history of your own, though. Track every ride in BraapTrax, drop hazard reports so the next rider doesn't find that rut the hard way, and let your season stats show how far you've come. One day you'll want the receipts.
Sources: Racer X, Pro Motocross, Cycle News, NBC Sports, Powersports Business.
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